The Ordway new era., 1917-09-07


itor In speechless ainazement
"Oh, I'm so sorry" faltered Helen,
but the tailors boy delivered Mr..
Gordon's suit to us, and IL came
to get Mr.. Curtis."
You came into my bedroom This
is most astonishing! I never heard
OF such"
Mrs. Gordon, your maid couldn't
find the suit" in crimsoning embar-
rassment. "She suggested that /"
And you took advantage of an ig-
norant girl to go prying through my
things?"
''Prying?" famed Helen.
"You couldn't have waited until
got home"
Were dining out-Mr. Curtis is
waiting to Dress"
The coat and vest Helen had taken
from the hanger, and now while Mrs.
Gordon looked on In contemptuous
silence, with burning cheeks and bum
Cling fingers she was trying to free
the trousers from the obstinate patent
holder.
As Mrs. Gordon stood haughtily
aside to let her pass, there was a
heavy step In the hall, and Mr.. Cor
don blocked the doorway.
In unaffected masculine amazement,
he gazed at Helen, an incongruous fig
ure in her airy evening gown, awk-
wardly holding a mans dress suit.
Mrs. Curtis was exploring our
closets when I came in," began Mrs.
Gordon maliciOuSly. at seems the
tailor left her husbands suit here,
and she inveigled Jane to let her in
while we were out"
"Oh, I say, Blanch. I'm sure Mrs.
Curtis didn't mean"
I've tried to apologize" Quivered
Helen, "but Mrs. Gordon persists In
misunderstanding. The maid couldn't
find the suit-she suggested that l
come In and look for it. suppose l
shouldn't, but"
"Why, that was quite all right"
Mr.. Gordon was following her down
the hall. I'm sorry you've been in
convenienced. Wait, allow me-" as
he opened the door.
fusion. "But II shouldn't have gone
in while you were out. I wouldn't If
I'd stopped to think"
"Please don't let it distress you. I'll
explain to Mrs. Gordon, I'm sure she
didn't understand"
In her own apartment Helen few
into the bedroom, where Warren was
waiting in fuming inpatience.
Without a word she threw the suit
on the bed and ran into her own
room. The modification of that scene
was still too acute; just then she
could not rehearse it.
In the rush Of getting off, there was
no time for discussion. But in the
taxi Warren's keen glance rested ap-
praisingly on her flushed face.
whats wrong?"
"Mrs. Gordon came in while I was
there-while was going through her
closet p dramatically.
"Huh, that was n trifle awkward"
Then with chuckle, 'Must've given
her jolt. How'd she take it?"
"Don't laugh" tensely. "It couldn't
have been worse. She said I took ad-
vantage of an ignorant girls permls.
sion to pry through her things"
"She did, eh?" angrt.a "That's put
ting it pretty strong"
''That wasn't half! Chen MIR. Cor
don came in, but he was very cour.
teous-he tried to smooth things
over"
Eyes, I guess Gordon's a pretty de-
cent sort-but that's the difference in
mans attitude. You and Mrs. Cor
<Jov, have Z ~, for M nh o<hor-1,o,, <,,,,
are always squabbling."
"Squabbllng?" Indignantly. "rve
hardly spoken to her."
A moments silence as, swirling
corner with reckless speed, they just
missed colliding with heavy motor
truck.
"Guess that did look pretty bad,'
muttered Warren refiectively, "yo,
rummaging around in there. Don't
much blame her for handing it to YOU
"Why, you suggested it." smartine
under this injustice. "You had t.
have your suit-you said we couldn"
stand on ceremony"
"Oh, well, it's over now" putting
aside the unpleasant incident with
masculine Indifference. "Forget itr
'If only they didn't live on the same
fioor!" deaf to Warren's careless phi
losophy. "I'm always meeting her IL
the hall. And now-oh, it'll be un.
speakable meeting her nowp
eyes, you're In Dutch with her, all
right, but what's the diff1 Don't want
to be too chummy with close neighborx
anyway" Then as the cab lurched mp
before pretentious apartment house:
.Hope we get decent dinner here
not q lot Of fancy samples. I feel like
some real nourishment"
~ varseey.