Charlevoix county herald., 1915-09-18

fore. the woman who had seemed SO
DESTROYS of being with him alone, de-
spite the gallants besieging her. And
Olga Drake. mistress of wealth and
beauty, was not less famous as so
cial dictator that he was as singer.
In the carriage he could not drive
that contrast from his preoccupied
mind. He felt himself already a bit
irritated at the insistence of Ann that
the tiny cottage, the humble little
home In Los Angeles should not be
sold, that not a stick of the furniture
be changed.
He flushed holly as she stumbled
upon her train as they made their
entrance at the Van Rolphes', angry
with himself for the impulse which
made him seek out the eyes of Olga
Drake to find whether she had noticed
the slip, more angry to know that he
had smiled with her at his wife's mis-.
hap. Ann was his wife. the woman
he loved, and no one had the right
to smile at her.
He turned toward her, assisting her
to their hostess. bracing his shoulders
against the gibes he knew her man.
ner occasioned, with a smile upon
his lips. And then the guilty feeling
came upon him that he was feeling
the martyr. that he was taking pride
in his attitude of suffering
In the modification of the moment
he found himself offering his arm to
Olga Drake, passing his wife without
a glance.
I'm afraid we frightened your poor
wife," Miss Drake murmured in his
ear.
+ He looked furtively at Olga Drake
at the note Of sympathy in her voice.
And yet he merely smiled and sought
out his wife with his eyes, dropping
them more swiftly as they met the
mute appeal In AIMS own eyes. He
was conscious of chattering volubly
about nothing in particular, was aware
that his face was burning.
A farmers daughter he had mar
ried. A milkman's wife he had made
her. And, equally Indifferent to aught
she was one still.
VI.
He paced the library floor nervous
ly, every nerve in his body jangling
discordantly at the chatter of his wife
in the next room, the confusion of her
undignified romping with the baby.
Only the night before he had given
wretched performance, his voice
turning hoarse. Only the night be-
fore he had tilted with Olga Drake,
for the first time In all the months
during which their intimacy had
grown to such an extent, that there
were whispers about it.
First, he had tried to break away
from the spell she cast upon him. But
his work threw him with her set and
his wife used every subterfuge to avoid
accompanying him to any affair which
might aid him in the social world,
always pleading to be allowed to re-
main with the baby.
And now she was late. He looked
at his watch nervously then whirled
to the stairs and tapped upon her
door.
Il forgot again. Henry" she replied.
before he had a chance to say word.
please forgive me. but-but don't
think help you with these people"
you make no effort to improve your
self. You are constantly doing every
thing you can to annoy me. You are
running my voice, clouding my whole
career.
"And you don't try to do better. You
don't care for anything but the vile
little hole In Los Angeles You want
me to be ruined. You want me to
lose my voice You know you do
you want milkman because you are
nothing and never will be anything but
fit for milkman's wife"
but what can I do, Henry? What
do you want me to do?"
"Do?" He laughed, laughed in her
face. why, get a divorce, of course.
I'm through. Get It before I'm com
pletely ruined. I'll give you the d.
vorce-therell be no trouble about
that-and fifty thousand dollars"
She regarded him steadily, search
ingly.
mo, there'll be no trouble-about
that" she repeated after him, as he
slammed the door. mo trouble,
Henry"
VII.
Merwin felt a curious citation upon
him. a sudden lightness of heart. one