The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-02-03
CHAPTER ~.
I MIGHT Have Known Il.

hSlp nm impose on an unsuspeCtlni
elderly woman? Aud it was only put
ting of discovery anyhow. Sooner ol
later, she would learn of the divorce
and-Just at that instant my eyes fel
on Mr.. Harbison-Tom HARRISON, as
Anne called him. He was looking OF
with an amused, half-puzzled smile
while people were rushing around hid
ing the roulette wheel and things oi
which Miss Caruthers might dlsap
prove, and Betty Mercer was on her
knees winding up a toy bear that Max
had brought her. What would he
think? 1t 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
deceptionl
With a gasp l hurled myself after
Jimmy, only to hear a strange voice
In the hall and to know that l was too
late. l was in for it, whatever was
coming. 1t was Aunt Selma who was
coming along the hall, followed by
Jim, who was mopping 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" If Aunt Selma
chose to think me Bella, was 1t not
her responsibility? And if l chose to
accept the situation, was it not mine? I?
Dallas Brown came forward gravely
as Aunt Selma folded over and kissed
me, and surreptitiously patted me
with one hand while he held out the
other to Miss Caruthers. l loathed
himl
I'VE always expect something un-
usual from James, Miss Caruthers,"
he said, with his best manner, but
this-this is 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 fa-
Vors hanging around and a pair of dis
carded slippers under the bed 1 don't
think it had been swept since Bella
left it. believe in sentiment, but l
like it brushed and busted and the
cobwebs off Of it, and when Aunt Sc
lima put down her bonnet, it stirred
up a gray white cloud that made her
cough. She did not say anything. but
she looked around the room grimly.
and l saw her run her finger over
the back Of a chair before she let
Hannah, the maid, put her cloak on It.
Anne looked frightened. She ran
into Bella's bath and wet the end of |
a towel and when Hannah was chang |
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?" she asked me sharply, when
Anne had taken the towel out to hide
It.
Anne Brown, Mrs. Dallas Brown"
replied meekly. Every one replied
meekly to Aunt Selma.
Does she live here?"
"Oh, no." l said airily. "They are
here to dinner, she and her husband.
they are old friends of Jim's-and
nine
Seems to have a good eye for
iirt," said Aunt Selma and went on
her brooch. When she was
lnally ready, she took a bead purse
rom somewhere about her waist and
.ook out half dollar. She held it up
before Hannah's eyes.
Tomorrow morning" she said
Iternly, you take off that white cap
Ind that fol-de-rol apron and that
'lack henrietta cloth, and put on
alico wrapper. And when you've got
his room aired and swept, Mrs. Will ]
on will give you this"
Hannah took two steps back and
aught hold Of chair; she stared
elplessly from Aunt Selma to the {
alf dollar, and then at me. Anne
1as trying not to catch my eye. I
And another thing" Aunt Selma !
aid, from the head of the stairs, Il
ent those towels over from Ireland. |
ell her to wash and bleach the one I
Lrs. What's-her-name Brown used as :
duster." a
Anne was quite crushed as we went
own the stairs. I turned once, half c
ray down, and her face was curious c
fixture Of guilt and hopeless wrath. n
ver her shoulder I could see Han
ah, wide-eyed and puzzled, staring d
tier us. =
Jim presented everybody, and then h
Q went into the den and closed the 7
Dor and we heard him unlock the h
sllarette. Aunt Selma looked at Lei Il
70 bare shoulders and said she d