The San Francisco call., 1906-09-23

over "a tlNA -NlAIN- u
mendoub experience" Wade
said speaking low as Mrs.
Brett-Demar went heavily across the
lawn. her latest husband trailing half
q yard behind. wade's novel. ~The
Whirlwind" having achieved success,
he felt bound to live up 10 II and its
epigranis. Notwithstanding the living
I'D was such burden to him because
there was mans heart behind the
cynical novelist; he did not enjoy his
own speeches and was rather glad
Grvdon flung at him reproachfully:
What was nasty one. Poor old Bill
ierica. Say. hew much do you know
of her?"
"As little as q man who reads news
papers can heip-namely. that at not
quite thirty she is four husbands to
the good or the bad" Wade retorted.
'wAat would like to know further
IS just how she regards matrimony-
whether as habit or vocation?"
"Neither-rather as a consolation
purse" Grydon said. half frowning and
signing lightly, as he went on: You
see. ] know her-weII We We're in
short frocks together in fact and
fought and scratched impartialIy until
school and college parted Us. She was
2 beautiful child. not fairy-Iike. but
dimpled as a Cupid. with the sort of
skin that reminds YOU OF cream and
roses. I mean while she was little
She grew out Of her looks quickly into
2 lump and a hoyden. Her mother had
died early and she ran wild until her
ST tpmother came. mater or ten years.
school only made her nervous and un-
couth remember her in vacations
running aNay. cryiag. il YOU crooked
"A finger ar hcr. After a while she was
left at school an year. until she was
quito finished. So YOU may judge how
ii amazed everybody TO have her come
homo a. nineteen. prettier than pic
turc. ard so shy YOU could not possibly
and out she was dull"
Don't strain nay credulity 100
severely" wade interrupted. Pretty
1ig dear Grydon. to see that Love must
hare been suffering with double cata-
ract.
You're wroag-aad wasn't the
least in love-" Cryden protested Look
at her now. Her features ere not bad
its tia; ecadiy complexion. dull hair
and droopeJ mouth tell you she was
adorablc-after pink and white fash
lon-and stepmarnna saw TO it She was
dressed ZIP 10 the mines and had the
proper debutaate setting. She was a
foxy one-was stcpnanma even
then old i'enner was in deep waters
financially. and DO believe kept him
anoat the two last years by the sheer
andacity. of a magnificent bluff She
didn't love BiIierica-the girl was only
a pawn in the game. Stepmamfna
meant 10 marps her to millions-Jem
Fosters millions-but fate intervened
in the shape Of sydney Core
Gore. The professional corresponds
ent? Wade interrupted
Grydon nodded. Yes. but then he
was only an amateur. Still. he was ex-
perienced enough to go wild over Bill
lefica- she'd been cool. and naughty
enough TO the others. but he took her
by storm and married her month from
the day he saw her, with hardly a by
your-leave TO the old folks. II she could
have been shy and difident to him be-
lieve she might have held him. Instead
she was not only ready to make herself
q doormat for him. but entreated him
70 tread on her, and really resented the
least sign of admiration from other
men. Naturally. she was as madly Jeal-
Gus as she was devoted At first It
amused Sydney. but that sort Of thing
soon wears on a man; besides. he
couldn't live up to her requirements He
had business and pleasures that took
Up lot Of his time. She stormed and
cried about it. or moped til she was a
fright. He really bore with her Won
derfully-if the child had lived he
might have kept on bearing with her
but you can hardly blame a fellow for
firing of a wife always frowsy and
frumpish and red-nosed, who hangs as
q milestone about his neck. Gore
wasn't cut out by the martyr pattern.
although I viii say he's a rather decent
sort And the other woman. who came
along inevitably about this time, was
not only raving beauty, chic as Paris
turns them out, but wise. witty and
wicked enough to tempt a saint So
pretty soon there was devils own row
that ended in Cores almost forcing Bill
lcrica TO divorce him. OF course, he
sed so the other woman's name
DIDN'T appear. That might not have
been so easy. only Jem Foster helped
him. Jem was, you see. coming in for
the reversion. That was ali arranged
before the decree. and he married Bill
icrica the very day it became absolute.
Poor Jem. It did look hard he should
Set killed in an automobile wreck the
very first week Of his honeymoon You
may not believe 1t. but Blllerica grieved
for him terribly-although she had al
most hated him. Yet she married
Fielding Hammin inside year
Her heart, like Nature. clearly ab-
hors vacuum Wade murmnred as
though TO himself Grydon went on.
frowning slightly Not her heart
oniy-her whole self She is, one Of