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Show Norman wns not pugnacious, hut he held his grouud. It was not until Gilbert Gil-bert struck him that he fell off the machine with a volley of shrieks that brought Alvin to his feet. Down the steps went Alvln and to the aid of his son, while the ("handlers ("hand-lers sat Immobile, and Lucia, although al-though burning with anxiety, dare not move. Norman had a bruise on his dear little cheek and a stain on his new suit. Lucia bit her lip.- "Guess he'll need a compress." Al vin said. "We'd better be leaving. Lu." As Lucia arose the Chandlers began be-gan to murmur apologies. F5ut it was too late. Alvin was angry, Lucia was fairly in tears as she spoke the necessary nec-essary farewells and followed after her grandly stalking husband who had Norman against his shoulder. "That ends the Chandlers as far as I am concerned." Alvin said. Lucia could not find a word to say She was disappointed, distressed, troubled about Norman. She could not blame Alvin for saying what he thought A soothing compress with a touch of Florida water soon made Norman all right. They were fussing with him when the telephone bell rang. Lucia answered it. "Mrs. Heath ! Tou have rung before? be-fore? We weren't here just came In. Oh, we'd love to, Mrs. Heath." She turned excitedly to Alvin. "The Heaths want us to go for a ride to the lake and stay to supper afterward. after-ward. Oh, Alvin, isn't that fine?" Alvin,' holding Norman, looked at her gloomily. "The Heaths nmount to something. They're not petty upstarts like those Chandlers. Hereafter you best stick to the bridge that's carried you safely over, Lu, my dear," he said. I THE i CHARMING I CHANDLERS t tssji f :: ( by D. J. Walsh.) LUCIA IVES met Mrs. Chandler at a meeting of the Woman's club and fell in love with her. With great enthusiasm she told her husband all about her new acquaintance. ac-quaintance. "She's charming, Alvin, simply charming. I wish you could see how he was dressed. Do you know Mr. Chandler? Isn't there some way you can get to know him?" she inquired anxiously. Alvln shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, I know him now in a way. Bun up against him two or three times lately at the club. But let me tell you one thing, Lu, we can't go in for all the things the Chandlers do. We haven't the money. I suppose sup-pose he gets twice the salary I do, nd then his father is pretty well fixed, I hear." Lucia's blue eyes sparkled. "All the more reason why they should be nice to know. All our acquaintances ac-quaintances are in the bungalow class except the Heaths, and the Chandlers live over on Hope Hill right next door to the Adelbert Baldwins. Bald-wins. I'm going to call on her with Mrs. Hillis." "All right. But as I say" the approach ap-proach of his three-year-old son interrupted in-terrupted Alvin. He caught the child up and began to play with him. Lucia did go to call on Mrs. Chandler Chand-ler in company with Mrs. Hillis. who possessed a small roadster second sec-ond hand, but who would have known It since Archie Hillis gave it that coat of varnish? Lucia wore the blue linen that had been of her trousseau and had so agreeably admitted of being be-ing made over. Altogether they made a very nice appearance, the two of them, and Mrs. Chandler was delightfully delight-fully sociable. Lucia, it was true, was a little appalled ap-palled by the size and appearance of the Chandler house. The toe of her new black pump sank an Inch into the pile of the lovely rug and the green velvet chair nearly swallowed up her small proportions. Mrs. Chandler served them with iced tea and cakes, presented hy a maid, and she had her own son, four-year-old Gilbert, brought in for the callers to see. Gilbert' did somehow fail to impress Lucia favorably. He walked up close io her and stared at her. "Have you got a boy?" he demand ed. And when she assented, he added: add-ed: "Bring him over, I want him to play with me." Lncia told Alvin she thought Gilbert Gil-bert was not as charming as his mother. Still, there was nothing 'like children to cement intimacy between families. Suppose Norman and Gilbert Gil-bert should become lasting' chums ! Go to college together! Enter business busi-ness together! Chandler & Ives! What a delicious sounding combination. combina-tion. Mrs. Chandler returned Lucia's call, but to Lucia's disappointment she did not bring Gilbert. She made an excuse ex-cuse he was taking his afternoon nap. Lucia brought Norman in, Just awakened from his siesta, becoming Jy pink and dreamy-eyed. Mrs. Chandler took him on her lap. quite heedless of wrinkling her marvelous Filk, and patted him and cooed to him, while little Lucia preened with exultation. , Then for two or three weeks Lucia ffi saw no more of her new acquaintance. Iff There came a Sunday afternoon. j beautifully still and warm, when Lu k, da felt an Intense longing for a little excitement. Lunch was over. Norman Nor-man had awakened beautifully refreshed re-freshed from his nap. Alvin bar) read the paper through and she wanted a 7 place to show the new frock whVh fhe, with the aid of Miss Gray, the dressmaker, had fashioned from her old gray crepe de chine. "Let's go and nee the Chandlers, Alvin." she suggested. "She asked me to come some Sunday afternoon and bring Norman." "I'm willing," Alvin arose unexpectedly. As they strolled toward Hope Hill Lucia fell that they looked altogether altogeth-er too nice to be walking; they should be In one of the earn that passed fo rapidly. Perhaps her pulses quickened perhaps the ('hand lers would take them for a spin In their wonderful new Swift "I wonder If I were In their places and had a Lucia, arid Alvln and n Norman come nil the way to call," Fhe thought girlishly. "I'd t. ke them up the long lake road arid bring them back to nipper, cool and choice. p.Tved on the veranda." It. was pii-siMc that Mrs. ("handler n.lght fed the smne way The Chandlers wore lit home and looking a Utile bored, but their wel come was not efTuvive, ".-'o hot. p. n' It?" murmured Mrs. ( 'ha ndl'T, dubbing at her novo wilh Ikt hundl orc'iicf. "Now, Gilbert, dike the bill - boy and .lay wilh him nice r Show him all 1 mil toys " Lucia vol lied hind; In the deep v.ler chair I ir: u rlnu-1 V Cigars had iiliciolv ii''--'d belv.cen A ! ill mid her log- band and I bey veined Io be bud il,g M.niill.ilig to ill) In each ollnr. ( (, lii-civl h ieil d, la. i niei lainlng Half an hour pu-ved wlnn II be cuini' (-Udeiif Ihnt Noiiiimi mid Gil , rt tia '.in:: 1 1 "uble Norman tvna li.vif.g to pel i, ""' ' i 1 1 "it h til ryle and Gilbert win In fi fiiosr o.u liOfl like vay tr;loK In pull blm (iff. |