Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-01-04
CHAPTER vi.

When called her up three days
later she seemed to have forgotten
that any such incident had ever hap
pened. She passed the usual pleas
antries Of the day over the wire,
laughed as softly and unsteady as
ever, and ended by telling me that I
might call that evening. When I did
so she received me with neither more
nor less than her customary friendlf-
ness. / was mystifed. As to what
was going on in the wonderland that
lay behind her eyes I had no concep-
ton further than the evident fact that
she had not been seriously offended.
And that was sOlace enough for the
present. Of course I would renew the
assault-at-arms when the opportunity
seemed propitiOus, but for the time
being I would resort to steady siege.
[ renewed my deVOtions
As had been the case before. | again
haunted her. Necessarily this soon
became bruited around the circle of
our acquaintances, and occasionally
echoes Of the gossip reached my ears.
Bruce spoke Of it once or twice quiz
Zically, but as l ignored his remarks
he soon quit bothering me with them.
Clare, as usual, had her little say.
4 hear that you and Mrs. Dace are
exceedingly good friends these days,
and that you are with her nearly
everywhere" she began sweetly. Il
wish you would tell me about it."
Now as a matter of fact I was secret
ly proud to be recognized as the ac-
cepted sutton of so beautiful a wom-
an, and Clare was an entirely differ
ent proposition from Bruce to confde
in. So l admitted nonchalantly that
we were on excellent terms. She
frowned a little.
Well, l suppose, of course, that it
is all right, and anyway it is none
of my business. But she is such a
mysterious woman. She lives like a
duchess and everybody says her hus-
band left her scarcely anything. When
that little is gone what will she do
unless she marries a rich man? And
how on earth could you get money
enough to support woman of her
tastes as she would demand to be sup
ported? You just answer me that,
Tom Halliday"
Now l had rather expected some
thing like this from Glare, but never
theless the question annoyed me
somewhat. 1t was the identical one
that had been making l2y sane mo-
ments bugaboo for many nights and
days past; still I hated to he remind
ed of it by another person. Even now
| was beginning to feel the drain o.
| her upon my resources, although I
had done nothing extravagant. I had
taken her to the theater. paid for car
riages, and bought her luncheons and
flowers, but beyond that had done
practically nothing. And in a certain
way there was much satisfaction in
the thought that I had offered her so
little in the way of allurement besides
my own society. While there were
men by the score who would have
been overjoyed to squander money
upon her, she had laughingly excused
herself to them for the sake of mex
pensive little evenings with me. AS
proof that she really preferred me it
seemed conclusive, and was the thing
that gave me the most hope. How
ever I did not speak and Clare went
on:
Some Of her gowns cost more than
YOU earn in a month, while as for
supporting an establishment at the
Arcadia-well, of course the very idea
is preposterous. Now why don't you
be sensible?" smiled, seeming what
was coming.
And what is your idea of sense,
Clare?" I inquired.
Well take up with a nice little
girl like NIollie Osborn, for instance $
It was just as I had suspected, for
Glare and MoIIie are cbums and de-
voted in advancing each others in
+ terests. But the idea that any man,
once knowing Mrs Dace as I knew
her, could be content with a girl like