Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-07-07
TIE ETERNAL FEMININE
BY lzoLA FORESTER.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hello. hello! Yes, this IL Milt OH"
Millions tone breathed interest and
surprise-''1t's you. girlie?"
Beth turned around and stared with
wide-open eyes. listening.
Indeed. l will-right away. Not a
bit of it. I'm awfully glad to help out.
Goodby."
He hung up the receiver and wheeled
about. looking not at Beth. but at the
clock. -s.
Its Mrs. Hewitt. Her husbands In
Baltimore, and wired her to meet him.
and the maids gone, and there's no
body to help her down with her suit
case. She wants me to run up to din
ner and take her to the station after
ward. You don't mind, Of course.
Beth?"
who is Mrs. Hewitt?" she asked
frigidly.
why, she's a girl knew out in
Denver, you know"
Il don't know. How old is she and
what does she look like?"
"Now. Beth"-Milton looked bit
bored as if he hated to 60 into the
subject, 1t was SO trivial-"I think we
agreed that real love is above jeal-
ousy. This is only common courtesy.
I've known Grille Cooper-she used
to be a Cooper-since was boy at
school. She's about twenty-four,
guess-around there"
At eighteen twenty-four looks world
ly wise and experienced. Beth pursed
her lips.
I'll be back by nine," added Milton.
Beth looked at him with growing
suspicion.
do you think you'll need cushion
as tame cat?" she inquired wither-
ingly. you needn't come back here.
Milt She could call q taxi and 60
down by herself. OF course. you can
do just as you please, but you needn't
come back here If you 60 carting suit
cases around for old sweethearts."
you know, Milt, you can't deceive
me one bit" She leaned her adorable
chin on her palm and looked up at him.
I've heard of Grille Cooper. Mrs.
Daniels told me you were engaged to
her and perfectly wild over her five
years ago. think it's terrible for the
man you love to have memories of
other girls"
Il never was engaged to her. Beth
-
She rose suddenly and left him
standing there, expostulating.
She really did need lesson, Milton
told himself severely. Utter lack of
faith in him was too much to bear un-
| checked.
All this he told himself going up to
Girlie's, all the way through dinner. all
the way downtown. Grille talked in
cessantly of Hobart, her husband. of
his congressional ambitions. his
tastes, his achievements. She was
little, appealing sort of woman. with
big brown eyes and wistful chin. Mil
ton found himself comparing her men,
tally with Beth's beautiful clear-eyed
buoyant girlishness.
You know the real reason why
asked you to see me to the station.
Milt." she said as they entered the
taxi. ITS for Hobart's sake. want
you to see that his new bill is handled
fairly by the papers. You will, won't
you, Milt? I don't know myself just
what it's about, but 1t must be q splen-
did measure or he'd never take It up.
He's that type of man, you know. Milt
Just ask Miss Wharton"
"Beth?" asked Milton, alarmed.
what does she know about him?"
"Why. didn't you known. The big
brown eyes met his in surprise. She
saved his life. We've been married q
year. and it was before he met me-.
She was hardly more than child, he
told me, and they were all down at
Pinehearst for the late winter season.
/ believe he was accidentally shot, and
she found him as she was riding
through the mountains and saved
him"
"Was-was he In love with her?'
asked Milt feebly. Quite romantic,
wasn't it?'
He was till he met me-" Grille an.
swered complacently. but he'll never
destroy her pictures. He's got forty
snapshots of her, / do believe, taken
that season. I hated her till I heard
you were going to marry her."
The next morning, Beth met him,
radiant and ready for their usual walk
In the park.
I'm SO sorry, DEAR" she said. but
you know you would 60. know wom-
en- are perfect cats, and she only want
ed to tell you about Hobart And me;
80 l tried to keep you from going. l
refused him about ten times, Milt. and
I'm not one bit jealous of her."
Milton stared thoughtfully at the
spring vista ahead of them. And he
had feared to wound her. had wanted
to teach her lesson.
why didn't you tell me you knew
him?" he asked.
Il never even thought of him. Don't
you know. Milt," her voice was strong
with faith. when the real big love
comes into your life 1t seems to
just sweep away everything else. Be
sides. didn't want you to know l wal
i-er-lobbying. Isn't that what you
call It? The woman's club I belona
to is behind q bill. something about
fountains at street corners, and W.
wanted him to present 1t, 30 I wrote Il