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Show MARILLA J. BORDEN H (, 1923, by McClure Newspaper syndicate. np HERE will, no doubt, always be class distinctions, but the Freers, whose family had been farmers and brick masons, were still so far from knighthood, and the Bond family so remote from actual scullions, that all Brookfield wondered why Mrs. Freer said of the Bonds, in superior manner, man-ner, "They are not at all our kind." Cedric Freer was no snob.- Everybody Every-body liked him and his jolly dad, but the mother colossus was formidable to both. All her life, Mrs. Freer had been a fighter, and had somehow got her way. "That unspeakable Bond girl and her despicable mother talk and act s if they owned Cedric," she snapped, belligerently. "I don't like that girl's behavior. I'll never accept her, for she's not our kind, and that settles it." Mrs. Freer often said: "And that settles it." "You say you love me, mother, but you're making me very unhappy. Can't you realize that Patricia is just a young, open-nearted, modern girl? Won't you be nice to her for my sake? I should like It if you'd please not refer re-fer to my sweetheart again as 'that girl.' I love Patty, and I always shall love her." Mrs. Freer's arms went around Ced-ric's Ced-ric's neck. "Cedric, darling, promise me you won't let Patricia Bond influence influ-ence you against your own people. Promise me you won't marry her, darling." Presently he answered, with averted avert-ed face: "Patty never has tried to influence me, mother. She wouldn't." From that day Mrs. Freer's eyes followed fol-lowed Cedric's every move. "You must be crazy to imagine that girl loves you, Cedric. She knows you have wonderful prospects, and is ambitious, am-bitious, fill, how I despise her and her schemes !" Cedric shitted uneasily, and kicked nt a wrench he had dropped, listlessly, nt his mother's approach. He often wondered about the beautiful, seli-Eacriticiiig seli-Eacriticiiig mother love he had read of. Patricia and Cedric managed to meet occasionally, for they wanted each other oth-er with all their beans. Patricia did love Cedric his line, cheery manner, bis fascinating smile and tender, thoughtful ways, but Mrs. Fiver lei'rned of the trysts and broadcasted her disapproval of Patricia in 110 1111- j certain terms, hoping to arouse the girl into driving her from Cedric. j Rebellious pride became too power- ' ful for the beautiful, sensitive, high- I strung girl. It would be a hard tight to put Cedric out of her life and keep i smiling; but she would do it. anil would fa'e the Freers with head up. Cedric's mother grew fearful of propinquity pro-pinquity and contrived a Western trip. Cedric bade Patricia good-hy with trembling lips, but she smiled bravely up at him. Patricia's letters never reached Cedric, Ce-dric, but she was always in bis mind. He never tried to mask his feelings and keep a smiling face to his family. They should know he was suffering. He felt helpless and lonely and found some small comfort in kissing Patricia's Pa-tricia's picture, though sometimes he looked away, stung with a sense of un-worthiness un-worthiness or falseness to one he loved. Mrs. Freer kept up her spying and nagging, not altogether convinced that i fche had wrecked her boy's romance, j She became obsessed with new Ideas ' of torture and gave Cedric no neace until he hud put Patricia's photograph aside. Had she but known It, the empty space became a shrine as symbolical sym-bolical of his empty heart. Besides, Cedric had another picture. Months passed, and I'atricla's father, a genial, lovable soul, who was neither blind nor unsympathetic, suddenly developed de-veloped Western fever. Cedric was at bis work unusually early one sunny, glorious morning, strangely depressed by dreams of Patricia. Pa-tricia. He realized with a pang that Putty had looked happy, buoyant, as he gazed Into the depths of her charming charm-ing brown eyes. He had re-enacted delightful drives together, said wonderful wonder-ful good-nights and remembered the long hours of oh, so long ago, when be couldn't sleep for sheer happiness. How everything Patty bad ever said or done still haunted him I All, well I lie bad attained his mu-I mu-I Jorily now, and would gradually, tactfully tact-fully claim his Independence. ! A .sound of crunching gravel gave promise of an early customer. "Hello, Sonny!" called a well-remembered voice. "I've visited every gas station In bang Ih'ae to lind you. Come, come, my boy! 'Service Willi a smile,' oh 7" I'.ut Cedric beard no sound. Could he still be dreaming? When lie could 1 apeak, his voice .sounded far away. "I'lilly, Pally !" And I'aliiclii, as mindi surprised as he, was calling to her mate: "Ce-Cedrlc! (Hi, my dear, my dear I" Mr. and Mrs. ISond, deeply lulerest-ed lulerest-ed In the architecture of service stations, sta-tions, could barely see through misty eyes. Surely, such n loyous reunion would melt the licarl of a ln'on,e Si III III'. I "How lie Creator of nil--must l frown upon destructive met hoils," re-i re-i ma rk eil M rs. I Sunil, "I only hope II won't kill Mrs. 1'Yocr," Mr. I'.onil answered. "No! love's ways never kill. Slut bail to li'ii in some lime llint she can't Iavo entire control ever again, lin-rerlallHni lin-rerlallHni always dies bard, but lovo fLattl); reigns." |
