El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-29
Married Life the Third Year
Warren Is Irritated by HeIen's
Very Eagerness to Smooth
Things Over.
Mabel Herbert Urner
BY Mabel Herbert Urine

/ - BY mnDeA herDert UrneE
~ EAR, your clothes are all laid
out" Helen called from her
II room, as she heard Warren's
quick step in the hall do get
| dressed as quickly as you can. They'll
/ be here in a few minutes"
] well, what of it? You can receive
| them can't yOu2"
| But I'm not quite ready
: Let 'em wait then. It's a pity you
! can never be ready On time. I'd think
! you'd try it once, just for the novelty
! of the thing" as he slammed the door
| of his room after him.
I Helen glanced at her watch on the
| dressing tabIe-a quarter of seven. II
| only the Thurstons would be a little
/ late,
When the clock struck a quarter
after, and Helen and Warren were
both waiting in the library, the Thurs
tons lack of promptness ceased to be
a virtue.
Warren was reading. and Helen was
! nuttering about the room, Straighten-
ing the magazines on the table and the
papers on the desk.
Look here" with distructful
glance at the library clock, Warren
drew out his watch. What's the mat
[ ter with those peOple?'
L suppose something's made them
few moments late"
We'll, when we say we have dinner
at z, we mean mot Is minutes after"
"There-theres a taxi driving up
| to the window. NO, it's some one
else disappOintedly.
Warren turned back to his paper in
scOwling silence, while Helen, still
( at the window, kept gazing anXiously
down the street
See here" Warren rose now and
threw down his paper with savage i'm
patience. I've had a hard day, and
I'm not going TO wait all night for my
dinner, guests or no guests"
oh, I'm sure they'll be here in
an urswm# ~. H.1 II
imagine what's kept them, but I know
it's something they couldn't help. We
can't sit down till they Gomez
Like to know why we can't2 I'm
not going to wait over half an hour
on anybody: You tell Maggie to serve
the dinner"
Warren was standing at one window
now and Helen went to another. A
taxi WhiZZed by with insOlent indif-
ference, then another, then two more
Warren turned grimly and stalked out
Maggie" he called as he swung
open the pantry door, you can serve
dinner now. We're not going to wait
any longer"
With all her heart Helen wished
now that the ThurstOns would not
come 1t would be better that they did
not come at all than to come as late
as this, for she know Warren would be
hardly civil
The Thurstons Arrive.
But even as she wished this the door
There they are" whispered Helen.
eXcitedly. Dear don't scOwl-yOu
must be decent to them! Oh, we
shouldn't have sat down."
"Oh, I'm so sorry" gushed Mrs
ThurstOn, but everything has hap
pened.''
Helen murmured that it was quite
all right as she led Mrs. ThUrston in
to lay aside her wraps
I must fix my hair" sitting down
before Helen's dressing table. The
winds blown it all to pieces!
"Oh, wait" as Helen turned sugges-
lively toward the door. What did do
with my handkerchief Do YOU sup
pose dropped it in that cab?'
Several minutes more were taken I'D
IN looking for the handkerchief, which |
she at last found in her muff.
ana L must show you what VIII !
gave me for Christmas. Isn't il a
beauty smoothing the large mole
skin muff. I have the scarf. too"
But Helen was desperate now. I'm /
AFRAID they're waiting for US, hadn't 1
In just a second" turning back to |
the mirror for final adjustment of 1
her hair.
A Spoiled Dinner.
Warren and Mr.. Thurston were !
waiting in the hail. and Warren gave /
Helen savage look as they came out /
Tt was very rude of US NOT to have
waited, apologlzed Helen. but we i
thought something might have de- /
tanned you altogether
warren made no apologies whatever.
he served their guests, but he did so i
almost without comment Helen won /
oered what he and Mr.. ThurstOn had |
talked about in the hall.
OF course the dinner was quite
spolIed However, if guests are late,
they cannot expect a good dinner but |
they can expect ordinary ciyility from
their host. /
Warren made a few desultorv re-
marks to Mr.. ThurstOn. but Mrs
IhuTston, whom he had never liked, he
wholly ignored. Helen was forced to
Keep up the conversation. NervOuslv
she started one subject after another
As wine usually made Warren both
genial and loQuacious, Helen nodded
several times for Maggie to refill his
glass. But tonight it seemed only to
make him more mOrOse.
W nen they were saying goodbye
Helen almost gushed in her eagerness
TO be especially cordial and hospitable,
saying, she had enjoyed having them
so much" and hoping that they would
dine with them soon again.
sneeT al9 Wsrr on thick lex did didn't you2"
Wny-how' dear? How do you
Was 1t a Mistake.
"Palavering over them like that
They must have thought YOU were a |
fool to keep on gushing about 'eniov-
ing. having them and all that sort of
Helen sank on a couch and stared
up at him unhappily. He lit a cigar
and walked away But still she sat !
there.
If she had not tried so hard to {
smooth things over. If she had not
taken things in hand" as she called if
if she had let the burden Of it fan
IN him-would his attitude have been I
different?
Was this a mistake she often made?
Should she stand quietly back at such
lines. instead of so anXiOuSly irving
70 make things 'right?" Was # her
-ery nervous anxiety that irritated
him to greater churlishness?
- @PUSSY p
new " hotter known as