Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1911-02-17
CHAPTER Ill. (continued.)

ct 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. 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 I'M
derstand us, considering, no doubt,
our subdued excitement as our nor
NAL condition. Ages afterward I
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!
+ Il am afraid you are not WELL" he
said at last, noticing my food I'M
touched on my plate. We should
not have come, any of us"
II am perfectly we'll" l replied fe-
yerishly. II am never i'll. IL ate
late luncheon"
He glanced at me keenly. Don't
let them stay and play bridge to-
night" he urged. Miss Caruthers can
he an excuse, can she not? And you
are really tagged. You look it,"
IL think it is only ill humor,"
said, looking directly at him. Il 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.
els 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 there?) and think OF me always
as a married woman, married to a
dilettarte 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 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, man who
knew something more Than polo and
motors, she had to carry Oh 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 MISUNDERSTANDING
host's-wife attitude at last.
1T can never be undone," / said
eoberly.
Well, that's the picture as nearly as
can draw it; a round table with a
low centerpicce Of orchids in laven.
ders and pink, old silver candlesticks
with fiiigree shades against the som
Der wainscoting; nine people. two OF
them unhappy-Jim and 1; one OF
them co1npiacent-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
HSi0 i-ittiiJb AO"S'SA
Aunt Selma, who seemed to have Ia
kahiro on her mind, looked up from
her plate.
''That Jap was speclled." she as
serted. Il wouldn't be surprised If it's
measles. Has he been smiling
james,"
'fIas he been sniling?" Jim threw
across at NE.
Il hadn't noticed it," / said meckly
while tie others choHed.
Max cane to the rcacUe. "Ske re
fused to eat it." he explained, dis
1inctly and to everybody, apropos alb
eolu.e'v Ge nothing. 1t said on tho
box, ready cooked and pradigezted.
81, 'HN< che didn't care who