New Britain herald., 1917-02-22
Why nic>S Said II %upEo.sc I'd Bet
 ter Tell You Quickly. Dcar.''

oh, pray do not let me disturb you."
 Mother Graham drew back from the
 open door of the living room with a
 little affected start Of surprise 1t
 seeing me sitting before tho fire Her
 words were courteous, but her manner brought the temperature of the room down perccptibly. I was certain that she was perfectly aware that i was in the room before snc descended the, stairs. She never could resist the at traction of an open fire, but she was so full of rancor against mo that she could not bring herself to join me, even casually, without tbc formal icy courtesy which make the aftermath of her tantrums so exasperating. She had managed to keep out of my way in clever fashion since the scene of the day before,\ when on Dicky's and my homecoming from our mountain outing shc had 50 savagelv attacked me concerning the interest taken in me by Robert Cor don At Dicky's suggestion I had stayed in my room until dinner time to give him a chance to "calm her l down." But she evidently had refused to be "calmed," for, pleading a con- yepient headache, she had her dinner sent to her room, and did not appear i during the evening. When Diclxy and 1 I came down to breakfast the next l morning Katie resentfully informed 1 us that "dot old vomans got her 1 breakfast already yet.'
 'I hate to leave you, sweetheart,
 with mother acting like this" Dicky had whispered, as he stood at the
 hall door, ready for his walk to the
 railroad station.
 Let that be the least of your troubles" I had returned, with my cheek against his. T am going to ] take a long tramp this morning and ! a nap this afternoon, so We probably shan't get near enough to each other 1 for a clash"
 1 I had extended the tramp to in l clude luncheon at quaint old inn. 1 and my nap when I return had taken l up most of the afternoon. So that my mother -in-laws icily informal little speech was the first I had heard from her lips since her outbreak of the day before. My first impulse was to leave the room. and then I realized that the older woman, in her stiff way was really making an overture toward me. Hers is a nature
  She simply must have someone with whom she can chat.
 Giving myself a hurried warning to keep my temper no matter how irritating she might be, I rose from
 my chair and drew her favorite rocker closer to the fire.
 You are not disturbing me in the ! least" I said pleasantly, "I was simply watching the fire Jim cer- tainly has outdone himself in the mat | ter of logs this time.''
 "Yes, he has," she admitted grudg- i; ingly, as she came forward slowly and l took the chair I proffered her "I / only hope he doesn't set the house l afire with such blaze. I must tell
 Richard to speak to him about it." Dicky Is Strangely Jolly. Always the pin prick, the absolute ignoring of me as the mistress of the l house. I could not tell whether she 1 had deliberately done it, or whether l long sage to dominance in a house.
 hold had made her speak as she did
 unconsciously.
 I made no reply, and for a long
 time we sat staring at the fire until l Dicky's entrance came as a welcome l interruption.
 I went sedately to the door to meet 1 him, although l was so glad to see l him that a dance step would more ap- propriately have expressed my feel ] ings, and returned his warm kiss and l greeting. He kept my hand in his ] as he came down to the fire, not even , releasing it when he kissed his mother, l who still maintained the rigid dignity ! with which she surrounded herself | when displeased.
 "Well' Dicky said, manfully ignor- l ing any hint of unpleasantness, "this lis what I call comfortable, coming l home to a fire and welcome like this in a dreary day.
 1 There was a note of forced jollity 1 in his voice that made mo look up quickly into his eyes. AS they looked l into mine ] caught a glimpse ot some l thing halfhidden, half-reVealed, something fiercely sombre, when frightened me.
 What had happened l asked my self with a little clutch at my heart "to make Dicky look at me in thls way?" l had a longing to take h1h away where we could be alone. I was glad when my mother-ln-la" rose stiff1y from her chair. "If you are too much occupleu, Margaret" she remarked, jelly, Il will go and tell Katie that Rlcharo IS here. and that she may serve dinner
 immediately
 "What Is It. Dicky?' She swept out of the room maJes- tica1lv and as the door closed after