The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-04-21

of you now. You will find me here
when you choose to come back, be 1t
in one year or twenty. Now go, my
man! They are waiting for you. Be
kind to them, poor souls, and tell them
all that you have just told me. 1t will
make them happy. They love me, you
see."
Yes. they do love you." said he. put
ting his hands upon her shoulders.
They smiled into each others eyes.
"Good-by, Therese. | will return"
"Good-by, James No. do not kiss
me. 1t would be mockery. Good luck
and-God speed you home again"
Their hands met in warm, firm clasp.
Il will go with you as far as the door
OF my prison."
From the open door she smiled out
upon the young people in the motor
and waved her handkerchief in gay
farewell. Then she closed the door
and walked slowly down the hallway
to the big library. She was alone in
the house save for the servants. The
old men had preceded the voyagers to
| the pier. Standing in the center OF
the room. she surveyed this particular
cell in her prison with a sort OF calm
| disdain.
He has taken the only way to con-
quer himself" she mused, half aloud.
| He is a wise mana very wise man
| might have expected this of him" ;"
She pulled the bell cord, and Jones,
| who had just re-entered the house.
came at once to the room.
Yes, madam"
When Mr.. Dawes and Mr.. Riggs re-
turn from the ship, tell them that l
| shall expect them to have luncheon
with me. That's all, thank you"
yes, madam
by the way, Jones, you may always
set the table for three"
Jones blinked. II was a most un-
usual order He had been trying to
screw up his courage to inquire what
his mistress, plans were for the i'm
mediate future-whether she intended
to travel, should he dismiss the serv-
ants. would she spend the heated term
in the mountains, etc, etc He, as
well as the rest OF the servants, won
dered why the masters wife had been
fore. to lay three places at the table
took him completely by surprise
knocked the breath out of him." as
he expressed II to the cook few min
utes later. She had never been known
to take a meal with the garrulous old
men. They bored her to distraction.
according to Celeste. And now he was
to lay places for them-always! 1t
was most extraordinary!
He felt that he had never behaved
ice as he did when he succeeded in
bowling in his habitual manner, despite
the fact that he was "everlawstingly
bowled over, so to speak"
For three, madam Very well" he
said He was on the point sf putting
one OF his preconceived questions to
her, but, noting the expression in her
eyes, managed to close his lips before
word escaped them that he could
never have taken back.
A cold, blustery night in January,
six months after the beginning Of
Yvonne's voluntary servitude in the
prison to which her husband had COM
mitted her In the big library, before
a roaring fire sat the two old men.
very much as they had sat on the De-
cember night that heralded the ap-
proach of the new mistress OF the
house of Brood, except that on this
occasion they were eminently sober.
On the corner of the table lay long.
yellow envelope-a cablegram ad-
dressed to Mrs. James Brood.
It's been here for two hours and
she don't even think of opening it to
see what's inside" complained Mr..
Riggs, but entirely without reproach.
ITS her business, joe" said Mr..
Dawes, pulling hard at his cigar.
Maybe some ones dead" said Mr..
Riggs, dolorously.
Like as not said his friend, but
what of it?"
What Of il, you infernal-but, ex-
cuse me, Danbury. won't say it. It's
against the rules, God bless 'em. But
| will say that If anybody else had
asked that question I'D say he was a
blitherng, unnatural fool. If any
bodys dead, she ought to know It,"
But supposing nobody is dead"
protested Mr. Dawes.
There's no use arguing with you"
She'll read it when she gets good
and ready. At present she prefers to
read the letters that just came from
Freddy and Lyddy. What's a cable
gram compared to the kind of letters
they write? Answer me, Joe"
Foolish questions like that"
Haven't you had letters from them?
You've been tickled to death over their
happiness and their prospects and"
"That doesn't prove that they're not
dead or dying or in trouble or"