The Washington herald., 1917-09-24


she was losing both her health anC
Warren's love.
! Mercilessly she inventoried hel
disheveled reflection in the mirror
Her hair, worn in a braid at might
and now loosened, struggled defect
| edly about her face. She did moi
brush 1t back; she wanted to set
herself as he had seen her. II he
thought of her at all during the
day. he would think OF her as he
saw her last. That was the pic
ture he had carried with him.
| Again on the couch her glance
fell on the illustrated section of the
paper Warren had tossed on the
chair beside her.
Mr.. and Mrs. James Borden Reeves,
! Breakiastlng on the Veranda of Their
County Home"
| Helen's interest was centered in Mrs.
Reeves, charmingly dainty in an ex-
pensive lace-tilled morning gown. In
| innate Photographs of WeIl-known
People" was the heading of the page.
! Gladys Gldner the actress, was
/ shown in a particularly alluring negli-
| gee.
Warren had seen these pictures-or
many like them. Naturally he made
! comparisons. And on the screen!
] However distressed or i'll the heroine,
| her gowns were always exquisite, and
her hair in perfect coiffure.
| Could he help comparing these Wis
| ions of lOvcliness with her appearance
J when she was ill-Or even when she
got up in the morning, tired and
dragged?
| He would never again see her as
| she looked now. Hereafter she would
| spend more money and time on her
| home clothes-and less on her best"
| things. She had made similar reso-
| lutions before but never with such
| grim intensity.
What was the admiration Of other
people compared to the admiration of
| her husband? Why should she al
/ ways be carefully Sroomod for COM
/ pany-and not for Warren?
You want TO 20 back to bed.
| ma'am? I'm through in there" an
| nounCed Nora, coming into the library
with carpet sweeper and dust cloths.
As Helen. slipped in between the
/ fresh, cool sheets. the room seemed
less hot and stuffy now that 1t had
, been busted and put in order.
! If only she could sleep away her
headache, so she would look less
/ llfa = sal Il WHICH warren came but
/ however she felt. she was Erimly de-
I termincd to bathe, wave her hair. and
put on that crepe de chine ncgligee.
1t was only eleven now. He would
have luncheon and dinner at the
country club and not he home before
nine-ten long hours, perhaps more.
She seemed hOpelcssly awake. and
her thrObbinG head made reading i'm
n1 r.NN III. L.
at her thin hands and arms.
Last week they waited as a sub
way station, she had stepped on a
penny-in-slot machine. The needle
had swung TO only 1C5-the least she
ever weighed. Yet Warren's comment
had been a careless,
"Oh. this hot weather takes It out
of everybody"
He did not care. He had seen her
failing all summer-and he did NOT
care! a wave of black despair en-.
gUlfed her. Her face in the pillow,
she could no longer Keep back the
tears.
The paroxysm Of weeping dieo
down to broken sObs, and finally to
a dOze. made unrestful by troubled
dreams. Warren was boarding a great
ship on which all the officers were
beautiful women. She tried to follow
him-but her limbs were paralyzed
She tried to call out-but she was
yOiceless.
The sound of a slamming door! A
quick. firm stepi
Hello, Kitten How's the head?"
"Why-why-did anything happen?"
in dazed awakening.
No. but I only stayed for lunch
took the train in"
Sitting on the bed beside her, War
rem brushed back her tangled hair.
But conscious of her powderless,
tear-stained face. she chung to the
shielding pillow.
See here, Kitten. I've had a talk
with Mrs. Stevens. She says you're
all run down-that you need a change.
I've been so blamed busy-maybe II
haven't noticed. You don't look over
robust" rubbing the slight frailness
of her arm. How about it? Would
You like to so away"
mot without you," chokingly into
the pillow.
Don't think I'd let you go alone, do
you? Think you'll be well enough to
start Saturday? Wen take a trip up
through Canada-and a week on the
lakes. How does that strike you?"
Her face now hidden against his
shoulder, Helen clung to him with a
sob of Joyous, thrilled relief.
"Oh, l thought you didn't care, I've
been so droopy and complaining lately
IL haven't been very attractive.
Oh, know I haven't, It's so hard TO
fix up when You feel i'll. But I'll never
let you see me like this again, TmI
going to dress less for company and
more for you. And I'm always"
What the Sam Hill are YOU talk
ing about?"
NO, dear, I mean it." excitedly.
Think of the women in the pictures
how wonderful they look when
they're sick in bed. I known you
can't help but think how different
L"
Say, has the heat gone to your
head? Well, if you try to look like
any Of those movie goddesses-its
me for the quick exit" with a snort.
Get that? Now as far as looks go
you suit me. Don't care a fig
whether you're dolIed up or not. But
when you get all run down and lose
your punch, it's time to get busy"
Despite her resistance, his strong |
hands turned her face full towards |
MN. For a pitiless moment he |
scruinized her steadily. Then mis-
rumpling her hair to |
worse dishcvelment. he kissed her |
with a whimsical.
wen, Kitten, you NAV lock like |
the deVi!, but l don't see it You |