Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-09-22
CHAPTER XII.

morning. Della fixed me a tempting lun
cheon, and then, just as 1 had about
made up my mind to go out Elsie came
"Such a queer thing happened last
night" she told me after we had talk
ed a while. "Tom had to go to Boston
on the late train. About two O'Clock
some woman called up and asked for
him. One of the servants answered, and
altho she asked the woman who was
calling, she would not give her name.
l wouldn't think anything of it, only
that it vas so late, and Kate said the
woman was terribly agitated, "ter-
! ribly'' she called it,"
Should L confess that it was II
What could it have been do you
suppose?" she went on, "Tom is the
most generous soul in the world, and
it might have been some one asking
help of some kind; and again it might
have been some-girl, I" the slight hest
tation before the last word decided me.
81 telephoned Tom, Elsie"
"Youl what in the world were you
calling Tom at two O'Clock in the morn
ing FORT"
I told her the whole miserable story,
not ven emitting the spoiled chicken
and mushrooms which Della had
thrown out. She laughed merrily until
she saw how seriously l had taken it
all.
"Didn' It I tell you he was tempera-
mental?' she said when 1 finished tell
ing of Bob's good time at the studio!
"Most men would either have said
nothing about that part of it, or would
have left out the rawlings"
"You dom mean that it is a proof
cf Bob's love that he told me?"
"Yes-you might call it that"
CHE was terribly enthusiastic about
her, I asked how old she was and he
told me onlys nineteen"
"Ten years younger than you
umphl''
"Oh, he didn't mean to tell me be-
cause of that! 1 wish you would re-
member that Bob and 1 are almost the
same age"
"IU remember. Why don't you ask
better way to kill a man Is enthusiasm
for another woman than to let him see
a lot of her with no distractions thrown
in his way, and-no talk against her.
l know, because I've tried it," and she
laughed her merry laugh.
"Oh, l wouldn It want to ask her to
dinner. I dom care for that sort of
person at all. I can t see how Bob can.
He loves his quiet home, and / intend
to keep it quiet for him.
"Bob doesn t love continued quiet as
much as you think. Don t go to that
extreme, Margaret. ], told you Bob was
a creature of moods. You should know
this better than I. DOM let him get
bored whatever you do. 1t would be dan
gerous.'
Dangerous, what do you meant"
just what [ say. When a man is
bored he is apt to do most anything.
And | don't know as I blame him."
bored with his wife and home? I'm
afraid I'm awfully dull, Elsie, but I.
don't understand, nor-believe your
theory"
"Well, we all have to learn, I guess
you will be no exception, Margaret.
You see when you married Bob he was
still grieving for his mother. You never
knew him before she died, did you?"
"No, she died just a week, or two
DelOTe L met lin.
81 thought SO. Well a nature like
Bob goes always to the extreme. He
is either very happy or very miserable.
He of course hasn't been miserable, be-
he had you. But he naturally has
been more quiet. He was devoted to his
mother, so Tom says, and it has taken
him some time to pull himself together.
But now that he has commenced to
take an interest in things, you. will find
him quite different if 1 am not terribly
| was angry with Elsie for talking to
as she did. She was no older than
was and why should she be all the
giving me advice? What if she
had been married ten years, and L only
few months, she couldn t know Bob
as well as ] did. Anyone to hear her
talk would think / WASH t going to
make Bob happy. Why that was all I
liver for, didn t l tell him so every day?
Angry tho l was l tried not to show
t. | had few intimate friends and Elsie
was awfully good company; and 1 ador-
ID her children. So even tho she so ter-
ribly misunderstood Bob 1 would not
quarrel with her. 1 would show her that
nelther mad to entertain singers and
artists, and others of that ilk, or read
lbtruse books ON psychology to hold
husband. l would hold him because
If my love, and the home L made for
lin. She could do all the keeping up'
n those ways she wanted to; l would
lave none of it.
"Well, l must be goingi" she re-
marked after an hour of further chat
but remember what I tell you; Don /
Bob become bored either with YOU:
II a too quiet life. He has a lot of
energy and he's bound to spill
t somewhere. Better have it done at
or with you"
The more ] though of the way Elsie
lad talked the positive 1 was that she
wrong, and that / was right. So as
'oon as Bob came home 1 told him as
'snal how l loved him; and how 1 lived
,nly for him.