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Show 1 NEVER LOEiS WORD I I I By ROSE MEREDITH ( by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) nTX THY not?" demanded Jim Blake, nlien Dorothy Lane refused to marry him after she had worn his ring for two happy years. "Is there somebody else?'' "No that is, not exactly," she , blushed furiously, "but one's ideas ! change, Jim " "Right," declared Jim crisply, "and ! I am glad you have changed your ' mind now, and not waited until after we were married." "I "knew you would feel that way," she said, relieved, and drawing off the i modest diamond she was wearing, she preferred it. "I am sorry, Jim," she I said gently. "What for?" He eyed her trucn-! trucn-! lently, nothing loverlike in his utti-! utti-! tude. j "Sorry it has ended this way " I "That is up to you, Dorothy." "Here is the ring, Jim, I may never marry," haughtily. Jim smiled his nicest smile, though his lips were white, and little criniik'S came around his blue eyes. "Never, Dorothy?" "Never ! Men are im impossible." He bowed and picked up his hat. "Never is a long word," lie remarked re-marked as he went away. As the door closed after his erect form, Mrs. Lane came into the room. Dorothy was staring at the door into the hall, as though she could not believe be-lieve that happiness had passed out of It and so out of her life. "What is the matter, my dear? Where is Jim?" "Gone," said Dorothy, witli a stifii little smile. "I never want to see him again !" "Dorothy ! Never is a long word." "So Jim says." "You . are so foolish to quarrel," sighed Mrs. Lane, bending to stir the fire on the hearth. "Has Jim been neglecting you?" "Mercy, no, mother. I Just don't want to marry him i cannot make up my mind to settle down as a poor man's wife and work in poverty, when all the other girls I know are having fun and lovely clothes and everything." every-thing." "How many of them would have married the man, they did if they had not loved?" "Oh, I don't know, mother." "They all made love matches. Jim is not a poor man. I am afraid the attentions of Lydia Rockwood's cousin, with his fine car and his lavish expenditure ex-penditure of money, have quite turned my little girl's head," said Mrs. Lane, slipping her arm around Dorothy's waist. "Mother I" she protested warmly, but she did not deny It. "Samuel Rockwood is nice enough, dear, but he is an exceedingly sellish man and I am afraid his wife would be very unhappy. Perhaps if she loved him very much she might endure him." "Endure two country houses, a yacht, a place In Florida, any number of motorcars, oceans of clothes !" ejaculated Dorothy. "Weighed against the great love of a rising young architect," countered her mother dryly. Then she added in a speculative tone: "There may be some truth in what Mrs. Curtis told me this morning. I hardly believed it, and that Is why I was anxious about Jim." "Why what did Mrs. Curtis say?" "Nothing much, only that they admired ad-mired Jim so much, and they were glad that Violet seemed to appreciate him ; she insists upon Including him In all their invitations. I don't believe they know about your engagement." "It is broken. But, mother, Violet Curtis has said she would never marry a poor man, and she could marry almost al-most anyone she is so lovely " she paused, lost in thought. "Perhaps she has changed her mind, dear. Anyway, It is all right now for poor Jim. He is free, you say? But he might not change very readily or forget, for he is so devoted to you, dear child." "Don't, mother I sent him away!" "Not your heart that did not sead him away, but your ambition banished him !" "He Is gone." Dorothy's voice was frightened now, and she clutched her mother's arm. "It Ls a relief to you, Dorothy, dear?" The girl bowed her head and cried softly. "I thought so, but somehow, It seems lonesome without him. I told him to go away that I never wanted to see him again! Or something like that perhaps I said I would never marry. I said 'never,' anyway." "Forever is a better word, Dorothy," said Jim's dear voice from the doorway. door-way. "I made up my mind that you couldn't send me away like that, and so I came back, and I am going to ! stay forever and ever." By that time ! Mrs. Lane had slipped out of the room. and Jim had drawn Dorothy down to a low seat before the fire. "Dolly, will you be my suburban wife?" he whispered. whis-pered. "Poor and happy as the day is long? Will you?" "Forever and ever!" declared 1 Dorothy enthusiastically. |