Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1915-12-17
BUSINESS REASONS
BY KEITH KENYON.

0A0HEI ,eO0AS MA0One 1A@N
Morehouse as she looked out from
her comfortable porch rocker across
the golf unks where Jack and young
Mrs. Ward were approaching the club
house.
1T does look that way" replied
Mrs. Atwater, between sips of tea,
"and Just as everybody had concluded
that he and Dorothy Winters would
make a match of It."
Some say the widows fortune looks
good to Jack; but wonder what Dor
othy thinks of it," Knowing that
Mrs. Atwater was on cordial terms
with the rather exclusive Winters
family. Mrs Morehouse hoped to CLEAN
some interesting details.
Tn sure l don't know said Mrs.
Atwater shortly. Il notice her out
with Chester Hill lot lately"
so far as fortunes go, Chester 5
will more than equal Mrs. Wards, |
suppose. Why, bless my soul"-and
Mrs. Morehouse opened her narrow
eyes to their limit-"if there isn't
Dorothy this minute with Chester in
his new carl"
A moment later a slender, auburn
haired girl in brown corduroy suit
and a soft hat came swinging easily
up the porch steps, and beside her
pulled fat, ford man of perhaps
forty, dressed in faultlessly tailored
motoring togs. They gave a nod OF
greeting to the two observant women
and passed around to the other side
of the porch.
Until month before that, Jack and
Dorothy had been together so often
and were so obviously happy when
together that an engagement had
been expected as natural outcome,
but one evening when he was to es-
cort her to a dinner dance at an ex-
elusive club she received at the last
minute a brief note from him telling
that an annoying business associate
had made it impossible to get away
without giving offense that would
endanger his hard-earned chances of
being taken into the firm. He was
sending Larry Morton to take care of
Dorothy that evening, and he begged
her to accept his abbreviated explana-
ton and his willing substitute until
he could arrive and explain in full.
But the evening had passed without
his arrival.
Percy Arson shook a plump, pink
finger at Dorothy as she passed out
of the dressing room on her way
home, and whispered something
about the necessity of her keeping a
watch on Jack Elliott, whom he had
seen at the Dinsmore hotel at six
o'clock with a ripping sort OF
blonde woman Dorothy blushing-
iy wondered whether anyone who
heard that stage whisper knew OF
Jack sending a substitute to take
his place as her escort that eve
ming, but Just then good-natured Larry
came and gently pushed her along to
the waiting taxicab. She tried to be
cordial as they drove home, but bare
civility was all she could accomplish,
for her mind was busy trying to recon-
Gle Jacks explanatory note, which
had not explained, with the chance i'm
pertinence of Percy Arson, which had
explained. Larry had to hurry away
to catch train for a business trip
south, which was agreeable to Dor
othy, who longed to be left alone.
After she went to bed she planned
one minute to avoid meeting Jack to
give him an opportunity to simplify
his false explanation, and the next
minute she reproached herself for let
clubman make her doubt that some
good explanation would be given for
what unquestionably did look bad.
Then she reflected that Jacks failure
to come before the end of the dance,
as he had intimated he would, might
mean that his full explanation would
not be forthcoming After an almost
sleepless night she went down to
breakfast with a gloomy determine
ton to be perfectly Indifferent to
any explanation Jack might make.
Which meant that she was going TO
be unreasonable, no matter what his
explanation.
At nine o'clock the telephone rang.
Although Dorothy sat almost within
reach of it, and although she felt
sure that Jack was at the other end
of the wire, she sat apparently alb
sorbed in the morning paper while
the maid answered the call and in
formed her that it was for her.
Good morning, Merry Sunshine!
called Jack, not aware OF the cloud
ed atmosphere he was trying to pene-
trate. Am going tobe forgiven for
my sins OF omission?"
Good morning answered coldly
calm voice% Have / had the full ex
PLANTATION Of your sins of omission?
Really. Dot" pleaded Jack, there
are lot of people in earshot. which
makes 1t awkward to explain in full
Can't l come out this evening and dc
THAR" 4
I'm dining out this evening" she
replied coldly, but / happened tc
hear enough last night to know that
there is a good deal to explain; sc
much in fact. that it will be quite