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Show Miss 1 1 Lulu I Bett li & ! By I Zona Gale Oowrltfhl by D. Appletou uid Comptii VI Continued. 17 "When a family once gets talked ebont for any reasou " said lua and shuddered. "I'm talked about now !" "But nothing that you could help. 3f he got tired of you, you couldu't help that." This misstep was Wight's. "No," Lr.lu said. "I couldn't help that. And I couldn't help his other wife, either." "Bigamy," said Dwlght, "that's a crime." "I've done no crime," said Lulu. "Bigamy," said Dwlght, "disgraces everybody It touches." "Even Di." Lulu said. "Lulu." said Dwlght, "on Dl's account ac-count will you promise us to let this thing rest with us three?" "I s'pose so," said Lulu quietly. "You will?" "I s'pose so." Inn sobbed : "Thank ynu, thank von. Lulu. This makes up for everything." "You'll he happy to think you've done this for us. Lulu." said Dwlght. "I s'pose so," said Lulu. Inn. pink from her little gust of sobbing, sob-bing, went to her. kissed her. her trim tan tailor suit against Lulu's blue cotton. cot-ton. "My sweet, self-sacrificing sister," she murmured. "Oh. stop that!" Lulu said. Dwlght took her hand, lying limply In his. "T can now," he said, "overlook "over-look the matter of the letter." Lulu drew back. She put her hair behind her ears, swallowed, and cried out. "Don't you go around pitying me! I'll have ynu know I'm glad the whole thing happened !" It was not yet nine o'clock of a vivid morning. Cornish had his floor find sidewalk sprinkled, his red and blue plush piano spreads dusted, lie Bat at a folding table well back in the Store, and opened a law book. For half an hour lie read. Then he found himself looking off the page. Rfahhed by a reflection which always Btahbed linn anew: Was he really getting get-ting anywhere with his law? And where did he really hope to get? Of late when he awoke at night this question ques-tion had stood hy the cot, wailing. It was hehind thnt curtain that this unreasoning question usually attacked him. when his giant, wavering shadow had died upon the wall and the faint emell of the extinguished lamp went with him to his bed ; or when he waked before any sign of dawn. In the tnorn'ngs all was cheerful and wonted the question had not before attacked him among his red and blue plush spreads, his golden oak and ebony eb-ony cases, of a sunshiny morning. A sep at his door set him flying. He wanted passionately to sell a piano. "Well !" he cried, when he saw his visitor. It was Lulu. In her dark red suit and her t'lted hat. "You're out early." said he, participating partici-pating In the village chorus of this bright chnUi'i!"e at this hour. "Oh. no." said Lulu. lie loo'-ed out ihe window, pretending pretend-ing to he caught hy something pass-' pass-' ing. leaned to see It thf better. "Oh. how'd you get along last night?" he nkcd. ami wondered why he had not thought to say it before. "AM right, thank you." said Lulu. "Was he about the letter, you know? "Yes," she said, "but thnt didn't matter. You'll be sure." she added, "not to say anything about what was In the leter?" "Whv. not till you tell me I can," Bald Cornish, "but won't everybody know now?" "No." Lulu said. At this he bid no more to say. and feeling his speculation In his eyes, dropped them to a piano scarf from which he began nicking Invisible specks. "I came to tell you good-by," Lulu Bald "Oood-hy !" "Yes. I'm going off for a while. My satchel's In the bakery I had my breakfast In the bakery." "Say!" Cornish cried warmly, "then everything wasn't all right last night?" "As right as It can ever be with me." Bhe told him. "Oh, yes. Dwlght forgave for-gave toe." "Forgave yor i" She smiled, mid trembled. "Look here." said Cornish, "you come here and sit down and teK me uhmit this." Me led her to the folding table, as the onlv social spot In that vast area of his, seined her In the one chair, end for him-elf brought up 11 piano stool. H'lt nfter all she told him nothing. noth-ing. She in. r-iy took the comfoit ef his klielly !nd:gm;:;en. "' Nil rUht." she said only. "But I won't stay there any more. I can't do that." "Then what are you going to do?" "In Millton yesterdr.y," she said, "1 saw an advertisement In the hotel they wanted a chambermaid." "Oh, Miss Bett !" he cried. At thnt name she flushed. "Why," said Cornish, Cor-nish, "you must have been coming from Million yesterday when I Baw you. I noticed Miss Di had her bag " lie stopped, stared. "You brought her back!" he deduced everything. every-thing. "Oh !" said Lulu. "Oh, no I mean "I heard nnnnt the eloping agnln this morning," he said. "That's just what you did you brought her back." "You mustn't tell that! You won't? You won't !" "No. 'Course not." TTe mulled It. "You tell me this: Do they know? I mean about your going after her?' "No." "Yon never told!" "They don't know she went." "That's a funny thing," he blurted out, "for you not to tell her folks I mean, right off. Before last night. . ." "You don't know them. Dwight'd never let up on that he'd joke her about It after a while." "But It seems " "Ina'd talk about disgracing her. They wouldn't know what to do. There's no sense In telling them. They aren't a mother and father," Lulu said. Cornish was not accustomed to deal with so much reality. But Lulu's reality he could grasp. "Y'ou're a trump anyhow," he affirmed. af-firmed. "Oh, no," said Lulu modestly. Yes, she was. He insisted upon it. "You've been a jewel in their home all right," said Cornish. "I bet they'll miss you if you do go." "They'll miss my cooking," Lulu said without bitterness. "They'll miss more than that. I know. I've often watched you there" "You have?" It was not so much pleasure as passionate gratitude which lighted her eyes. "You made the Thole place," said Cornish. "You don't mean just the cooking?" "No, no. I mean well, that first night when you played croquet. I felt at home when you came out." That look of hers, rarely seen, which was no less than a look of loveliness, came now to Lulu's face. After a pause she said : "Weil, I must be going go-ing now. I wanted to say gnod-by to you and there's one or two other places. . . ." "I hate to have you go," said Cor nish, and tried to add something. "1 hate to have ynu go," was all that he could find to add. Lulu rose. "Oh. well." was all that she could find. They shook hands, Lulu laughing a little. Cornish followed her to the door. He had begun on "Look here. I wish . . . " when Lulu said "gond-by," and paused, wishing Intensely In-tensely to know what he would have said. But all that he said was: "Good-by. I wish you weren't going." "Po do I," said Lulu, and went, still laughing. Cornish saw her red dress vanish from his door, flash by his window, her bead averted. And there settled upon him a depression out of afl pro portion to the slow depression of his days. This was more It assailed him, absorbed him. He came back to his table, and sat down before his lawbook. But he sat. chin on chest, regarding it. No . . . no escape that way. ... A step at the door and he sprang up. It was Lulu. cnm'ng toward him her face unsmiling hut somehow quite lighted. In her hand was a letter. "See," she said. "At the office was this. . . ." She thrust In his hand the single sheet. lie read : "... just wanted you to know you're actually rid of me. I've heard from her in Brazil. She ran out or money and thought of me, and her lawyer wrote to me. . . . I've never nev-er been any good Dwlght would tel! yon that If Irs pride would let Ivm tell the truth once in a while. But there ain't anything In my life makes me feel as bail as this. ... I s'pose yon couldn't understand ami I don't myself. . . . Only the sixteen years keeping still made me think she was gone sure . . . but you were so downright good, that's what was the worst ... do you see what I wan! to say ..." Cornish read It all ano looked at I.uln. She was grave and In her eyes there was a look of dignity sneh as he bad never seen them wear, Incredible dignity. "He didn't He to get rid of me ami she was alive, just as he thought she might be." she said. "I'm glad " said Cornish. "Yes." said Lulu. "He Ix.i't quite so bad as Dwlght tried to make him out." It was not of this that Cornish had been thinking. "Now you're free." he said, "Oh. thnt . . ." said Lulu. She replaced her letter In Its envelope. en-velope. "Now I'm really going," sh,. said. Good-by for sure tills time. , . ." Her words trailed away. Cornish had laid h's hand on her arm. "Don't say good-by,'' he said. She looked at him mutely. "Do you think ynu could possibly stay here with nip?" "Oh!" said I.niu. like no word. He went on. not looking at her. "1 haven't gor anvtivng ? g-vs-s mfl.tie you've herd something about a little someitntig I'm s'ippo-ot! to inherit. Well. It's onlv five hundred dollars." His looks searched her face, but sue hardly heard what he was saying. "That little Warden house it don't cost much you'd be surprised. Rent, j I mean. 1 can get it now. I went and looked nt it the other day, but then I didn't think " he caught himself on that. "It don't cost near as much as this store. We could furnish up the parlor with pianos " He was startled by that "we," and began again; "Thnt Is, If you could ever think ol such a thing as marrying me." "But," said Lulu. "You know! Why. don't the disgrace " "There's only this about that," said lie. "Of course. If you loved him very much, then I'd ought not to be talking this way to you. But I didn't think She said : "I wanted somebody of my own. Thnt's the reason I done what I done. I know that now." "Look here," he said. "I'd ought to tell you. I'm awful lonesome myself. This Is no place to live. And I guess living so Is one reason why I want to get married. I want some kind of a home." "Of course," she said. "Could you risk It with me?" Cornish Cor-nish asked her. "There's nobody I've seen," hp. went on gently, "that I like as much as I do you. I I was engaged en-gaged to a girl once, but we didn't get along. I guess If you'd be willing to try me, we would get along." "Isn't there somebody " "Look here. Do you like me?" "Oh, yes !" "Well enough " "It's you I was thinking of," said Lulu. "I'd be all right." "Then!" Cornish cried, and he kissed her. "And now," said Dwlght, "nobody must mind if I hurry a little wee bit. I've got something on." He and Ina and Monona were at dinner. Mrs. Bett was in her room. Di was not there. "Anything about Lulu?" Ina asked. "Luln?" Dwlght stared. "Why should I have anything to do about Lulu?" "Well, hut, Dwight we've got to do something." "As I told you this morning," he observed, "we shall do nothing. Your sister is of age I don't know about the sound mind, hut she Is certainly of age. If she chooses to go away, she is free to go where she will." "Can't you get mother to come out?" Dwight inquired. "I had so much to do getting dinner onto the table, I didn't try," Ina confessed. con-fessed. "Ynu didn't have to try," Mrs. Bett's voice sounded. "I was coming when I got rested up." She entered, looking vaguely about. "I want Lulie," she said, and the corners cor-ners of her mouth drew down. She ate her dinner cold, appeased In vajrue areas by such martyrdom. , They were still at table when the front door opened. "Monona hadn't ought to use the front door so commonly," Mrs. Betts complained. But it was not Monona. It was Lulu and Cornish. "Well !" said Dwlght, tone curving downward. "Well!" said Ina. In replica. "Lulie!" said Mrs. Bett, and left her dinner, and went to her daughter and put her hands upon her. "We wanted to tell you first," Cornish Cor-nish said. "We've just got married." "Forevermoro !" said Ina. "What's this?" Dwight sprang to his feet. "You're joking!" he cried with hope. "No," Cornish said soberly. "We're married just now. Methodist parsonage. parson-age. We've had our dinner," he added add-ed hastily. Dwlght recovered himself In a measure. meas-ure. "I'm not surprised, after ail," he said. "Lulu usually marries In this way." Mrs. Bett patted her daughter's arm. "Lulie." she said. "why. Lulie. You ain't been and got married twice, have yon? After waltin' so long?" "Don't be disturbed. Mother Bett," 'wight cried. "She wasn't married that first time. If you remember. Nc marriage about it !" Tna's littlo shriek sounded. "DwMit !" she cried. "Now every-body'll every-body'll have to know t lint. Y'ou'll have to tell about Ninian now and his other oth-er wife!" Standing between her mother and ""ornlsh. an arm of each about her, I. nlu looked across at Ina and Dwight, and they all saw in her face a horrified ealiza'inn. "Ina!" she said. "Dwlght! You will have to tell now. won't you? Why I never thon"ht of thnt." ITHF, KNTV"! |