New Britain herald., 1917-06-05

REVELATIONS OF A WIFE
Why Did Mir. Drake Ask sDo You Happen to Know Robert. .Gordpn?"
By ADELiE GARRISON

Why Did Mir. Drake Ask 'sDo You
 Happen to Know Roberts Gordpn?"
 Here's the missing chatelaine of the castle. Drake, properly penitent."
 Dicky led me forward to meet, the guest he had brought home with him for dinner with a little air of pride which I secretly resented. He be- haved exactly as if he were showing off some possession that he had pur-f chased.
 felt decidedly foolish as stood before this unknown with my arms full of his flowers. Dicky had insisted upon piling the roses Mr. Drake had brought me as dinner courtesy into my arms before came downstairs. and with the strong consciousness of looking ridiculous upon me could hardly summon courage to raise my eyes to those of my guest.
 Do you always reward tardiness in a hostess in this way, MT. Drake?" asked the question, indicating the roses as spoke. hoping that the sound of my own voice uttering the triviality would restore my self- possession.
 Tt Is good of you to call 1t a re- ward" he said, lowing with an air that knew could only have been ac- quired abroad. There was no trace of accent in his voice, however, even though his next words were hardly those in which the average American would couch his recognition of a courtesy done him.
 My poor roses are too much honored." he said impressively. TT aln afraid they are too heavy for you"
 T shall put them in water directly,' returned. "Dfcky, will you get me that tall brown jar in the library?"
 Dicly obediently departed .and I put the roses on table near me. and busted myself in their arrangement. was glad Of something to occupy me. glad that I could avoid meeting the eyes of our guest.
 Two Keen Eyss.
 For there waA something in those eyes that disQuieted me. which made me want to lower my. own.
 Oddly attractive eyes they were. with long lashes that any woman might envy. But there was nothing womanish in the expression of the eyes which I had caught when their owner strengthened himself after his low bow to me.
 It was glance as keen as a rapier's point that had flashed at me from the. gray eyes behind the feminine lashes. lashes which felt irstinctively their owner must find convenient as a mask behind which he could watch and ap- praise people.
 So searching was the glance that he ! had given me that it startled, even alarmed me. It made me wonder vaguely ~there might not be some unknown motive behind the eagerness 1 with which this new acquaintance of Dicky's had accepted his invitation to our home The look he gave me was exactly the kind he would have be- slowed upon some one whom he had planned to meet beforehand. And yet I knew that never had seen or even heard of this man whose eyes I could feel were still appraising me. I was glad when Dicky came back with the brown jar for which had sent him. He had thoughtfu1ly filled l it with water, and fingered over the l placing of the roses within 1t, hoping l that Dicky's usual flow of conversa- ton would take the strangers atten- l ton from me.
 l The Situation's Key. | but my uQpe WdS V8ln. True, no l listened to Dfcky's talk-I had almost written chatter-for felt an un- accountable and uncalled for frrita- 1 tion at my husbands unusual loqua- l ciousness, with every appearance of 1 interest. But there was more than 1 the usual courtesy due hostess in the manner in which he managed to include me in every turn of tho con- versation all through the dinner which
 Katie, pale, but with no other trace
 of the strange agitation in which I
 had found her earlier in the day, l served us Katie had outdone herself in the l preparation of the dishes. They were 1 delicious. and her service was very | good indeed. But my housewifely ptide in the success of the meal was 1 spoiled by the behavior of our guest.
 And yet there was nothing in his
 actions to which could have taken the least exception. It was simply
 that he appeared to be studying me. I felt as if were some queer species
 of insect under the microscope of a scientist.
 ! There was a subtle fascination