The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-05

YOU" said Myrtle reascly, because you are eat
Ing scarcely anything"
by the way said Harold. %rcsortinc 70 a ia
yoritc c~xpcdicnt with husbands Of abruptly chang
Ing the subject tand usually making matters
worse). when is Maud coming"
Myrtle's color heightened. In every well pro-
por,ioncd domestic story a woman's color j. al
ways supposed To- hcichtcn. and this i as good a
place as any to have this phenomenon occur.
"And So" she said, you were thinking ~
Maud. were YOU
The only reason that Harold mentioned Maud NJ
all was because he was not thinking Of her. and
II occurred to him that any object which did not
provoke any thought upon his part would be- n
safe one tn introduce. Maud was an old school
friend Of Myrtlc'> and was on her way t" pay
Myrtle n long EXPECTED visit.
Maud wa> a maiden lady If highhr"w tcndcn-
ries. She had studied Cuhi>m. Futuri>m. had
once met Henri Rergson. knew the meaning IF
pragmatism and was mentally afflicted in other
WAYS. So that Harold, VIII" had met her once
casually. thought he wa> perfectly safe in refer.
ring to her.
"\o. darling" hc replied. Il WASH, exactly
thinking Of Maud, hut YOU know that | am con-
stantly planning Your Happiness ahead. and it o-
CURED 10 me that ~ long a. Maud was coming
we nught tn arrange things a little beforehand.
Maud will naturally expect t" he entertained"
Myrtle began to put ur her ears.
''You needn't he too nice Ia her" she ex-
claimed. 'Evid.n,ly she has been on your mind.
I will entertain her my self. You needn't concern
Yourself about her. | HAY" heard "f strange
things happening. Maud i >c,latc. | think her
T., be- perfectly safe Iiut | don't know a. | would
trust any Oh" with !un and besides, sometimes
sciate people are, w"ll-
you suspect Maud. then, do YOU said Har-
old. nonchalantly. "Do you know, that would
never occur to me. had no idea that she was
rather wild. Now, Myrtle, dear, consider what
YOU are doing in asking n person like that to our
peaceful establishment, where no serpent-if l
do say it mysclf-haS ever entered. | myself
am not susceptible. n ~unjuStly as you sometimes
trcaI mo, I'ut no nature, however ndnmnn,inc ii
may h., can always withstand u yharming per
S"Ialiiy like Mnud's.
"Bui do not fear, | Shall be cold. Perhaps
while she is here it might Ia" we'll for me to live
AT the club. | hate the thought. Nevertheless, |
shall he willing In make any sacrifice"
Harold for years had been putting his giant
intellect ON the idea Of stealing away and living
~ tn" club for n few days. and now he thought
that Providence was with him, Bat Myrtle said,
almost t~earfully:
"Mlaul is my dearest friend. You wrong her.
shall never forgive You If You are not nice to
her. What ] meant was hiatt
You want mo Ia he nice hut not too nice. Now
You know. dear. my nature is very peculiar. With
N" there is no half way. cannot preserve "A
happy mclihm. So suggest this eXpcdicnt. I
will he warm To- Maud every o.Ser day aud Nald
every other day. This will maintain a nice aver
age
MNrtl" suddenly >i,,Zrl.
"bl, dear ~ she exclaimed. Il hclicNc have
caught cold. You must 90 To the station 10 meet
her, aud come straight home, She will arrive ull
the 10 o'clock train. may hr better in the
morning" She added hopefully.
MYTH" was not better In the morning aud Har-
old met Maud aud brought her back.
"WaS the train latc:' murmurc Myrtle as
she greeted Maud. for it was then II o'clock.
'No. dear said Maud. cit Was ON time, hut
your husband insisted upon our stopping and
getting an Ice cream >"la. He said il wa> n per-
f'"tlN safe drink. wonder wha, he mcnnit'
Myrtle called Harold into the room ami asked
him. tie stood on the threshold.
what did yop mean when You told Maud that