Evening star., 1914-04-19
THE DAILY STORY.
A HEART CONQUEST.
copyright. 1914. by W. wernerD

Mrs calhoun was hap1N. Sle was ="
IN. to have Mr. and Mrs Kent ana theti
daughter Edna in to dinner that even
ing and everything was gong beau'i
fullv. out in the Kitchen Corneha' lhe
Dutrh maid. was in such high good hu-
NOR that she was actually SINGING aS
she made the salad. Corneita lked Eoiia
Kent. who had given her new dress
for her birthday. Mrs caihoun hhe''
Edna very much herself and she was
trvinr TO make Sands her son. like her'
too That was why she had asked the
Kcnts to dinner.
p;nner was TO be served at $50 mat
vould give Sands plenty of time to arrive
and dress. He had been away Tor Gay
or two on business In the city she pe-
lieved his firm had sent him. although
she did not know definitely. sShos u'u
NOT make as much of contldante OF
her as she would have liked She haa
meyer been able to bend him to her
Measure He was like his father there
She often wished, signing, that his fathef
had lived.
Yet Sands was well enough as y9uns
men went He was very good iooAIl-
and he could be very genlai ] Mnen n, IN
chose He might have been popular ~
society only he rather scorned socle'S'
lie wanted work As if work was heces-
sarv with all the money ne hau- .is
calhoun saw no reason why people stioul1
work when idleness was provided Tor ana
CO nucb more agreeable. She mad at
wavs kept a maid and taken NE llShtS :,
Sands wife would do the same wheh ne
came to get one ~ ,.;,,
She had selected Edna Kent for him.
Edna would have money some day-'hore
than Sands even, and that would De NelH
nice. One couldn't have too much money.
Then Edna was fond OF society aho @ st'e
could do duty for two there She was
handsome. too. and gifted. She had traV-
eled and she had read. She was M
decd. an all-round fine girl and 1ust
made for Sands. Sands must nave her-
lie had never said whether ne Wouid o,
not. hut Mrs. Calhoun thought he would
eventually.
This dinner had cost her conslderaDie
thought The Kents were used TO tne
host. She had ordered Killarney roses for
decoration. the ice was TO ne n'oideu III
forms and all things which CorneLa
could not successfully handle were to ne
sent in from the caterers. She wished
il all TO he perfect. for she did not give
:, dinner every day to such people as the
kents
she had a new dress for the occasion
and at O'Clock she put ii on 1t was
black. of course-she had always worn
black since her husband died-put II niu
q touch of mauve here and there, ana
with herself as she looked into the glass
and considered whether she should wear
her pearl brooch or diamond brooch
Mrs. Kent will wear diamonds. SO
perhaps the pearls are better she
thought.
She took up the pearl brooch and was
beginning to fasten it when the doorbell
rang Cornelia answered il and came
skipping upstairs and knocked at the
bedroom door.
..vCarI ~. ,Trs Calhoun said And then
she saw what Cornelia had in her hands
a telegram" she exclaimed. She tore
it open and read:
Married Helena Bowes YESTERDAY Let
ter to follow. Sands
Let me loosen your collar. missus."
Mrs Calhoun looked up dazed at Cor
nelia, who was watching her anxiousiy-
You don't look right, missus.' said
the Dutch woman.
Mrs. Calhoun, instead of answering.
turned back into her room and shut the
door. There again she read the tele-
gram After a while her head cleared
and she began to think connectedly- She
was conscious at first of great despair
had known exactly what he was going
to do when he went away yesterday
morning He had had every arrange
ment made She remembered that he had
not promised to be at her dinner party.
but she had commanded him and taken
his smile for assent. He had seemed
distracted. she had thought even then.
Half the time she had felt she was talk
ing into deaf ears. Then he had kissed
her hastily and gone. He had taken
Helena Bowes with him.
Mrs. Calhoun knew Helena Bowes by
sight and sound merely Twice when she
had been obliged to seek her son at the
office she had been aware of the girl
sitting at her typewriter with her fine.
fair hair haloing her head against the
big Office window. Six times at least she
had heard her voice over the wire when
she had telephoned to see if Sands was in
"a soft. little voice trained to be useful
and obedient. Once. she recalled, Sands
had voluntarily spoken to her about the
girl. II wish you'd look after her a bit.
mother. if you find time" he had said.
shed appreciate. any kindness, I'm sure
She's so young and so alone-doesn't t
know anybody. A town of this kinds
hard on little office girls who don't care
to oe common She had put him off
with some vague half promise to see the
girl and neved had allowed the thought
to trouble her again. And Sands had
seemed TO forget. yet he had not forgot
,en- lie had deliberately married her
She never would be resigned to this
Mild marriage as long as she lived. And
lHow il. too. There was her dinner
Jarty. 1t would have to go on She
would have to excuse Sands absence.
Tomorrow perhaps the story would be
put. but until then nobody must know II
put herself. She must have time to
hink what she would do.
tfter all the dinner was a success;
here was no visible drawback Miss
Gent looked her best and was at her
,ayest and her parents supported her
admirably, She was as delightful as
,ossibe and made her hostess feel how
uuch she mad missed in not having her
'"r Il daughter.
Mrs Calhoun. excited and tired
hoJSh she was. slept very well that
night. She awo1e early and lay think
nG things over Angry as she was she
.new there We're appearances to he