The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-10-29

| MEM,
thing else. We are dining out this
evening"
You and II" he asked after a mo.
ment.
Certainly not. Your father and l.
l was about to suggest that you dine
with Lydia-or better still, ask her
over here to share your dinner with
you"
He was scowling. Where are you
going?"
Going? Oh, dining. I see. WE'LL"
slowly, deliberately, eve thought it
would be great fun to dine alone at
Delmonico's and see play after.
ward"
What play are you going to see?'
he cut in. She mentioned a Belasco
production. well, I hope you enjoy
it, Yvonne. By the way, how is the
governor today? In good humor?"
There was no response. He waited
for a moment and then called out:
"Are you there?"
"Good-by," came back over the wire.
He started as if she had given him a
slap in the face. Her voice was cold
and forbidding.
When Lydia reioined him in the sit
ting-room he was standing at the win.
dow, staring across the courtyard far
below.
Are you going?" she asked, steadily.
He turned toward her, conscious of
the telltale scowl that was passing
from his brow. 1t did not occur TO
him to resent her abrupt, uncompro-
missing question. AS matter of fact,
it seemed quite natural that she should
put the question in just that way,
fatty, incisively. He considered him.
self, in a way, to be on trial.
mo, I'm not" he replied. "You did
not expect me to forget, did you?" He
was uncomfortable under her honest.
inquiring gaze. A sullen anger against
himself took possession of aim. He
despised himself for the feeling of
loneliness and Inconsistencies that sud-
denly came over him.
81 thought" she began, and then
her brow cleared. II have been look
ing up the recitals in the morning
paper. The same orchestra you heard
last night is to appear again today
at"
1--WE will go there, Lydia, he inter
rupted, and at once began to hum the
gay little air that had SO completely
charmed him. TRY it again, Lyddy.
You'll get it IN no time"
After luncheon, like two happy chill.
dren they rushed off to the concert.
and 1t was not until they were on their
way home at five o'clock that his en-.
thusiasm began to wane. She was
quick to detect the change. He be-
came moody, preoccupied; his part of
the conversation was kept up with an
effort that. lacked all the spontaneity
of his earlier and more engaging
flights.
Lydia went far back in her calcula-
tons and attributed his mood to the
promise she had exacted in regard to
his attitude toward his father. 1t &C.
CURED to her that he was smarting
under the restraint that his promise
involved. She realized now, more
than ever before, that there could be
no delay, no faltering on her part.
She would have to see James Brood
at once She would have to 60 down
on her knees to him.
Il feel rather guilty, Freddy" she
said, as they approached the house.
"Mr. Brood will think 1t strange that
l should plead headache and yet run
off to concert and enjoy myself when
he is so eager to finish the journal
especially as he is to sail SO soon.
l ought to see him. don't you think
so? Perhaps there is something 1
can do tonight that will make up for
the lost time" She was plainly nerv-
Gus.
He'd work you to death If he
thought 1t would serve his purpose"
said Frederic. gloomily, and back of
that sentence lay the thought that