The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-02-17
CHAPTER III. (contInued.)

ut might be scarlet fever" Max
broke In cheerfully. II say scarlet
fever on a Mongolian-what color
would he be. Jimmy? What do yell
low and red make? Green?"
Orange" Jim said shortly. 81 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 I
learned that he thought my face al
most tragic that night, and that he
supposed, from the way | glared
across the table, that ! had quarreled
with my husband
81 am afraid you are not WELL" he
said at last, noticing my food un-
touched on my plate. I'VE should
not have come, any of u.s."
81 am perfectly WELL" | replied fe-
verishly. 81 am never i'll. II ate a
late luncheon"
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."
Il think it Is only i'll humor,"
said, looking directly at him. II am
angry at myself 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 II 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 Tor 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 a really
nice man came along, 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
tion at first TO a hands-of-she-is-m
host s-wife attitude at last
1T can never be undone." | said
soberly.
Well. that's the picture as nearly as
can draw 1t; a 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
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
were all ,playing. Finally. however.
Aunt Selma, who seemed to have TIA
kahiro on her mind, looked up from
her plate.
THAT Jap was speckled." she as.
serted. II wouldn't be surprised IL it's
measles. Has he been smiling,
james,"
HAS he been sniniing?" Jim threw
across at me.
Il hadn't noticed It," l said meekly,
while the others choKed.
Max came TO the rescue. she ret
fused TO eat It," he explained. dis
tinctly and to everybody. apropos abb
solutely of nothing 1T said on tho
box, ready cooked and predigested.' !
She declared she didn't care who
cooked II, but she wanted to know
who predigested IT,"
Aa evary ono wanted IN laugh avarx,