Show v CAN CHOOSE by Margaret Margas-et Weymouth Jackson r fl t r Oo Co B r I THE STORY Jle Renewing a childhood attach men ment t of a wealthy family In is attracted by Will Todd newspaper artist CHAPTER I Continued I-Continued 2 2 He lle looked down n at st her ber the light from frum the drawing room window V streaming on to 10 his fate face and I tine paused surprised She wn Hilled filled with Ith an Inward dismay for she slee hurt hud hurter never r seen cn him like this III lilt Ills fact face usually complacent wile Willi keen now flow Ms hll blue blut eyes ejes were brilliant sparks Ms bia whole countenance quickened HIM fired Ills voice when he lie spoke Ie again had hod a barely quaver Why were you jou ou running lj l Youre You're still n a kid half hulf the time tune When n nI 1 J heard you running I 1 knew lw It It w wn ns you ou hl cause he-cause nUle my 10 heart hart log hc nn to run too Nonsense Bald F III briskly but be he was true persistent I was n. n Just going g II away awny disappointed pointed that I 1 hadn't still seen you jou ou mid and here Ier I have hare you ou Clone for tor n a moment at last I Ive I've been wanting canting to 10 tell lell you jou ou how bow beautiful you are are since youre you're grown Where have hove you YO been Your our face tate Is I. shining I could ou see eee It luminous In the dark street tret l I dont don't don't dont be silly Im I'm trying to tell teli you OU I 1 care core for you you I I She pulled away awal from him with d de termination Youre the time silly one she sold laId Im Im- patiently And dumb as II well She passed him quickly and cloned the th thedoor thedoor door behind her shutting out his hll handsome hand hund- some lome desirous face In her room dressing for tor dinner she lie was wn furious with him for tor Intruding IntrudIng ing on the enchantment o of aC her hour with WI Will 1 Didn't he know that he h Iud Iad made mode himself conspicuous nil last lust nr with his bis attentions to tn Lillian lie Ile not her lover What was the mutter matter with him Lillian Caine In front from her room which adjoined and tin thin younger r sister looked look at nt the elder one with old Id but tint fresh ever admiration Loring was kidding me ml the she told herself hErselt Of lOOt cour course e lies hell crazy cruzy about Lillian II II n. n Lillian was all ash blond and very lovely olly Her ller eyes 18 were re reI n I kind of deep violet lolet serene calm eyes and her hr lips were thin and bright ht red rfd beautifully fully cut nit Her lIEr nose was wall patri patrician clan cian her skin a II clear Elir milky white whilE and she wore Just enough rouge to give Rhe her a faint taInt rose color olor and make her Iler eyes EI more lovely ly The Time two 1110 girls girl plunged at once onte Into the conversation tOn conversa Hon tion of sisters aters without beginning or end nd Ive been to the matinee with h Sadie and Juel JUE Sadies Sadie's seen Delancey's show ten times She's fihe's as III crazy as asahl she ahl can cnn be bl Imagine falling In lovei love 10 j i with an nn actor Skids She's written him letters let tern and letters IllIen Hut he wont ont t see ee her She Is la kind of ot old for tor that Hint line line said aid l perched on the 1110 edge edgo t of ot her bed a slit silk stocking In her ber hands bands I saw Will Todd toda today i Will Todd Who Is III he tie Ernestine reminded leer her and Lii linn Ilan admitted that she remembered lIel charming saidI said I 1 thought Id I'd ask Blk mamma momma to Invite Z j r p l tt Why Were You Running Ernestine him bits here hell for tor tea some conic afternoon or for dinner some olne night when he dl work Lillian stared then laughed I H If Hyou Ifa a j you ou want t M to ace Sll i e him again If It you ou want au an affair with stub him dout dont tell 1111 mamma she l or that will be bl the lilt end clId of ot It A little lame b bo boy o about atou the i hou house c one onN summer r rIs It Is quite a tl different matter front from an attractive at lit grown rown man Mamma will Nill make him miserable I considered t this I dont don't see pee why sh she said stubbornly Certainly you ou se IN see darling said I. I Lillian We Wl Ye are orl not to have bare any Ir Ir- f u faire cow now We are to marry Well ell said Hid what of It 7 You cant can't marry unit unites youre you're n n I eau cnn 1111 be hI friends 1111 with h Will lil without marrying him cant can't I n I doubt It II sold Lillian lilllan calmly You n go Ito to tn Puck extremes Knit Iru Kline f You are 11 H blunderIng blunder blunder- Ing around Inking hiking such a awful ful elm f it en and tind making wild 1 friends tl Yon e Vun te been pulled anal nril hate lia had lUll I your jour way lots ut ot if I Hut thle Is nn one thing on u cant can't hate l m. but ft Ml fill it nt at 11 the I he time that she would say nothing about hout Will j Just mat now Ilc III s going to tn be Il married She's Shell going to 10 marry marry- arr Allison In Im in nut not surprised ed are jou vou 1 J thinking of ot Wills Will's gestures till the WilY he rooted incited his bands hands eon con In No Vo 0 Im I'm not surprised Its It's JUt just what she hp he On Otis ought to 10 know tt hlll one une wants I 1 do We talked about It II today IllY I I cnn can n tell what you t you ou wont want without talking g to you jou shout about It it said enid with witty sisterly decision You 1011 want n a house holme p In W or else o one lie or of those II big co co o ely owned apartment on the Ih tie drive e near downtown l n. n Anil jou ou ou want a limo limo- slime and n II rich handsome husband 1011 I got lint It all plumed out In III detail agreed Lillian Putty much us as you named It It I l want lInt Loring for tor myself- myself Why dont don't you lI ask k him her ft fi a n confusion of ot resent resentment ment that Lillian had showed her the fallacy of ot tier her own dream of hurt for her sister sinter that hut Luring l. should hould have b been en such a I fool tool of ot scorn for these plotters I rBI rB I probably wont won't need to 10 Lillian answered and went lIt on en before tine tin could Interrupt tier her lignin again If Mt not bring Lorn then somebody much like him I 1 merely mentioned turn him ns nn an A After Ive I've been mu a afew afew few years jears arll I scant a n son IC and If It J I get Clung along I 1 wouldn't mind milid a daugh ter fer I want everything right rl A man who Is III already a member of ot good genii clubs so 0 that the money mony 11 he be makes will take us In III the right rl III direction on and we wont won't have hn to stand and wait alt Allright All Allright right go JO on and hoot I know what I want anyhow and that's 1111 more blore than you jou ou know She looked at Ernestine with sonic some se severity and added darkly more mort Ill I'll get St it Watch me ml Ernestine could see se Lillian 1110 as III she sIll had planned It all ull out A correct correN house hous a correct husband perhaps even en eena evena a correct baby or two The hl same lame old business over O and over r with correct people coming and going and stalking handsomely about Not for tier her She knew w what she wanted Rh Site She wanted love I l Sh She something not mentioned on Lillian's Lillians list She wanted passionate romantic love t She Slie wanted admen en ture an Inevitable great adventure Suddenly she stood trembling her tier heart beating with great strong strokes She was with the Intensity l of t her I feeling with the vivid almost material picture of ot Will Todds Todd's personality before her One person one In nil all the world and und n never nil hody Ill eUs She wanted love lo andall mid and nil all tier her wakening Instincts warned her that she had bad found It CHAPTER II The Lady Promises Promise Again and ai again resolved l to toll tell inn mamma in ma nil all about Will but again and again her confidences fat fal before mammas mamma's bright energy r before mammas mamma's staccato bossiness It was W really her first secret from leer ller family and she 11 did hI not feel right about it It Of Ot course course she was old enough h to have ha a n friend If It sh she wanted one a tl friend of ot her own choosing but Lillian's Lillians attitude that she was having o an affair a II romance on the side hI t purely for tor the thrill of at It It etl tier her Yet lie couldn't tell mil mamma and nn nil Incident occurred which sealed scaled her silence She tint bud called Will on the telephone the Ihl next nett morning after her encounter with him on Ih the street and that hid hail born been the beginning of ot nn an o ab absorbing lg Intimacy lie Ile worked world In to the afternoon and at lit night six days a n wick week He lye hat had nothing hotter better to do with Ills his forenoons fore fort and his luncheon hour than share them with rnE l Ernestine lint But Hie the very ery time of ot these engagements made safe from curio curiosity lilt It tits a time limp of ot day 1111 exclusively 11 tree the property of tt women lu In mammas world It II would never peter ha have hat t occurred to that lint H II lore line e could have hate proceeded pro pro- wiled durin during succession of ot a 1 sue fore ore ore- And Aid a e lose affair IlS what vIat It rapIdly rapIdly rap rap- Idly 1111 became could not lIt prolong pro long I the time with Ith Will 1 enough h to 10 suit her and his Isla eagerness soon mulched matched Ild her own Ills Illy 1 enthus lasso his energy were we're compelling and felt the rousing and lid stirring stir run rill ring of t her own personality In touch ts with i I I. I 11 Within a II w week eN k she N wets 3 desperately des ds In lu 10 love hS She e had hud nn nu room for tor any thought thou and feeling flIng but tho those e tt which filch concerned Will Todd Presently Present Present- i I ly she he realized that the termination of ot their friendship would be a true I catastrophe and with this realization she began bean to practice secrecy with l j skill and determination One blow gusty Sunday SundA morning In December she iii had escaped churl church and tact met him a and 1111 talked hand In hand as a they Ihy us III talked quickly 1 n lIy 1 a little fell between be tween t them thorn and In III Its Ita without a II word they turned and kissed each other and smiled a little dimly and termed IO together The fhe touch of t III llin II and lid then the pressure ure of fir cheek ehlI to III cheek wn was III tangle magic 11 t Ills arm arms slipped about her and for tor a II long 11 1111 lung long time they sat In a swing swine of ut JO Joy There wits nan no 1111 word Nord spoken Ik In no 1111 promise prom ise 1111 hut but Ernestine knew now nu that she must tell momma The to family 1011 was home Lome front from church when she hl reached the house hoist sitting In to the big living room all of ot them engrossed Ili In lu gossip Ilp III looked at 01 J sharply Why hy 1 didn't jou on OU rime come to church I 1 went lIt for a It walk evaded f limes limes- tI tine II 1 and her IlIr face tate flamed with color for fur lay nil looked ut at her hr and she felt Wills Will's love lu love making was Willi WilliI I visible upon U her IlIr Mamma said raid no more however how hm ever oer and alIl Lillian turned to her with the IIII new news 11 You Yuu remember I 1 told you ou Sadie Mall lIall was n In love lo with the actor Lou Lon nodded and noel LilIlan Lillian Lil 1111 lian Ilan n 1111 cull I. I with some Jump satisfaction n M Well W II she hl succeeded In meeting him and II E they were married lat last night cry K one 1111 1 to talking about It In tn church this morning Well what whal of ot U it sold said She can marry him cant can't she I sliM said her tier father stern stern- ly Iy You 1011 know kilo It Isn't suitable He lie Henns I a big hll man a n little too stout with witha a florid face tace Ills browneyes brown browneyes eyes 1111 were warm and kind but his big bignose nose nOle se was NaP acquisitive his bis mouth stern and hard a man of ot brilliant mind but limited by prejudices It Is tier her money he wants said papa R and nd nothing else The girls girl's a fool and was riot not brought up properly prop erly or she would never ne have done such a thing Loring put In his oar He lie was al al- ways 1111 there on Sundays thought I limes II tine who was tired of having ha him around An Any man who urges a girl to keep kepI her tier love affair nn a secret from rota her folks Is U a blackguard and a girl may muy as aswell aswell well realize It first as all last No real man would do such a thing He lie would bo ho honorable He lie looked at nt her when he ho III salt said hi It It with such meaning that felt a faint dismay Hut But how ridiculous she ahe exclaimed You hYou all know every erl one of ot you that It If she Ibe had kind told her folks of ot her Infatuation In In- they would have carried heroff her heroff off ofT to Europe uro or had him forced out of ot town They would have separated them Instantly Hut But that's why she ought to tell her people said papa No 0 girl can ran trust tier her own Judgment when she gets out of ot her own class Her people know best and she should confide In them All this fits while mamma had been beell watching Mamma was so pretty prett wit with h her violet eyes ell and smooth fair hair and her slender vigorous vig vig- orous omens body nut Hut mamma was sharp shari Neither elther of ot my tny girls would do such sucha a u thing she h said now In her soft sott quick voice olce Met but with a n meaning that l und and both bolh sensed I Iam urn am sure surl that neither of fit my little girls would do tin such suh a thing to me hue have have a n secret love lo affair Would either of ot you Dont Don't be bl nutty nUlly mamma advised ad and 1111 was silent loler alone Lillian turned to Ernestine eagerly better belEr come ome across I think the lie folks are on 00 to j You Yuu haven't told them Of Ot course not said Lillian Its your jour our 0 own 00 0 business Hut l Ernestine IIII you jou arent aren't r really going to fall fail In lore 1 with him are you yuu Papa would b be furious shook the bright tears tEarl tom tent her l' l eyes es and smiled 1 at al Lillian After Afler a II moment Lillian went nt on un un- certainly saw 1111 you yesterday He lie n asked ked me who the young joung man was und and I 1 told toad him but asked him hint not to mention II It Still he may tell 1111 lies He's awfully fend of you ou Ernestine lies He always I telling me that thai you ou are JU Just I like a n little sister to him He lie might feel It hl hU his duty to tell papa about jou oU and Wilt Hut lul th theres there's res re's nothing about Will 1111 that d could object to protested Im Tot not 1 cn engaged ad to him but hul If I should shu become engaged I 1 dont don't tit see who could care He's Hes tine 1 tend and good and gentle lies He's brave f too lOll a real man mun mut shook her head bead Its s your our funeral she sail said with the heartless laissez faire of ot her generation gen ration which feared above all things that It might become blome Its brothers brother's broth broth- ers cr's Hut nut know keeper you Just how pupa papa would react to Will Todd lies He's the son of ot papas papa's old carpenter lies lie's poor or and he hf hasn't been to school lint unit und hes he's not oot very Iry strong there's theres nol nothing but objections to such an nn Idea Anyhow I 1 cant can't a see why wb you jou could let yourself even en think of of such a II thing hung g as getting engaged Imagine taking n a 1 chance chanc like that I Ie e e a a aWill Will said laid nothing about marriage lie Ho lies was s full tuU of ot talk with his hili own vitality enraptured with lIh and dearness One l beauty when they had hAIl gone for tor day day- II however lr their usual walk north along the lake lakeshore lakeshore shore he tie seemed oddly silent t and times he looked at thoughtful ant and at Item II as |