Show WM 1 I 1 1 wo 6 0 V IL 0 14 MO W installment alie story so far wife of lucky are of covington sa a mayor s1 children 0 hit by the brorn hla his wile wife ts p h refus ell to gilve ive up she in t the sto to join him job after his real estat e job 71 v tep forward A a quick ed 5 abruPt lyt her jaird went on As W clothing secondhand second hand relieved ds a for thirty me we w sell bell of dollars MY joe dress and E but to g else A hundred am reasonable e so this hole is worth table take it like the on 0 and call it a deal ried cried joe violently 00 aed d dollare kok a cent 0 do YOU the rest so no much a no credit a heart jairis have ho lne e I 1 arse s you dont know means 10 tome me theres a ve ar her better than ashes everything and to 0 o me her because because we cant can t get theres a living you say bay ie ce it a man can make his heart out I 1 be b shed laug laugh h in my face ace her to mo move ve into a dump but its my only chance i i sake lake try to understand the girl I 1 love and I 1 cant ng g about it undred dollars dollar insisted though tId tild found the way jaird with somei t was almost a sob IT 01 whispered the girl in ay y to the rear room r at ai bat he could only bel radiant ey eyes es her trem your ring ong ja jaird ird tor for a agun ahun hun twenty five here it Is bis il price and te tell U him to sin i in his bis arms they clung it will be hard work and at us he be y y will laugh 1 i mind t mind adyth anything ing when I 1 in fa my arms like this r do I 1 whispered shiro shir lii laugh rang out exultant added to the pile of bills on er up your duds and beat it place has changed hands ung out a sign closed rily fly tor for repairs and vis ollor store they had some capital that precious sev dollars above the cost of shirley selected pale yell and green glasses with a a al fleet effect and glittery new pans ana that had green hair icy ey bought yellow oilcloth wd lard for or the table covers low drapes ropes shirley knew collop them with the aard purchased paint and ind nails were nere back at ten they ancient negro with a moth lie Is to cart off loads of rubey scoured the floors and hinted the walls an apple me go shirley did the chairs they tacked up the yellow imps rapes and stacked the new ases and yellow dishes be counter jaird solved the problem by turning fuming the it and leaving the sun and the ibe rest late in the after I 1 moved the furniture back ill id shirley made up the bed P rew new sheets and a green lead ead set it look halt half bad said lk a throb of pride in his you iou arent weakening are ling aw 1 exclaimed the girl in aw exclaimed the girl in att cl clung 9 together they 4 8 to be married at last this was their night Shir shirleye shirleys leys heart thud bously against her side co e blazed with fugitive col I 1 locked ed up the place and wn am the street jairis one eone the way of his dress it I 1 he had a marri marrione oge it M 3 pocket ills hand tight nr arm and they laughed 8 nult in their pulses ale e it was nothing like their at quiet et ceremony in the addist parsonage there bridesmaids no flower RP 3 les leano no music it was ve very ry e t oll old bashir fashioned med parlor but W were flung open to the be air was tolt lon and sweet st k s the old ministers voice ue and rZ reverent verent 1 ounce you man and y I 1 hand nd closed co convulsively n lie e str stooped coped and kissed wa ministers wife wiped she e always happy e couples ples who cume came anex butk 10 be married ed under her ut this boy a and nd girl had then ti th ey swore to cherish 4 for aw y J sickness knass or id id atter or worse t iff ito 10 them 1 par rt they were h others a hearts thoi those alee alec who out ot of a job had been run ning nine around with a flashy divorcee and who becomes interested in lou knight the town drunks drunk daughter hir lather father died rescuing a crippled boy in a ire fire lie ile takes take her to his hl mothers home shirley engaged to jaird who la Is also out ot of work and whose mother wants him to marry connie 0 two it shone from their eyes laura with lous old aid was setting the table tor for dinner when shirley and jated came in their faces were a revelation they did not need to say anything youre marrieul mar rIedl and you tell mol mall for a minute laura felt she bear it she had tried nevor never to fall fail her children and yet shirley her beautiful sweet shirley had married without a word in someone alses house laura h had ad not even been there or mike it as if 11 they would have dis approved proved op laura was glad terribly glad that shirley was married but it hurt that in the biggest hour of her life she had not come home to her mother and father had not even told them and then with a glance at her daughters radiant eyes laura swallowed her resentment you see said shirley when they had explained about the sandwich shop Jair jairis ds mother motherwell moth erwill will bo be furious but she cant be angry at you mother because you knew nothing about it no one Is to blame but jaird and me and im afraid we C youre dont care a lot whether she ever us or not at least thought laura none oi of her children had ever said quite that about her she went upstairs with shirley to pack her overnight bag her other things would be sent on in her trunk the next day laura managed to be very gay as she helped shirley collect her frilly little pink negligees and a demure white nightgown from her hope chest but laura was vas not really gay it wrenched her heart when shirley closed the door on her girlhood forever and came down the stairs to jaird but laura did not betray it mike was wag waiting with his new son in inlaw law and he kissed shirley and told her she had never done a smarter days work and warned jaird to expect him to drop in often ofte n for a free handout and sent them oft off with a chuckle only laura knew that mikes lip lips s were quivering only she was there when he turned to her with blurred eyes the moon had risen when shirley and jaird came back to joes place it silvered the oak leaves jaird snapped on the lights inside they gleamed on shining walls tin and d new china and glittering green glass but in n the back room the moon cast light 1 it the way I 1 promised jaird said but I 1 love you shirley and ill work myself to death to make up to you for e everything very thing you ought to have and have what I 1 whispered the girl ive the man I 1 locq lov iv ive e his name and his love and his respect the right to make him a home and bear his children the right to live for or him find and for or them what more can any w woman oman want Dar Darlin lingl gt ills ilia lips aund found hers 1 I love you I 1 love youl whispered shirley who had been unable the things that mattered to say I 1 back home laura aguire wiped her eyes and carefully put 0 way away the miniature of 0 great grandmother ashe it had served As lt purpose CHAPTER n alee alec maguire did no not t come home the night shir sharley ley married to dinner laura lie he did not even telephone found herself wis wishing hang that tier her so son mays the bankers ban kerg daughter kathleen who against her will lj Is be coming interested in ati ritchie graham who tg Is also a newspaperman and aids aid her father in angering the banker the latter causes the paper to lose its ad shirley pawns her ring to buy a hamburger stand jaird also comes come to buy it alee alec was not too loo old for a session with the hair brush it seemed to laura that on top of everything else lou was just too much of nil all days in the year to be saddled with the girl and such a tongue tied nerv ous little creature laura had talked herself hoarse trying to relieve the childs dreadful timidity but lou still tr trembled e mb lc d when laura spoke and her eyes watched th the e door for alee alec kathleen was dining out she might have helped lou had seemed less afraid of her than of the others she shrank every time mike addressed her ile he had even less success than laura with the poor little thing torn looked tired and depressed ile he scarcely spoke nt at all mike had had another run in with banker mays over nn an editorial in the morning clarion mike detailed the episode with gusto ile he thought it highly entertaining but it worried laura mike laughed when he discovered that kathleena Kath leens engagement was with eugene mays son laura also failed to find that amusing altogether dinner at the maguire maguyre house was not a happy occasion that night laura was glad when they rose from the table mike had a council meeting ile he was gone when laura finished in the kitchen tom looking drawn and white went up to his room and closed the door his haggard face haunted laura but it had not invited confidences ile ho wanted to be alone she was his mother and she ached with his pain but she could do nothing another woman had his happiness in her keeping laura with lou trailing after her like a shy dejected shadow sat down in a big wicker chair on the veranda and leaned her head wearily back for once lauras natural buoyancy deserted her she had a wild desire to indulge in a few well aeu salted tears a luxury she rarely allowed herself shirley was married a bride this night in a hamburger joint the brides mother always weeps laura felt in the humor to do a lot of that only there was lou huddled in the porch swing small dejected pitt ful laura felt like swearing she let down even for a minute and be just a plain discouraged human slie she knew lou would most likely faint with fright if her hostess put on a sob act its a lovely evening it murmured laura trying tor for the hundredth time to thaw the irksome ice between herself and her guest yes whispered lou at least with shirley gone I 1 inflict you with the couch murmured laura thinking with a pang that shirley would never again share kathleena Kath leens virginal bed lous loua small hands clenched im going tomorrow she said huskily laura glanced at her quickly the girls eyes met hers they were very unhappy and very apologetic lous loua big blue eyes alee alec have brought me here she said and I 1 have come I 1 knew hate having me laura flushed 1 I dont hate having you lou its just that ive been a little at a loss fitting you in 1 I know lou said why I 1 have come I 1 dont belong here ive never had anything or been anywhere im poor white trash and you yott youre lovel lovely and so kind but I 1 aill ill go away tomorrow where will you go my child asked laura very gently lou looked away 1 I dont know laura reached over and laid her hand on the girls knee but lou shrank away stay here I 1 can work something out tor jor you said laura 1 I would never forgive myself if I 1 let you go otherwise and neither would alee alec hes ashamed of me lou burst out in a smothered voice he took me to the airdrome on a bet but 1 he like me hes lust just sorry tor for me and kind like you laura drew a breath of relief so there was nothing between alee alec and the girl except his instinct to befriend a friendless creature laura remembered how all his life alee alec had brought in crippled sparrows and dogs with broken legs and ln in aisted on repairing them 1 I cant believe alee alec Is ashamed of you lou she said it matter that you are poor so 0 are we but alecs so breathed the girl with a little sob iles hes just as far abor aap c s me as those stars up tip there and always will be she got blindly to her feet and slipped into the house laura heard her going u up p the stairs heard the bedroom door close behind her and knew lou was crying in that mute heartbreaking way she had of course she was in love with alee alec laura sighed dighe d and he come near her 2 all 11 day laura wondered where h he e we she supposed he was helping myra mv M v ra boone mas ocre time BS as usual no fro nf HF CoAT P |