Show I i I I I I I BY Adele Garrison WHAT LILLIAN'S LILLIANS APOLOGY i TO MADGE U. E I Lillian turned her head and looked at me fixedly The glare lare of the the- street streetlights streetlights lights lIght etched her fine fino strong features tea fea tures turca against tho the dusk dusky background of or orthe the taxI Her eyes eyeR were no lon longer r an angry an- an gr gry but thoughtful Thou Then the time ghost of ot a n. twinkle cr crept pt into them Im glad youve you've come omo to your our sen sennes cs Madge a ge sho she said wald while I stared red at her herIn herIn I In open-mouthed open astonishment Lillian Lil LII- I han Ban always does tho the unexpected thing and never In my 01 life will I 1 get used t t. to her iner he Of Ot course coun c I owe you ou an apolo apology she ho went on I Iv v Went wAnt nt simply Berserk at the thought of ot Harrys Harry's pla playing mo me moa a n. trick like that And then to have havo you OU do the sympathetic stunt stunt stunt- i She Silo stopped as if In Inability to express ex ex- press her ber own orn anger anJer But all this Is besl beside a the main point she ehe went on dismissing h her r I husband and his errors abruptly Youve realized at Rt last what Ive I've been hoping hoping- you'd oud eco seo for months I knew V VId Id I'd have ha to give Jho you n a jolt of or some kind but trul truly I didn't mean to do 1 it 11 this S wa way Do forgive e me mo for tor sp speaking to you yoi In the way I did but but do do you ou realize that hat your own wn mental l a attitude has I I I I I I I been nt at fault That for Instance nce If Ie Katherine had boon In your oUr place tonight to t tl- tl nl night ht I should never never- ha have dared to speak to her In the thc tono tone and manner I used to you your That Up She wan turning tho the knife In tho the thoI wound I realized tho the probe probo was wa necessary necessary noc- noc essary but I 1 made up my mind that never In m my life again would It be bo necessary for me rue to undergo a a. similar operation In mental surgery I 1 dont don't think you ou will ever ha have havo reason to complain of ot that particular mental attitude again I said al dryly and at my tone tono Lillian laughed outright out out- r right ht tho the trick she said Keep Koop that up and you'll find halt half your troubles doing tho the regular the dew stunt Thank r hank you I r returned and the tho same lack of or enthusiasm sounded in n nI I my voice I I knew that what had ad said sald was por perfectly justified knew also that I tho the affection I I hind had for tor her Iou would d stan stand a much stronger stroner strain than th tho words of r caustic she s he had en me mo But the th mental whipping had been too recent for tor me mc to smile sweetly sweetly sweet sweet- ly as ae yet ct upon the tho administrator Yet I didn't wish Lillian to think me resentful I racked m my brains to find Ind some subject of ot conversation which would avert her thoughts from front m my personal personal personal per per- I found oun it ready at at hand and with It tho opportunity to I prove pro to her that I was D s ready to de defend end m my own theories Toll Tell mo me I said why are alo you yon so 80 suro sure that Mr rr Underwood forged that note noto It flU surely rely would have havo b been en tho the height of or stupidity for him to como come there titer after the ruse had succeeded You Forget How 1 often otten will I I havo o to tell teU you OU that Harry Is IB daffy about you OU 7 Lillian Lil Lii- lian Ban retorted impatiently Impatient lie Ho was V I probably obliged to write the note LU-j LU for forno forno no one else had ever had an opp opportunity opportunity r- r to get that notepaper But ho hono hono hono I no doubt beat it over there as 80 soon as os ho he had done his part In order to help you In any w way wy y ho lio could The different agents dont don't know each cach other you know so ho probably thought h he h could pull the stunt undetected Ho always was a daredevil But I l tell ll you he was Intoxicated when he h came into the tho station and Jl never ver noticed me until I spoke e to him I I persisted Besides when the chauffeur chauffeur showed a badge and said he was wasa a n. service agent Mr Ir promptly displayed a similar one and thus made mado the chauffeur give gl up his claim that Lillian Interposed sl sharply I 1 related the Incident of or the the- two badges at more le length upon the tine evident c enmity which tho the displayIng display display- Ing o Underwood Underwood's badge aroused in tho time breast of ot the tho chauffeur That hoes does put a different aspect u upon tho the matter Lillian LiilIan admitted and there w was i that in her Mee which told me hOT hosi jv 1 cruell cruelly I her own sue sue- sus suspicion had hurt herBut her hor But lIa Madge sh she she she-nt went erit on hopeless hopeless- ly no ono one else could coul have o Rotten gotten otten that notepaper It was a Jl special I k kind made mado to order and the plates destroyed b by bya a 5 paper manufacturer a friend of It I Harrys Harry's Just to gratify a whim of oC his one Christmas to give 1 0 me something j unique I always s 's kept it in a lItt little I locked heCk desk Wh which ch had 1 boon made specially daily to hold it with the ke key on my I kc key ring Harr Harry probably had a duplicate duplicate cate k key 1 Xo co matter what hat ho had I returned j I emphatically I 1 dont don't believe ho Inc tor forged ed edI that note noto He Is 18 bad enough but that Isn't liko like him And as for tor there thero being InS I no chanco chance of ot an any one else you else you forget forget forget for for- get your our friend Miss Der Berg the tho pretended pre pre- tended nurse I Lillian started perceptibly and after a long silent moment put her hand handover over oer mine Child she said I 1 believe youns youre ou right was clever enough to turn i the tho trick Of or course courso she dl didn't n t forgo Corgo I I tho the note she's safely behind the bars bau I but hut but she could ha have havo passed the paper and her knowledge of or our family on onto onto onto to someone else Sho She slipped d her arm ann around me drew re mo me close to her and I felt her cheek against m my hair Dont brood rood over O what I said a 3 littie lit lit- I tl tie while ago dear lear child she said s But dont don't dont don't drop back Into tho sort of or mental doormat mood moody attitude attitude atti atti- I tude In which you have ha b ben been en indulging for tor some seine time Your brain was made for better things And while ostensibly she sho spoke of or ormy my lack Inck of ot initiative and decision yet yetI I knew that she sho also meant me to recognize roe roc a n. ref reference ronee to Capt Hugh Grantland Continued Tomorrow |