The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-02-10
CHAPTER IN.
| Mlnht Have Known II.

'''S'N 'fN"N
The minute ! had consented I re-
GREETED it. After all, what we're Jim
my's troubles to me? Why should |
help him impose on an u~nsuspecting
elderly woman? And it was only put
ting off discovery anyhow. Sooner or
later, she would learn of the divorce,
+and-Just at that instant my eyes fell
on Mr.. HarbisOn-Tom HARRISON, as
Anne called him. He was looking on
with an amused, half.puzzled smile,
while people were rushing around hid
ing the roulette wheel and things of
which Miss C%aruthers might disap-
prove, and Betty Mercer was on her
knees winding up a toy bear that Max
had brought her. What would he
think? II was evident that he thought
badly of us already-that he was con
temptuously amused, and then to
have to ask him to lend himself to the
deception!
With a gasp / hurled myself after
Jimmy, only to hear a strange voice
in the hall and to know that | was too
late. l was In for 1t, whatever was
coming. 1t was Aunt Selma who was
coming along the hall, followed by
Jim, who was hopping his face and
trying not to notice the paralyzed ST.
lence in the library.
Aunt Selma met me in the doorway.
To my frantic eyes she seemed TO
tower above us by at least a foot, and
beside her Jimmy was a red, perspir.
Ing cherub.
Here she IS" Jimmy said, from be-
hind a temporary eclipse of black
cloak and travelling bag. He was on
top Of the situation now, and he was
mendaciously cheerful. He had not
said, Here is my WIFE That would
have been a lie. No, Jimmy merely
said, Here she is" III Aunt Selma
chose TO think me Bella. was 1T not
her responsibility? And II / chose to
accept the situation, was it not mine?
Dallas Brown came forward gravely
nj Aunt Selma folded over and kissed
me, and surreptitiously patted me
with one hand while he held cut the
other to Miss Caruthers. / loathed
himl
I'VE always expect something n
usual from James, Miss Caruthers,"
he said, with his best manner but
this-this lis beyond our widest
dreams
Well, it's too awful to linger over.
Anne took her upstairs and into
Bella's bedroom. 1t was a fancy of
Jim's to leave that room just as Bella
had left it, dusty dance cards and ia
vors hanging around and a pair of dis
carded slippers under the bed. don't
think It had been swept since Bella
left it. / believe in sentiment. but I
like II brushed and busted and the
cobwebs off OF ii. and when Auat Sc
lima put down her bonnet, 1t stirred
up a gray white cloud that made her
cough. She did not say anything, but
she looked around the room grimly,
and a saw her run her finger over
the back of a chair before she let
Hannah, the maid, put her cloak on 1T.
Anne looked frightened. She ran
into Bella's bath and wet the end Of
. 0hA WhOA fialudt was E0duk~
ing Aunt Selina's collar--her conces.
sion to evening dress-Anne wiped
Off the obvious places on the furniture.
What's that young woman's
name?s she asked me sharply. when
Anne had taken the tower out to hide
it.
Anne Brown Mrs. Dallas Brown l
replied meekly. Every one replied
meekly to Aunt Selma.
docs she live iaereg"
oh, no" | said airlly They are
here to dinner. she ard her husband.
They are old friends OF Jim's--and
mine
Teens to have a good eye for
said aunt Selma and weat "a
fastening her brooch. When she was