Show U P W n n 0 by y FRANCES PARKINSON KEYES C Q frances keyes service SYNOPSIS SIS disappointed through her inability to put finishing touches touch a to her bar costume coit uina for far a dance anna ami chamberlain 1 I irritated by the th stolidity of her escort george hildreth A visitor tn in the community neal conrad young lawyer Is I 1 to tx be the sensation of 0 the evening and hildreth annes anna suitor altor Is vaguely jealous conrd conrad I 1 Is impressed by anne perceiving her one fine character diar acter A few days day later the accompanies hirn him and his hi hostess hosted mrs griffin on en a picnic dipping into her scanty savings to buy suitable ui table finery for the th trip from an old friend mr Col denburg at the end of the day neat neal delares declares his bis love lov anno anne has no doubt of her bar feelings and they beckma engaged CHAPTER IV continued mrs griffin in in it 11 an outburst of hospitality pit pita lity allty offered to take the entire conrad family into her house for the wedding cud and to entertain them throughout the period of their stay and she proved so perfect a hostess that the conrads worst forebodings melted away at once there was nothing to rouse their forebodings either when anne appeared in the flesh to take supper at the griffins and be presented to them soon after their arrival there was no denying that she was good looking well neal might be forgiven for thinking her beautiful and her manner was not awkward at all or bold on the contrary she was rather silent a little shy but perfectly polite perfectly self possessed their forebodings were not roused on the wedding day either the little church stood high above the clustering houses around it austerely white strong in the simplicity of puritanism an orchestra was playing the wedding march from Lolien lohengrin grin very acceptably neal paler than usual but handsomer than ever chin and shoulders squarer than ever came in with roy hoy mabel buck began berbr ogress up tip the aisle and then came the bride a mist of tulle around her a coronal of delicate blossoms on her golden hair a long sheaf of them on her arm queen annes lace ten minute slater they were all in the church parlor congratulations were being received and kisses exchanged the wedding breakfast over which mr goldenburg resplendent in frock coat and gray trousers was presiding left nothing to be de delred Fired it was in the same class with the roses his fronts had done him proud so he be reflected had the girl 1 in whose future he had invested nc he sized up the conrad conand family with one or two swift appraising glances gli a n ces idey dey took on apont it when de poy told em and now dere because dey cant tint fint more vault I 1 he be muttered shrewdly to himself dat liddle annet annel shell come out on top py and py A great lady indy tweady years from now mappe put a great lady some day cay I 1 put but alone in her little attle attic room for the last time no thought of possible future greatness for herself entered annes head her thoughts were nil all of neal who in her mind was so great so glorious ready already al that nothing could magnify him in her eyes mahe helped her change from her snowy bridal raiment to the simple little serge suit enhanced with a pew new blouse of matching blue and a new early fall hat bat neal was waiting for her outside in the horseless carriage they were to motor to a famous inn nestled in the heart of the hills fifty miles south and spend their first night there lingering on for another day nr two if it suited their fancy then taking an express to new york which connected with a midnight train to washington careful plans for her comfort and happiness had all been perfected by neal anne closed her traveling bag and turned to kiss her friend im not going to say goodby good by well see each other often my marriage going to make anle any difference after neal and I 1 get settled I 1 want you to come and visit us mahel mabel will you do one more thing for me 71 of course honey bunzli take this bag down to neal and tell him ill be there in just a minute slightly surprised pd nt at being dismissed but without objections mabel departed anne closed the door carefully behind her and locked it then swiftly she knelt beside her bed oh god 11 she prayed aloud please make me worthy of him I 1 I 1 dont know how to say it IL I 1 dont even know how to think it but neal Is so wonderful and good and great that I 1 feel hes going to rise to high places help me to go with him show me the way so that he wont leave me behind so that we can be together always for por christs sake amen CHAPTER V two weeks later their wedding journey over neal and anne began their homemaking together in the little four room apartment in flin hansboro the trip to washington had bad been everything that they both had dreamed of and h pc J tor and more they went through the treasury building and the army and navy building but persistently through the corcuran corcoran art gallery y pu puzzled but eagerly they sur surveyed eyed the beautiful chamber of the supreme court sat eat for adew a few minutes in the vacant galleri callery of the tha house of representatives it was here that neal gave rolce to its his only regret if congress were only in sessi session ont id d like to see these fellows in action you will some day yes well come again last of all marveling at their temerity they went to the white house the uniformed attendant at the en trance regarded them kindly he was used to bridal couples and this pair was an unusually attractive example of the species they left in such a state of exaltation that neal felt the day called for some special celebration to mark it lets go and have dinner at the shoreham Shore ham tonight the swell hotel here ive heard shall we next time we come well be staying there anne anna agreed joyfully and deciding to wear her wedding gown to their little feast the dark blue silk which had seemed so glorious a garment when she purchased it was she had already discovered suitable only for sightseeing sight seeing even in the ano unostentatious dining room of the hotel where they were staying it was not just bighel right for evening wear but having no other dress except her white muslin which she could not wash out herself here and her wedding dress which she wanted so BO much to save she had tried to make it do even though this meant she could not change when she came in hot and dusty at the end of the day yes certainly she would have to wear the wedding dress tonight then neal with that uncanny faculty of his for guessing what was in her mind suggested something else but lots lets go shopping first I 1 want to have the fun of buying you a dress myself to prove ive got a right to neal I 1 dont need one really nonsense of course you do A tit dress you had on a pink dress the first time I 1 saw sav you that hideous thing well vell this going to be hideous beel see 1 it was not it was frilly with rumes ruffles frothy with lace a fairy frock the s saleswoman a lei woman showed the price ticket to neal surreptitiously it wag the saleswoman shrewdly suspected far more expensive a dress than they had expected to buy neal noticed her strategy hut but he paid for the dress unflinchingly when the saleswoman saw this she made a suggestion madam like a wrap to go with the dress I 1 have just the thins thing maricel very ery low belemire its so late in the season almost instantly she flung around annes shoulders it a moss green cloak of soft embroidered wool satin lined in a paler shade of the some sime color the bride stood reflected in the tall glass before them like a rose surrounded by its leaves neal you why dont you like it D dont I 1 ilk like it ant T then n I 1 must ile he counted out more bills carelessly send that with the dross dress to mrs neal conrad hotel hamilton please he said to the saleswoman right away he be sure it gets there in time for dinner A little fur neckpiece to wear with the blue blae suit on cool days and slippers and stockings ings to match the new frock had been added to the other purchases keal neal you told me yourself we must begin small and then you go to wor work k and spend more on clothes for me in one hour than rye ive spent in nearly twenty years 1 I want you to have pretty clothes youre so darned pretty yourself and sweet and good that client of mine up in the mountains well well his next bill will be bigger than I 1 meant to make it all the little dinner beiran began an with a sur stir prise they were hardly dented in the rose and brenni dining room when a very sleek looking young man sprang up from a nearby near by table and hailed neal with genuine lne if correctly tempered enthusiasm neal conrad my dear fellow where did you come from and when and why fit at this time of the year not that it matters so long as youve arrived I 1 explanations were immediately in order clarence hathaway a former classmate of neals at harvard had entered the diplomatic service immediately after his graduation he was already tard secretary of legation at madrid home now on leave neal sought to congratulate him upon his success nonsense I 1 what about yours 1 making money hand over flat fist so I 1 hear and causing hibernating hins boro all sorts of spasms with your political prowess governor or something arent you no said neal laughing sit down and have dinner with us wont you this Is anne my wife he be added with a shade of difference in his bla voice as hathaway swung around apologizing for hla his intrusion swiftly solicitous A bridal party I 1 my dear mrs afro conrad what must you have thought of me charging in on your requisite exquisite solitude tt deux beux like that but I 1 was so glad to s see e neal in this godforsaken god forsaken place and I 1 heard you well let me be host of course I 1 what kind of cocktails do you like mrs conrad fortunately he did not wait for her to answer anne blushing with bewilderment was looking to neal tot foi help and he had not caught her signal tto TO BE |