The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-27

AeI tune ana manner, marked by q
sort OF hard bravado, did not deceive
her sisters, who had that extreme
naivete in expressing their intimate
feelings which is peculiar to Califor-
mans. They looked at her with COM
mlserating sympathy, not quite COM
pretending her attitude OF independ-
ence, but feeling sorry for her, what
ever pose she adopted.
And your Dress" said Hazel, what
Will you do with that? When will you
ever wear it-a regular ball dress like
| that?"
oh, I'll wear it," said Berry with
an air OF having quantities of social
| opportunities not known by her sis
tiers. 1T won't be a loss"
You could put a guimpe in and
have sleeves to the elbow and wear II
TO the theater. With a white hat with
/ plumes 1t would be a dead swell cos
tune And If you met any of the Ry-
ans they'd see you We're holding up
your end Of the line and not quite
ready yet to go to the almshouse."
Hannah shook her head
Il don't see how she could do that
| transparent neck and all. / don't
! think that's the kind Of dress to wear
| in a theater. It's too sort of con-
/ spicuous"
Il think Hannah's right" said Josh
/ solemnly, nodding at Berry. at don't
seem to me the right thing for lady.
Looks fast"
What do you know about it, Josh
McCrae?" said Hazel pugnaciously.
You're a clerk in a jewelry store"
Maybe l am" retorted Josh, but
knowing when a thing looks fast.
/ Clerks in jewelry stores amt such
/ gummers as you might think. And,
anyway, l don't see that being a clerk
/ in any kind Of a store has anything to
! do with it."
Hazel was saved the effort Of max
| Ing a crushing repartee, by Pearl, who
| had been silently eating her lunch,
now suddenly launching remark into
| the momentary pause.
did Uncle Dominick go to the
ball?" she asked, raising a pair Of
! limpid blue eyes to Berny's face.
An instantaneous, significant silence
! fell on the others, and all eyes turned
inQuiringly to Berry. Her air Of cool
control became slightly exaggerated.
mo, he stayed at home with me-"
she replied, picking daintily at the
meat on her plate.
But suppose he felt real hurt and
annoyed" said Hannah. HE couldn't
have helped it."
Berry did not reply. She knew that
she must sooner or later tell her
sisters of Dcminick's strange depart
ure. They would find 1t out other
wise and suspect more than she want
ed them to know. They, like the rest
Of the world, had no idea that Berny's
brilliant marriage was not the domes-
tic success 1t appeared on the surface.
She moved her knife and fork with an
arranging hand, and, as Hazel started
to speak, said with as careless an air
as she could assume:
''Dominicks gone. He left this
morning"
Gone where?" exclaimed Hazel.
This was the test question and Berry
had schooled herself in an answer in
the car coming up.
ooh, up into the country" she said
nonchalant1y. He's worn out. They
work the life out Of him in that hor-
rible bank. He's getting insomnia
and thought he'd better take a change
now before he got run completely
down, so he left this morning and I'm
a gay grass widow"
She laughed and drank some wa.
ter. Her laugh did not sound to her
own ears convincing and she was
aware that, while Hannah was evil
IDENTIFY satisfied by her explanation,
Hazel was eying her ponderingly.
well, If he's got insomnia" said
Hannah, he'd better take his holiday
right now. That's the best thing to
do. Take 1t in the beginning. Before
father took ill"
Here Josh interrupted her, as Han.
nah's "reminiscences Of the late con-
tractors last illness were long and
exhaustive.
"Where'd you say he'd gomez" he
queried.
81 can't remember the name" Berry
answered with skillfully-assumed in
difference; somewhere down toward
Santa Cruz and Monterey, some new
place. And he may not stay there. If
he doesn't like it, he'll just move
around from place 20 place."
why didn't you go, tool" said
Pearl.
This was the second question Berry
had dreaded. Now suddenly she felt
her throat contract and her lips
culver. Her usually iron nerve had
been shaken by her passion Of the
night before and the shock OF the
morning. The unwonted sensations OF
gloom and apprehension closed in on
her again, and this time made her
feel weak and fearful.
81 didn't want to. I hate moving
around" she said, pushing her chair
back from the table. Her voice was
a little hoarse, and suddenly feeling
the sting of tears under her eyelids
she raised her hands to her hat and
began to tumble with her veil. why
should l leave my comfortable fiat to
4 IllIaH5HIf~I