The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-02-09
CHAPTER III. (continued.)


1T might be scarlet fever" Max
broke In cheerfully. Il say. scarlet
fever on a Mongolian-what color
would he be. Jimmy? What do yell
low and red make? Green?"
Orange" Jim said shortly. Il 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 UNI
,derstand us, considering, III doubt.
our subdued excitement as u nor
nal condition. Ages afterward' |
learned that he thought my face al
most tragic that night, and that he
supposed. from the way 1 glared
across the table, that had Quarreled
with my husband!
II am afraid you r not we'll" he
said at last, noticing my food un-
touched on my plate. I'VE should
not have come, any of us"
II am perfectly WELL" | replied fe-
yerishly. IL am eve III. IL ate a
late luncheon"
He glanced at me keenly. Don't
let them stay and play bridge to-
night" he urged. Miss C%aruthers can
be an excuse. can she not? And you
are really tagged. You look It,"
II think it Is only Ill humor." |
said, looking directly at him. Il am
angry at myself. l 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.
'Ts It too late TO undo it?" he asked.
And then and there l 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 Tor are they Spanish
down there?) and think of me always
as n married woman, married to a
d~ilettante artist, inclined to be stout
the artist, not land with an Aunt
Selma Caruthers who made buttons
and believed In the Cause. But never,
eve should he think of me as a silly
little fool who pretended that she was
the other mans wife and had a lump
IN 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 hands-of-she-is-my-
host's-wife attitude at last.
1T can never be undone." l said
soberly.
Well, that's the picture as nearly as
| can draw IL; q round table with a
low centerpiece of orchids in laven-
ders and pink. old silver ~candlesticks
with fligree shades against the SOM
Der w~ainscoting; nine people, two of
them unhappy--Jim and /: n 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 promptly forgot Takahiro
In the excitement of the game we
all playing. Finally. however.
Aunt Selma, who seemed to have Ta-
kahiro on her mind. looked up from
her plate.
THAT Jap was speckled." she as
serted. II wouldn't be surprised II it's
measles. Has he been smiling.
james,"
rHas he been sniniing?" Jim threw
across at me. :
Il hadn't noticed IT," l said meekly,
while tic others choxed-
Max came to the rescue. "She re-
fused to eat II" he explained dis.
.inctly. and TO everybody. apropos alb
folutely OF nothing. 1T said ON the
box, ready cooked and predigested.'
SIZE aeearod she didn't care who