Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-10

Don [ Try 10 tell me noW-JuSl
rest" Kennedy was holding both her
hands with reassuring strength.
No, l want you to know.
shouldn't have phoned you! fought
against it as long as I could"
Then suddenly, hiding her face
against the cushioned back OF the
cab, Margaret burst into tears-a
reaction from the prolonged strain.
1t was large apartment house be-
fore which they finally drew up. In
the marbled hall, the elevator swung
them into the ninth floor, where Ken
nedy ushered her into luxurious six
room suite.
He had first taken her to his home.
where Ger reviving tea tray he
had tod her of this apartment left in
his charge by an absent client. Mar
garet had hoped for a simple mex
pensive refuge, but now she shrank
from this seeming extravaganza.
"You make it very difficult, Mar
garet," with a note of reproach at her
shrinking reluctance. "If you'd only
accept my help for few weeks with
out these protests"
When finally he left, there was a
wistful note in his quiet 81 want to
see you often-you know that. But
| don't want you to feel that | feel
! have any special right here. This is
your home as long as you choose to
stay"
The delicacy of this attitude Mar
garet acknowledged by a grateful
glance. Poignantly sensitive to her
anomalous position, it was slight
soothing to her fiayed pride.
1t was late that afternoon when
Mary, having found the loneliness OF
the houseboat unbearable, reached
their town house.
Entering the linen-swathed library,
her surprised glance fell on tea
tray. Had her husband brought any
one here? Again that vague leaping
jealousy.
As she crossed the room something
crunched under her foot A side
comb! A light amber side comb
implying light hair.
Some one here for tea?' she asked
the maid, who now entered.
"Mr. Kennedy, ma'am,' confusedly,
gathering up the crumpled napkins.
The service was plainly for two,
but Mary had not yet stopped to
questioning her servants.
1t was late when Kennedy came
home for dinner. His surprise at her
having come back to town was evil
dent. but his greeting held the pune
tilious politeness that she had come
to dread.
The dinner and evening that she
had so longed for were painfully con-
strained. With a sick dispair, Mary
realized that all their old intimacy
and companion5hip was gone.
Pleading fatigue from the long
drive, it was still early when she
went up TO her room. How unavail-
ing had been her tri p-how futile her
efforts to get near him!
The next morning, after a restless,
sleepless night, she. came down to
breakfast TO find he lad already left
With stabbing heartache she real
lied that he had preferred to break
fast alone.
Going back upstairs she turned into
his room. Her longing to be near
him found a pitiful expression in ham
ding his clothes.
The suit he had worn yesterday lay
on a chair. Starting to hang it up her
glance fell on a faint white blur on
the coat
Holding it closer. she caught an
elusive perfume. The tea service in
the library, the sidecomb-and now
this added proof!
Sinking to the floor Mary dropped
her head against chair. The wretch
edness of this last discovery left her
dazed and hopeless.
Who was she? Where was she? The
first supplying shock now leaped to
passionate jealousy fierce deter
mination to know!
At any other time she would have
scorned the impulse to which she
now yielded. Feverishly she searched