The Raymer enterprise., 1911-03-09

year on the road. while the resident
senior partner looked after the New
York end OF the business.
Now, the aforesaid Bob was a ben
edist OF some two years standing. and
supposed to be still enamored OF his
wife. who before her marriage had
been the lively and popular Madge
Herring.
Under these circumstances It irked
the Junior partner that he must per.
force leave his pretty spouse alone In
the city-the term being understood
literally. for relatives she had none.
Not that he dlstrusted her for
single. solitary moment. but he really
feared that she would be dull as well
as lonely.
so before he kissed her good.by It
was understood that II their rather
elderly mutual friend. Dave Atchison.
wealthy New Yorker, should occa.
sionally invite Mrs. Denver to theater
or opera. or even to dinner some
where. there would be no harm In her
acceptance under the circumstances.
"All OF which fell out exactly as
planned. Atchison proving very gal
liant and charming substitute He was
not too mature; he was good spend.
err and above all things delighted In
being seen out and about with
young and pretty woman.
Now you are not to imagine that
Mrs. Madge was otherwise tnan per.
fectly nice and entirely proper But
she loved those excursions into the
gay uptown life which dear Bob
could not az yet afford. and so she
saw no harm In letting Atchison en-.
tertain her, especially since Bob him.
self was wise thereto.
"One day-it was late In November
returning from spin to Yonkers In
Atchison's car. she shivered slightly
as they whizzed through the park and
her companion remarked:
Next time you'd better wear your
furs.'
'Madge made little pout behind
her veil, saying while pointing to a
shabby stole that had done duty since
the previous season:
"'This is all have
David Atchison was a man OF few
words. so he merely grunted But In.
stead OF turning into Fifty.fourth
| street. whereon the Denvers lived. he
kept right down the avenue, stopping
finally outside New York's 'classiest'
furrler's. In silence he helped her
to the sidewalk and led the way with.
in the plate glass doors.
Set Of furs for this lady he an
nounced. tersely. to the salesman
best you've got
"'Why Mr.. Atchison. expostulated
Madge. in an undertone, her cheeks
ahame. 'What-indeed i couldn't
think OF allowing you to do such
th!ng!'
That's all right, growled Dave,
patting her shoulder. Pay me back
some day. you know. II you want to-
"Madge's mind was in whirl. In
trice she was being fitted with one
costly garment after another-seal,
sable, Persian lamb, mink; halflength,
three.quarter length. full length:
coats. capes. stoles and NUTS. Never
was woman so bedeviled. What with
her bewilderment and her passionate
love OF rich and pretty things. she
hesitated-and we all know what hap.
pens to the lady who hesitates.
In the end she walked out Of the
store and into the motor again clad
in an elegant three-quarter length
coat OF real sable. with boa and nun
to match, for which. in a private in.
terview with the salesman. David At.
Gibson had exchanged a check ex.
pressed In four figures.
Her only remonstrance was: I'm
sure Bob will be dreadfully angry To
which Atchison returned. with quiet
laugh, 'Perhaps-but why tell him.
"'Oh. but must almost walled
Madge. they're far too handsome for
me. anyway
Nonsense was her companions
rejoinder, 'Nothing's too good for
you. Where's your God.given wo
mans wit? Don't ladies' sometimes
save something out OF their house.
keeping money! And he chuckled so
that Madge herself had to laugh.
well. Mrs. Denver could scarcely
sleep that night for thinking Of her
treasures and for the next few days
she wore them dellghtedly every.
where. albeit she felt dreadfully
guilty. Then came the query: What
would Bob say How could she make
him understand? She was certain he
would not be pleased. And yet she
hated to send the furs back to the
donor.
AT length she hit on what seemed
to her a rather clever plan. although
Its carrying out involved some little
duplicity. but by this time she was
ready TO 20 to almost any lengths to
keep her darling set Three days
before Bob was due she went out one
afternoon about dusk wearing her
sables; when she returned they no
longer draped her shapely shoulders
or shielded her hands.
in the interim she had visited
pawnshop over on Sixth avenue. re-