Show LYDIA LYDA OF THE TIlE PINES SINES CHAPTER XV Continued XV-Continued Continued r I- 15 15 J I. I din lIln sitting silting on ou the front step In Inthe Inthe inthe the lovely ly September afternoons fie ri Adamu euro ears watched the lie plod sad 1111 the Norton herds lii mid nod thought lung long 1011 lt lung hlll riz thoughts Finally one hll Hal Saturday urdu ufler noon she gathered a Brent prill bunch of ot ninny many colored n and arul start started ill off oIT without telling Lizzie of or her destination lilt was wai live I o'clock when site she slopped it nt the tile 1 gale Elite Kl W. try Iry the screen n dour door and Lydin Ly- Ly din l In and pimped Dave O yes was sitting hitting by l 1 y the th kitchen isble I II hII his hili hut hat on the hack back of his hIli head a idle III It of newspapers rs on ou the Ille floor loor hn be Slip him haul lie did dill not to tu when she inI In in- J I his was W wn 4 worse than Lydia had thought It would be he She Lad Imd not cal ul calculated on nn irons Dave's HII ves ve's being befog at nt hump At t Hint moment there win was n light step slop In tho llo dining room month Margery came Into tin the kitchen When the she saw Raw Lydia the she Id you ou Oh I You anyhow I I and suddenly Nursery y threw herself herselt f down sail and ribbed ll with her face In Lydias Lydia's In lap p. p gh Iry threw her apron over her head anti Dave I with a groan dropped his head fiend on his chest For a moment there was wan only tho the crackling of the theAre lire fire In limo tho stove and Misery's Ml sobe to tie be hen heard rd Then ThIll Dave said Mid What did yon come romp for Cor Lydia You lou only hurt your your- melt nod you ou cant can't help us I dont don't know what to do dot I Jodi I I dont don't know what to do dot I 1 want err and h her r mother to pack up und and to go II for away for good oI Ill I'll up here herl and mul follow tollow when I cun can None of ot these C cases wilt will nor ever come to anything In our state court ourt Ita ILs Jl the disgrace dl und grace tho the way vII the women folks take It I Ive I've Ive I've been thinking said s timidly that what you ou ought to do doI dol do- do I l dont don't think It would do a n bit Lit of Rood good nod for tor you all till to go II The fhe story would follow you Mr JUr Marshall ought to sell jell out everything and hu buy a farm furm Let Mrs Mra Marshall KO JO off for tor a visit If it she aIle wants to and let Margery fame come and stay Itay with me rue a while and KO go to college Dave e raised his hi head what rd Fd rather do Lydia for tor ms m's myself lf Just toy stay here and try to live lire It down Id I'd like Ilke to farm It IL Always Intended to I 1 dont don't see nee why she needs to go 10 to your house said Bald l Let her stay tay right here hert and go up to coll college lIe with you If she will And AmI I dont don't want to go to live Ilvo on a farm turm either l eald Dive Dave grimly our day Is over All Alt we can con hope hupe to save out of of U the e wr wreck ck Is a n future for tor Mar fiery Ier gery Just get that through your head I once end and for nil all I think Lydias Lydia's Idea Is II horse sense lint Hut Its It's for Mar Margery ry to decide Margery rubbed her band hand over her forehead she I dont don't Well Nell said 1 see nee that thai Id I'd gain anything but n a reputation reputation tation for tor being a quitter If I went N a aS S 1 e 1 I r e t t i ik k 1 h Ve ti Gathered a Great Bunch of Many Many- Colored Asters Ate to 10 Lydias Ill stay with you ou folks hut but Ill I'll go to college III standby stand stant by me inc i rose Then that's settled On Monday londay well we'll register Ill I'll meet mett you nu on the eight o'clock coo cur car I cant can't thank you ou Lyd- Lyd began bean 1 Margery I t dor wont want any allY thanks hunks salt Lydia making for the door when where I IH I Intercepted her tier with outstretched band hood Lydia Idla looked up Into Inlo his dark face her own turned crimson I cant can't shake hake hands hand l she suld said honestly honest hunst I ly I 1 cant can't The Last Chance and the the the starving starting s make me sick hick Ill I'll stand bland oy fly Margery ery and help you yuu- yuu ou tint hut I 1 cant can't do that Duve Un Marshall dropped his hi hammid ham hand mid and I turned away without a word and am f Lydia sped from rout the tho house Into tuto the 1 f sunset I CHAPTER XVI The Military Hop Margery for the first month or M so to was silent and kept as 09 clo close le as 10 pos 1 stile to apron strings hut But no girl as BIt beautiful as she was coule could coul at e kept In III Coventry lung long anti and though she refused for far u a time to so go o to par par- i T ties ten It ft was not long tong before Margery was to taking king tramps with the college boys and joining happily enough Inthe In Inho Inthe the ho simple pleasures at lit the cottage Lydia did not hear heRr from Kent no un noil ill tIl il n II week wk before the first college hop lat Irate In October Then she received a formal note hote from him Mm reminding her herot of ot the his Invitation Oh Lyd Id I 1 exclaimed Margery arent you lucky I I haven't seen tent Kent or heard from him since our trouble rouble t I Neither have 1 I said Lydia And AndI I suspect he's hes so cress with me tint that its he le lades hates to keep kli this engagement Hut I dont don't cure care I wish I 1 had bad n a new dress s lint faro Ive made lle the tho sleeves small In III In my or organdie and made malle u new girdle U Jt looks M n. well us os could be bo expected I l ho mho finished comically The hop hOI was WM a R success a decided success I In spite of the organdie Kent Bent was Inclined to be ell slit nt at first and to wear a U slightly Injured air and yet et mingle with this tubs was a frank fronk and youthful bravado ollo A And 1111 there could he no doubt douht that among tho the college lye joys lent Kent was wan more or less of ot a 8 hero Itero it was something to boast hOllst of ot evidently evl evi dently to have ones one's name coupled with Levines Levine's In the great scandal Kent hUll had supposed that lie Ill would have some trouble In filling Lydias Lydia's card for tor her r but hurt to Ills Ids surprise ho hc found that In her timid Lydia was something of ot n a personage among the older college boys and oad the tho younger young young- er professors It was Wll altogether on en Intoxicating evening e and nt ot It Its end ll Lydia pulled on her r last winters winter's overcoat o and clambered clam clam- clambered Into Kent Kents lullI little automobile utterly satisfied with life Ut Oh Kent It was wonderful I l And AmI you ou dont don't feel ns its If I were a 11 villain any ony more Youve You've forgiven me Forgiven you For what I For or not agreeing tir you on the Indian question Gee Ceo I was sore at al I you ou Lyd Id that morning at nt the hear tog Ing anti yet ret I was was like your dad I 1 Iwas I Iwas was proud of you too Oh dont don't lets let's talk talle about It tonight to tor night Rent Kent Lydia Lydia- protested All right old girl Irl only Just remember remember re member that I cant can't change chonge I back Mr Levine to the limit And maybe he be hasn't a surprise party coming for all of you ou I II II II I dont don't care are Insisted Lydia Im rm going to bo be happy tonight and I 1 wont won't talk Indians Margery Is le feeling much better She's nt at our house every ery Sunny Sun Run day ny You to must come round and see sec her lIerl I Why shouldn't I come to see you Lydia asked Kent with a new note In to his voice Why of ot course you'd see lee me mI but Margery's l always been the main attraction at attraction traction with you you ou tins Has she Seems to me I recall a n time when I couldn't endure the tile sight of ot her Iter And when you OU were the best Lest pal I had That's What you are arc areLy Lydin Ly Iy din dla a real pal pill A fellow tellow can nn flirt round with the rest of em but youre you're the one to look forward to spending a n lifetime with I Tomorrows Tomorrow's Sunday Lets Let's take a walk down to the Willows Willows Wil lows In the afternoon All All right Kent said Lydia quietly and out silence s fell tell tellIn on In both bolh of them till they drew up at the collage cottage gate gute For lor some om reason when she woke the next nut morning Lydia half butt hoped that the tho soft patter Rutter against her window win window dow was of ot ruin rain drops nut But It WOK wax the wind tossed maple leaves ls whose scarlet and gold were drifting deep on m the lawn and garden At three o'clock Lydia and I Kent ent set off oft down the road rond to the Willows They fc trolled strolled along the leut leafy road rondo with the tang of tho autumn In their nostrils and anti the blue gleam of the till lake luke In ha their eyes ejes It was only n 1 halt half mile to the Willows and as ns they turned In in Kent took hand baud and anti drew It through his arm Look he said I believe there Is hi even a little little left left of ot our cave 0 after all nil this title time What a n rough little devil I 1 w was ae In those days And yet lt even then Lyd Id I 1 believe I 1 had hall nn an Idea of trying to take care of you ou He lie dropped hand and faced her Lydia do you core care for me me me- care core for tor me enough nouh to tu marry me Lydia turned pale pule Something In her heart began benn to slug sing Sl Something In III her brain lIe began to stir nW ably Oh Kent she began breathlessly then paused tI and the tho two looked delI deep Into Inlo each others other's eyes eyell 1 I Lydial 1 I I need you OU sot sol I cried Kent You OIl are such a n dear demur such Rurh a pal lint fco so pretty so So sweet II sweet and anc ancI Hl I need you ou sot sat Wont Won't you jou OU marry me din VIve 7 V. V Ive In always s loved 11 you OU dearly Kent und yet t faltered 1 y t 1 i n and yet somehow som I dont don't think wed we'd ever er make maket t cacti other happy hIlPp Nut Not make muke each ench other oilier happy I Id I'd like to tn know why not I Ju Just t try me tile I Try met me I IId IId Id Ilk like Ilke to try you rOUt dear If If- If Walt Wall Rent Kent wait I Let LM me have my nay play 1111 playtime playtime time 1 Kent lIt l' l never er hind n real frill one you know till now Let me college t then ask usk me tae again will wilt you ou 1 Kent Kent 1 jerked Ids his head discontented I ly I 1 think It would be hl better I. for us to III tie III to Such each other right now lease Lydia ties ilon r I Lydia sink honk her head slowly Let Lei I 01 me have have- my playtime Kent I dont don't know that side of ot myself nt nil all Kent KNit looked 1 Into Inlo the time clear lender blue of eyes Then he lie salt said softly All It right dear I You Yon know best It Hut will I you ou give ghe me mo just one ono kiss kiss for for remembrance Yes replied Lydia IrlIn lifting her IIer face tace and ond Kent pulled off his cap urn lint and I rpy ay Honors Honor Willsie O 0 fc y A. A Stoker ea Ca Co Service tender kissed the warm girlish II lip tender ten ly 1 r lingeringly then n without a word gently gently- turned Lydia homeward L Kents Kent's announcement that ho had hod broken with Hilly Dilly Norton did not Mt amount to a great deal As All winter came on all be tIe and Hilly Billy met constantly at nt the cottage rn 01 tl outwardly at nt least were friendly The commission find fin fin- shed Its sitting and turned Its find find- lags lag's ngi over to congress Congress In Instructed to In lit ru the district attorney to carry orry th he the matter to the state court When this his lied had been ben done all nil the Incriminated e ed heaved a vest test sigh of r relief end and prepared to mark mart time During all Lydias Lydia's Junior year hilt hat butone one fly appeared In her ointment And title of course was wits with reference to clothes I t that perennial haunting tern Ilm em of ot Lydias Lydia's which only a woman who has hns been motherless and poverty poverty- stricken can fully tully a appreciate The rhe latter alter part of February the till great Brent col cot lege Irge ege social event e of the year par was to tn come romp the tile Junior prom Lydia felt sure urA that either Kent or Hilly Dilly would ask uk her to go to and antl for this the organdie organ organ- die the would not do And for this she 1 must ha have haa a party coat cont i Lydia knew If she took toole the matter up with Amos he would go out and borrow money for tor her She shuddered at the thought of It this Then she Rhe heard of ot the College Money Making Bureau She discovered that there were girls who ho were Vere earning their way through college and that the bureau was one of the quiet ways used Lythe by Ly bythe bythe the university to help them There was WM the mending department for example Here were brought every week by the well do students piles of mending of every variety from front heelless socks locks and stockings stocking to threadbare thread bare hare underwear and frayed cuffs and collars These were made Into packages pack pack- ages anI and farmed out to the money money- needing girls I Early arll In January Lydia sneaked Into the little room and out again with witha n a neat neot but heavy henvy bundle She got home with It and smuggled It Into her room without old Lizzie's seeing It Socks wristbands and torn tom lace locI lace there was fifty cents' cents worth of mendIng mendIng mending mend- mend Ing In the package I Lydia calculated that If ff she did n a package a night for tor thirty ty nights she would have enough money to buy the he tasking making of the party dress dres anti cloak I The necessity for secrecy was what made inside the tho task taek arduous Lydia fin fur finished shed tier fier studying as a hurriedly ns as possible each night and went off to her room It was bitter cold In the room when the door was vas closed dosell but she hung bung a 1 dust cloth over oyer the tile key klY keyhole keyhole hol hole a shawl over the window shade wrapped herself In a n quilt and unwrapped un tin in- in wrapped tho the bundle fly Ily two o'clock she had bod finished nail and shivering silvering and ond with aching eyes crept Into bed I Within n a week she he was going about her dally work with hollow eyes els and without the usual glow In her cheeks hilt hut sh she hung on with determination worthy of a n better cause The Time third week she took cold nn nu III almost most unheard unheard-of proceeding for tor Lydin Ly din and In spite of ot all old Lizzie's Lizzle's decoctions she could not throw It off oIT At the end of the fourth week Bh slid carried back balc her last lust bundle and ond with fifteen t dollars In her pocketbook site she boarded the street car for Cor home She Rhe was trembling with fatigue and fever te When she reached the cottage she Bhe stretched out on the couch behind the theold theold old base burner sense BenSe of ot satisfaction sat sot dulled by her hard cough and the tine feverish fl taste In hr her Iler mouth She was half hulf asleep half holt In 10 a stupor when Billy came ume In Hows the cold Lyd he asked Socks Rocks whispered Lydia bushels of socks arent aren't there Hilly Hilly picked up her ber hand baud and felt T Z her pulse pulled pUllet the shawl up over OTer her chest cheat put his bis cheek check dow down against her forehead for tor a moment as al be he mar more Oh Lydia LlIla dont don't be sick Ick I I couldn't bear bellr It III l I then n he h. hurried to the kitchen where Lizzie was w getting supper Tb The next thIn thing that Lydia knew nn she was wan In her own VR bed and Doc Fulton was wan taking tho the clinical thermometer from her mouth She was Ter very much confused Wh Wheres re my fifteen dollars she a asked kl What fifteen tWeen dollars dollar little daughter daugh dough ter Amos was sitting on the edge of the bed LI holding her ber hand For Ioor my party dress white |