Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-12-28
SYNOPSIS.

was. His ambition in life was to be ta-
Ken seriously, but people steadily refused
Joke, except to himself, if he asked peoPle
70 dinner everyone expected a froic
Jimmy marries Bella Knowles; they live
together yea and are divorced
CHAPTER TT.-Jimmy's friends arrange
to celebrate the first anniversary Of his
divorce. Those who attend the party are
Miss Katherine McNair who every one
calls Kit. Mr.. and Mrs. Dallas Brown,
the Misses Mercer, Maxwell Reed ana
Mr.. Thomas HARRISON, a South American
civil engineer The party is in full swing
when Jimmy receives q telegram from rom
hours to visit him and his wife. Jimmy
gets his funds from Aunt Selma and after
he marries she doubles his allowance. He
IS opposed to it. Jimmy takes Kit into
his confidence, he tries to devise some
way so that his aunt will not learn that
he has no longer a wife. He suggests
that Kit play the hostess for one night,
be Mrs. Wilson pro tenn. Kit refuses,
but is finely prevailed upon to act the
part
CHAPTER III.-Aunt Selma arrives
and the deception works out as planned,
as she had never seen Jim's wife
Then halfway through the dinner
we heard a crash in Takahiro's pan.
try, and when he did not appear
again, Jim got up and went out to in.
vestigate. He was gone quite little
while, and when he came back he
looked worried.
Sick" he replied to our inquiring
glances. zone of the maids will come
in. They have sent for a doctor"
Aunt Selma was for going out at
once and fixing him up as she put
it, but Dallas gently interfered.
Il wouldn't, Miss Caruthers," he
said, in the deferential manner he
had adopted toward her "You don't
know what it may be. He's been look
ing spotty all evening""
1T might be scarlet fever" Max
broke in cheerfully. Il say, scarlet
fever on a Mongolian-what color
would he be, Jimmy? What do vel
low and red make? Green?"
Orange" Jim said shortly. ct wish
you people would remember that we
are trying to eat"
The fact was, however, that no one
was really eating, except Mr.. Harbi
son, who had given up trying to I'M
derstand us, considering, no doubt,
our subdued excitement as our nor
NAL condition. Ages afterward J
learned that he thought my face al
most tragic that night, and that he
supposed, from the way I glare6
across the table, that I had guarded
with my husband!
81 am afraid you are not we'll" he
said at last, noticing my food IN
touched on my plate I'VE should
not have come, any of US"
81 am perfectly WE'LL" replied fe
verishly. Il am never i'll. II ate 3
late luncheon"
He glanced at re keenly. "Dcnf
let them stay and play bridge to
night" he urged Miss Caruthers can
be an excuse, can she not? And you
are really tagged. You look it,"
II think it is only i'll humor," ]
said, looking directly at him. 81 am
angry at myself I have done some
thing silly, and hate to be silly"
Max would have said Impossible"
or something else trite. The Harbi
son man looked at me with interested,
serious eyes.
'Is it too late to undo it?" he asked
And then and there determined that
he should never know the truth He
could go back to South America and
build bridges and make love to the
Spanish girls Cor are they Spanish
down there0 and think of me always
as a married woman, married to
dilettante artist, inclined to be stout
the artist, not land with an Aunt
Selma Caruthers who made buttons
and believed in the Cause. But never,
never should he think Of me as a silly
little fool who pretended that she was
the other mans wife and had lump
III her throat because when a really
nice man came along, a man who
knew something more than polo and
motors, she had to carry on the decep-
ton to keep his respect, and be Sc
date and matronly, and see him
change from perfectly open admira-
ton at first to a nds-off-she-is-my-
host's-Yife attitude at last
1T can never be undone," l said
soberly.
Well, that's the picture as nearly as
I can draw it; a round table with
low centerpiece of orchids in laven-
ders and pink, old silver candlesticks
Der wainscoting; nine people, two of
them unhappy-Jim and L. one Of
them complacent-Aunt Selma; one
puzzled-Mr. HARRISON; and the rest
Historically mirthful Add one sick
Japanese butler and grind in the mills
of the gods.
Every one promptly forgot Takahiro
in the excitement of the game we
were all playing. Finally, however,
Aunt Selma, who seemed to have Ia
kahiro on her MIMI looked up from
her plate.
THAT Jap was speckled," she as
serted. "I wouldn't be surprised if it's
measles. Has he been shifting,
James?"
HAS he been snifiing?" jim threw
across at me.
81 hadn't noticed it." said meekly,