Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-12-01
Margaret CARROTS
HnsbSa
BOB EvADEs THE QUESTION.
BY JANE PHELPS
: = 4 y = y X 4. X Il x \ +


l CHAPTER LXXII.
/ Instead of answering my question an.
telling me what John Kendall meant
Bob laughed uneasily, and reminded mi
that it was time for breakfast, and tina
our guest would be down and waiting
] Let him wait!" 1 told him, g
must know what danger threatens you.
"No danger threatens me, Mar
lgaretl don't be sillyl come down t,
| breakfast. I'll lose our train if yol
keep me here talking"
eff you won t tell me, shall have
to ask Mr.. Kendall, l said firmly.
| IL do no such thing' again
, he flushed and looked uncomfortable
''He simply referred to a matter OF
business. y
"How could matter of business be
unsafee" persisted.
cit ism I'll John is an alarmist. !"
He is the last man on earth to say
Esuch thing unless there was something
in it.
81 tell you there is nothingrI am GO
ing down to breakfast. l forbid your
mentioning your silly fears to John, re-
member!"
Bob IS tone was the one I had learned
never to combat, altho he used it but
seldom; so l followed him down stairs
and ate my breakfast in silence while
Bob and John kept up running fire
of talk an laughter.
After they left dismissed the matter
from my mind, and went about my
household duties. They were much heav-
ier, more taxing than when in an apart
.ment, and with the care Of the child
ren left me little time for anything else.
Bob wanted me to keep a second girl
but l told him it was all nonsense. And
really preferred to get along with
only Della-Bob would want me to en-
tertain his friends more frequently if
/ had more help.
One afternoon when out with the
children met Mrs. Baldwin. She turned
and walked with me.
81 am so glad you are our neighbor,
Mrs. Garrett" she said, 81 have been
rather lonely since we. moved out here.
Most of the people are so very CON
servative, SO bound down by their old
fashioned ideas, that it is real treat,
to meet people like you and your friend
Mr.. Kendall. He and your husband are
certainly two lively, entertaining men.
Mr.. Garrett gets so excited, talks so
earnestly that it is a joy to listen to
him. I never should have thought him
real estate man, really, one would
take him for an artist or a writer
/ replied namely. Had Mrs. Baldwin
tried she could have said nothing more
displeasing to me. / had begun to see
that / had an almost hopeless task be-
fore me in attempting to make love for
me fill my husbands life to the exciu-
sion of all else; and her speech only
made me the more discouraged.
'FWe must have some good times to-
gether," she continued, "you play
bridge, of course?"
eyes"
''Suppose we play two nights a week
once at your house, and once at mine.
We can have simple little supper after
we finish, and--it may help to keep our
husbands at home" she added with a
touch of embarrassment.
was on the point of refusing until
she added that little sentence. But l
changed my mind and Immediately
agreed. Anything to keep Bob at home,
and away from his New York friends.
When 1 told Bob of the plan, he OBJ
iected.
''Once a week is often enough to
make a fast and tight engagement. =
'sBut once at each house.
"'Every other week at each house is
as often as l win agree to play. There
will be lots of things l shall want to
90 to this winter and l am not going
to be all tied up with engagements.
When 1 told Mrs. Baldwin that we
would play once a week instead of
twice, she said smilingly:
''Half loaf is better than none! "
81 should like to play twice " | ex-
planned "but Mr.. Garrett has so many
engagements he feels it umwise to agree
to play more than once week. -
$50 he has engagements toll Wen
we will have to console each other,
she said, and laughed, rather bitterly
or so it seemed to me.
I wanted to ask her if Mr.. Baldwin
stayed in town often,if she often spent
long evenings alone, as l did. But was
proud and hesitated to make confident
of this woman whom 1 had never met
but twice. :,
"Mr. Garrett is very busy man, -
I said stiffly, 'he has very little time
for pleasure. . yet as l spoke l knew
that when he had refused to play bridge
that he Intended to spend the time
with the Roots, and others of his old
crowd.
q An work and no play" she quoted
than. ssdon t worry about him my dear
Mrs. Garrett. The men who over-work
f.sTa-