Middletown transcript., 1917-03-03

His boyishness annoyed Carlotta.
She did not want the situation to get
out of hand. Moreover, what was so
real for her was only too plainly
lark for him. She began to doubt her
power.
The hopelessness of her situation
was dawning on her. Even when the
touch of her beside him and the soil
tude Of the country roads got in his
blood, and he bent toward her. she
found no encouragement in his words:
II am mad about you tonight"
She took her courage in her hands:
"Then why give me up for someone
eise?
"That's different"
"Why is it different? I am wom-
an. II love you, Max. No one else
will ever care as 1 do"
"You are in love with the Lamb!' y
"That was q trick. l am sorry,
Max. 1 don't care for anyone else in
the world. If you let me go I'll want
to die"
Then, as he was silent:
eff you'll marry me, I'll be true to
you all my life. 1 swear it. There
will be nobody else, ever"
The sense, if not the words, Of what
he had sworn to Sidney that Sunday
afternoon under the trees on this very
road! Swift shame overlook him, that
he should be here, that he had allowed
Carlotta to remain in ignorance OF now
things really stood between them.
I'm sorry, Carlotta. It's impossible.
I'm engaged to marry someone else.'
"Sidney Page?"-almost a whisper.
"Yes"
He was ashamed at the way she
took the news. If she had stormed or
wept, he would have known what to
do. But she sat still, not speaking.
"You must have expected it, sooner
or later"
Still she made no reply. He thought
she might faint, and looked at her
anxiously. Her profile, indistinct be-
| side him, looked white and drawn. But
Carlotta was not fainting. She was
making a desperate plan. If their es-
capade became known, it would end
things between Sidney and him. She
was sure of that. She needed time to
think it out. 1t must become known
without any apparent move on her
part. If, for instance, she became ill,
and was away from the hospital all
night, that might answer. The thing
would be Investigated, and who knew
The car turned in at Schwitter's
road and drew up before the house.
The narrow porch was filled with small
tables, above which hung rows of elec-
trio lights inclosed in Japanese paper
| lanterns. Midweek, which had found
ed, saw Schwitters' crowded tables set
out under the trees. Seeing the crowd,
Wilson drove directly to the yard and
parked his machine.
"NO need of running any risk" he
explained to the still figure beside him.
eve can walk back and take table
under the trees, away from those in
fernal lanterns"
She reeled little as he helped her
out.
"Not sick, are you?"
"Im dizzy. Tin all right"
She looked white. He felt stab
Of pity for her. She leaned rather
heavily on him as they walked toward
the house. The faint perfume that
had almost intoxicated him, earlier
vaguely irritated him now.
At the rear Of the house she shook
off his arm and preceded him around
the building. She chose the end of the
porch as the place in which to drop
and went down like a stone.
There was a moderate excitement
The visitors at Schwitter's were toe
much engrossed with themselves to be
much interested. She opened her eyes
almost as soon as she fell-tO 1oreStal
any tests; she was shrewd enough tt
know that Wilson would detect hel
malingering very quickly-and begged
to be taken into the house.
ST feel very ill.," she said, and hel
white face bore her out.
Schwitter and Wilson carried hel
in and up the stairs to one of the
rooms. The little man was twitterins
with anxiety. He had q horror O.