The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-02-10
CHAPTER H. (contlnued.)

CHAPTER IN. (contlnusd.)
ut might be scarlet fever" MAJ
broke in cheerfully. 81 say, scarlet
fever on n Mongolian-what color
would he be, Jimmy? What do vel
low and red make? Green?"
Orange" Jim said shortly. "T 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 un'
derstand us, considering, no doubt
our subdued excitement as our nor,
NAL condition. Ages afterward
learned that he thought my face al,
most tragic that night, and that he
supposed, from the way l glared
across the table, that had quarreled
with my husband!
81 am afraid you are not we'll" he
said at last, noticing my food I'M
touched on my plate I'VE should
not have come, any Of u.s."
Il am perfectly well" replied fe-
verishly 81 am never i'll. II ate a
late luncheon"
He glanced at me .keenly. Don't
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,"
"T 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 (or are they Spanish
down there?) and think of me always
as a married woman, married to a
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 a lump
In her throat because when really
nice man came along, a man who
knew something more than polo and
motors, she had to carry on the decep-
tion to keep his respect, and be Sc
date and matronly, and see him
change from perfectly open admira-
ton at first to a hands-off-she-is-my-
host's-wife attitude at last.
ut can never be undone," I said
soberly.
Well, that's the picture as nearly as
I can draw it; round table with a
low centerpiece Of orchids in laven-
ders and pink, old silver candlesticks
with filigree shades against the SOM
ber wainscoting; nine people, two of
them unhappy-Jim and /; one Of
them complacent-Aunt Selma; one
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 mind, looked up from
her plate.
"That Jap was speckled" she as
serted. Il wouldn't be surprised if it's
Has he been smiling,
James?"
HAS he been snifiing?" Jim threw
across at me.
Il hadn't noticed it," said meekly,
while the others choKed.
Max came to the rescue. "She re-
fused to eat it," he explained, dis
.inctly and to everybody, apropos alb
,olutely of nothing. 1T said on the
box, ready cooked and predigested
She declared she didn't care who
cooked 1t, but she wanted to know
Who predigested it."
AS every one wanted to laugh, every
me did 1t then, and under cover of |
he noise caught Anne's eye, and we
eft the dining room. The men stayed, !
Ind by the very firmness with which |
he door closed behind us, / knew
hat Dallas and Max were bringing
tut the bottles that Takahiro had hid
len. was seething. When Aunt
selma indicated desire to go over
he house Git was natural that she
hould want to: 1t was her house, in
way) excused myself for a minute
nd few back to the dining room.
It was as / had expected. Jim
adn't cheered perceptibly, and the
est were patting him on the back,
nd pouring things out for him, and
aging, Poor old Jim" in the most
way. And the HARRISON
IAN was looking more and more puz-
led, and not at all hilarious.
l descended on them like a thunder
olt.
"That's itl" l cried shrewishly. with
~ back against the door. Leave
er to me, all of you, and pat each
ther on the back, and say it's gone
plendidly! Oh, know you, every {
mel" Mr.. HARRISON got up and
uIled out chair but couldn't sit;
folded my arms on the back after ]
while. suppose. you'll slip upstairs,