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V y IS2S.CrrTT1Wl.MUSS AS5t IHt
CHAPTER I
IT was Byrd's wedding night.
There was a tumult In hr
heart, a tumult of Joy and fear.
Every girl who has been led to
the altar knows that feeling a
niineHng of happy emotions with
vaguVand uncertain premonition?.
Rut until today she hadn't thougnt
of it that way! Not just that way!
She had been too happy with Lar
ry to even think of their life after
marriage.
She had lived in a dream, a
dream of love, of Joy, of beauty
a dream that had opened. up en
chanting vistas where 'she and
Iarry wandered Irresponsible and
carefree eons and eons of time.
Tqnight she had stepped down
to earth for the first time, and she
was afraid. Just a teeny, teeny
bit frightened.
She trembled slightly, as sh
gazed at the shimmering cloud,
with its nebula of floating mist
that was her wedding sown,'' as it
was reflected In the long glass
over the dressing table.
She thought guiltily that she did
look like the moon, wrapped in
bolts and bolts of satiny clouds,
as Larry had said when he had
peeked In once when she was
"trying on."
The little half-moons of yellow
silk that camouflaged the lights
over her dressing table threw an
added sheen over her soft bronze
hair, wound In strands of gold
about her small and shapely head.
her father, who was big and ings and Loan company, and about
brawny in "tature and heavy In the most important and well-to-do
tissue, and still less like, her moth- man in town
er, who was tall, angular and
sharp-reatured. To Byrd she
looked unreal without a dustclotn
pinned around her head, for Mrs.
Hamilton was the old-fanhfn
housekeeper who lust had to t.
an active part in all the household
activities
In fact, the onlv memhpr nf th
family who bore any resemblance
to uyrqwas Patricia, called "Pat."
and sometimes "Pep.' because she
was as full of high spirits as- a
Puppy, and was known all over
town for her tomboy pranks.
At sixteen. Pat was still a ran
gung child with a ready tongue
and a shrewd and untutored
Of lire. MOSt -Of the' tlm aha
looked all Jegs. elbows and eye.
it w constant race, her mother
said, between her knees and her
skirt hems. Pat had rlorlou hair
mat curled all over her hA t
eep, coppery shades, lighting t
the ends to warm rich red nf
setting sun. Byrd scolded her-eon-
sxanuy ior always running.. her
lingers through It so that itr"al
ways looks just like a cosy eor-
- M
uwr. - -
Then Bjrd's eyes were drawn bv
some magnetic force to Larry's
He was standing there at the min.
isters side so at ease, so assured,
his compact form drawn uo tn in
full height of six feet, so you as.
so nanasome and so distinguished
and gave a deeper luster to her looking, the lines of his suit not
Ms wr&Hi I V
i 'fw
1 y- 5 ? . ... v v -. ' , .... if : m
It tfi f$y& V
smooth, white skin and delicately
molded features. Under that soft
light one, doubted her 20 years.
Her face might have been
painted on shell. It had the
wraithlike quality of a jninlatun.
Only her eyes, like deep, blue
lakes under a noon sun, gave it a
vivacity that contradicted that
somewhat frailer qualities of the
rest of her.
There was something fragile arid
exquisite about her. She made you
think of the flowers that bloom n.
night finder the pale fire of the
moon ....the night-blooming
cereus in Jts waxen beauty, or th9
nioonfiower that held the bare
beauty of her shoulders as a calyx
holds its bud, while the iridescence
of satin seemed to shower her with
its silvery radiance and her veil
drew a silver cloud over her head.
Some one rapped at the door,
and Byrd called: "Just one min
ute and I'll be ready!"
Her heart was beating like a
sledge hammer, and she wasn't
quite sure that she wanted to join
the procession waiting for her at
the top of the stairs.
It was perfectly ridiculous ij
get excited about it, she was say
ing to herself. An experience that
the whole world shared could havo
no mystery. It was the natural
order of theunlverse common
.to all living things everywhere.
iut she stood rooted to the sdo:
as if Invisible fingers were hold
ing her that story she had
read in the paper haunted her.
A girl in Cleveland had post
poned her weeding three times,
becoming each time strangely ill
and the ast time she had locked
herself in her room when the
strains of the wedding march bo
Kan and they had to ' break
down .the door Byrd almost
sobbed with sympathy for her
There, in that story, lay the en
tire tragedy of sex
The great, old-fashioned house,
with, its "big" parlor and its "lit
tle" parlor, its large hall and lar
ger dining room, seemed to ab
sorb easily the many guests that
thronged it now. It made a bright
picture, with the walls garlanded
with spring flowers' reflected in
the spring-colored dresses of tha
girls and women.
Some of Larry's friends, even
a member of the firm for which
he worked, had come all the way
from Cleveland and stood a little
apart, a smart, distinguished-looking
group, a HttIeNsuperlor as city
foiks are apt to be.
The strains of the wedding
march floated up the stairs, and
now Byrd was descending on her
'tner's arm. She seemed to . be
carried down on the rhythm of
u music.
ts J JL?UMt' eded c,osr lnst
the ribboned aisle that her two
little niece, as flower girls had
Brawn, straining tn t . ..
concealing entirely the packs of
muscles that moved lightly under
the smooth, black broadcloth. His
serious, dark eyes held a secret
message for her, as they held her
close to him for an instant.
She loved Larry distractedly
when his face wore that fine, up
lifted expression.
Why, when he looked at her like
that, she felt queerly taut inside
like a violin whose strings have
been softly and a little cruelly
tightened by the musician who
alone knows how the mute or
force the sounds from within.
Six months ago she had gone t.
Cleveland to visit friends. And
there she' had met Lawrence
Browning it was at a dance....
they were introduced, and he hid
asked her to dance. Steooinr inii
his arms their eyes had met. Some
thing "clicked!"
Her light weight In his arms had
released some secret spring In botii
tneir bodies that had thrilled them
simultaneously with a sudden elec
trical snocK mat had . swan
them together and bound them
11- A . A . . -
wiiu mousana liny, invisible
wires.. .......They had felt
presence as if "it" had been a
person!
And Larry had stopped stock
still in the middle of the dance.
before a WOrd bad hean arviSVn
between them, and kissed the. top
of her bronze hair, softlr. rever
ently, like a prayer.
Suddenly she was consHnna -r
the deep, throaty tones of the
minister, spacing off his wnrda it
if he were measuring them with
a ruler.
"Wilt thous take this man
to be thy wedded husband "
the voice of the minister hnomad
and questioned her.
Byr'd shivered as if some ghost
ly hand had suddenly shaken a
warning, spectral finger at her.
Gray , patches floated before her
eyes, and the room became blur
red and unreal. Larry, noting her
sudden pallor, put a sustaining
arm . around her, a strong, en
couraging arm.
"I do!" Byrd's voice floated,
flute-like and steady, upon the
tense air, and the sigh of relief
that escaped her mother's Hps was
heard all over the room.
The crisis had been safely
passed, and now laughter and con
gratulations filled the air. The
kindly and familiar faces of old
family friends and neighbors
crowded past her down the receiv
ing line.
Her father, on ber right, added
Just the correct amount of bun.
ancy to the occasion, with his
hearty and overflowing rood h n.
Jmor. whlch now and then-couldn't
resist cropping a "little stor in.
to the willing, but shocked, ear of
An hour later. Byrd was slip
ping into the golnjc-awav eown.
a gray "ensemble" purchased la
a smart little shop in Cincinnati.
In it she looked like a grey dove
that was to make a long journey
into a half-mythical world of
bright hopes and rosy romance.
''Moms! you looked Just beau
tiful." said Byrd. proudly, as her
quick fingers snapped and but
toned and adjusted side elastics.
"And Jenny and Jinna looked like
two little angels. And Pat was as
cool as anything. I was afraid the
was going to look like a vaude
ville qneen with all that make-up.
ii was tne most heavenly wedding
that any girl ever had."
Byrd put on the ehic little hat
that matched the suit, and iled it
so that he rakish whisk swept her
ear and completely covered ono
eye.
"Ain't you tilting it a little too
"began Mrs. Hamilton.
Her mind was concerned en
tirely with the little things, de
tails, unimportant facts, all the
minutla of life.
There was a rush ud he stairs
and Pat burst in before she cou'd
finish.
"For Pete's sake!" she ex
claimed. "Aren't you ever comin?
down? Having prayers or some
thing?" She looked around, dis
gustedly, at their serious faeg.
Then her eyes fell on Byrd. "She-
Da s queen! Spiff y. I"l say! You
look like one of those swell
French mannequins! Now for
goodness' sake, live up to that out
fit!"
Pat put up her hands, as if to
ward off an imaginary blow. Thn
she hopped up on the foot of the
walnut bed. with lees swinein.
'Patricia!" said her mothar.
sharply, "pull your skirts down.. ."
'Moms. I'vs got to leave in a
minute," said Byrd. wondering
what wa8 keeping Larry and her
father.
There was a din and shoutff.e
below.
Suddenly she saw Larry stand
ing in the doorway, flashing that
brihiant smile that no, woman,
hai :he but known, had ever been
able to resist. Her father was
with him.
"Clear the stairs, dad darlinc "
Byrd said, nervously. "Moms tat.-
my bouquet and hold it till I get
my gloves on. Heavens! don't let
me forget to throw it." Turning
to Pat. "Get down vhpre vnu'il
have a chance of catching: it. Pat
dear. I'd rather von hav it thnn
anybody in the world."
"Oh. I don't want It!" said. Pat
disdainfully. "I'm goine to stav
single for a while and have soma
fun."
The tension of the moment be
gan to take its toll of Mrs. Hamil
ton s nerves. Until this moment.
she had shown the same cratffi
cation that she might have felt it
she had married Byrd to rovaltv.
bne began to sniff audiblv. and
wipe her eyes.
"It's so hard to elve von nn
she said, pathetically, "but a girl
nas to go through It some time.
Anyway. I hope you'll alwava re
member that your father and
have always tried to do what was
best for you. '
Byrd saw the strueele it was
costing her father to carry off the
moment with his usual broadyTol
licking humor. He adored Byrd
Lnder all their bantering and
1. , . . .
mailing ?acn oiner, mere was a
deep, indestructible, mutual love
isow, observed only by Byrd
Air. Hamilton turned his kindiv
shrewd eyes, their points of light
as penetrating as searchlights nn-
on his son-in-law, and momentar
ily tne smooth, florid skin was
criss-crossed with an entangle
ment of tiny wrinkles.
"Shucks! he said half aloud.
From everything that he had
heard about Lawrence Browninr.
he was an up-and-coming young
man. His industry was attested by
tne ract that one of the members
of his firm had come all the.wa
from Cleveland to attend the wel
ding. Larry had a brigh. alert wav
of discussing matters, and It was
oniy natural mat his wider exper
ience should make him feel a lit
tle, superior to his father-in-law.
whose career was perhaps a mat
ter of good-luck and lack of com
petition In a small town.
'By gum!" said Mr. Hamilton?
as! he wiped the oersDiratloa off
his dripping 'forehead and smooth.
ed down the grey, bristling hair
that stood out, in moments of ex
citement, like a crop of scrup oak.
"It's certainly a ticklish Job fe
ting the ugly duckling married
off. I didn't work half so hard to
raise a half million for the new
hospital!"
'. "Papa, why do you have to make
a joke of everything?" asked Mrf.
Hamilton, with a catch In har
voice.
Mr. Hamilton drew In his breath
deeply, as if to cover an imnendinc
break.
"Clear out, everybody!" he said,
quietly. "Mama and I want to be
alone with these two newly
weds!" -
He turned to' Byrd and Larry,
and put an arm around each of
them. Then he drew out a slip ft
paper, which he handed them.
"I was going to give you a little
advice on the use of this, but I've
changed my mind. There ain't go
in? to be nn ilrinn HaH Ia It
T
I tucked bis handkerchief, deeply
bordered In purple, back into ois
pocket. : i
Byrd caught her breath as she
glanced at it. It was a check fa-
five thousand dollars. It was made
out to Mr. and ; Mrs. "Lawrence
Browning. Larry put the check In
his pocket, thanking them.
Byrd threw her arms around
her mother, and then her father,
giving him an extra squeeze, a
long, tight quivering embrace,
which clung to him the rest of hl3
life.
Then Larry held out his hands
to her. It was time! to go.
In his smiling, slightly arrogant
eyes, there was a furious, vibrant
glewlng expression that pronoun
ced him altogether! male.
And Byrd knew then that
Larry was the only man she would
ever love !
She knew then that no mat
ter what be did. she would contin
ue all her life to lohre him and for
give him ; I
The little chains of dread that
had held her. back, seemed sud
denly to break, aad she though!
to herself, with an inexDresslble
happiness surging through her
slender, young body:
"Why. I'd go Anywhere jrith
Larry! I'd do anything for Lar
ry!" ..-.. j t
And Byrd needed all the faith In
the world, for before many hours
had passed, something happened
to test her love In! an extraordin
ary way. .
(To Be Continued.)
Believe it or not. none of the
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One thing you've! rot -to sar for
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The trouble with bie leaeue
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!
The first step in making; ours a
htppftr and hAtlar niow la fn ta
He blew his nose violently, and it football minded.
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