Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-23
CHAPTER vl.-(Continued.)

I don't see how she could do that
transparent neck and all. oon
think that's the kind OF dress TO wear
In tbeater. It's too sort OF con-
spicuous."
81 think Hannah's right" said josh
solemnly, nodding at Berry. II oon
seem to me the right thing for a lady
Looks fast"
What do you know about II, josh
McCrae ?" Said Hazel pugnaciousiy'
~You're a clerk in a 1ewelry store.
Maybe / am" retorted JOSH ou'
guess that don't prevent me from
knowing when a thing looks fast'
Clerks in jewelry stores amt sucn
summers as you might think. Ano'
anyway, / don't see that being cierA
in any kind OF a store has anything 10
do with It,"
Hazel was saved the effort OF max
ing a crushing repartee. by Pearl, VINO
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
inauiringly 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 l suppose he felt real hurt and
annoyed" said Hannah. He couldn't
have helped it"
Berry did not reply. She knew that
abe must sooner or later tell her
sisters of Dominicks strange depart
ure. They would find it 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
20 speak, said with as careless an air
as she could assume:
"Dominick's 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.
"Oh, up into the country" she said
nonchalantly. Hes worn out. They
work the life out of him in that hor-
rible bank. He's getting insomnia
and thought he'd better take 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 evi
IDENTIFY satisfied by her explanation
Hazel was eying her ponderingly.
well. II he's got insomnia" SAID
Hannah. he'd better take his holiday
right now. That's the best thing tt
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 we're long an(
exhaustive.
"Where'd you say he'd gomez" h
queried.
Il can't remember the name," Bern,
answered with skillfully-assumed In
difference; somewhere down towart
Santa Cruz and Monterey, some new
place. And he may not stay there. i
he doesn't like it. he'll just NOV
around from place to place"
why didn't you go. too?" salt
Pearl.
This was the second question Bern,
had dreaded. Now suddenly she fel
her throat contract and her lip
CULVER. Her usually iron nerve ha
been shaken by her passion of tn
night before and the shock OF tn
morning. The unwonted sensations O
gloom and apprehension closed in o.
her again. and this time made he
feel weak and fearful.
II didn't want to. hate movin
around" she said. pushing her chat
back from the table. Her voice wa
a little hoarse, and suddenly feelin
the sting of tears under her eyelid
she raised her hands to her hat an
began to tumble with her veil. "Wh
should I leave my comfortable fiat I
20 trailing round in a lot OF half-bui
hotels? That sort Of thing doesn
appeal to me at all. ] like my ow
cook, and my own bed, and my ow
bath-tub. I'm more of an old mai
than Hannah Well. so long. peopl
must be travelling"
She laid her napkin on the table an
Jumped up with an assumption {
brisk liveliness. She paid no attel
ton to the expostulations Of her rel
tives. but going to the glass arrange
her hat and put on her gloves. Whe
she turned back to the table she ha
regained possession Of herself. HI
veil was down and through 1t b.
cheeks looked unusually flushed. an
her dark eyes. with their slanting GU
or corners, brighter and harder tha
ever. She hurried through her goo
bys on the plea that she had shoppir
to do. and almost ran out Of the hous
leaving trail Of perfumery and hig
artificial laughter behind her.
For the next week she waited 4
news from Dominica and none cam