Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-06
CHAPTER XIV Continued

\ LIN N NSOItlHueuJ.
Miss Maggie herself, in the after
noon, with an errand for an excuse
walked slowly by the tennis court
She saw Mr.. Smith at once-but he
did not seem at all interested in the
playing. He had his back to the court,
in fact. He was talking very ami
matedly with Mellicent Blaisdell. He
was still talking with her-though
on the opposite side of the court
when Miss Maggie went by again on
her way home.
Miss Maggie frowned and said
something just under her breath
about that child-flrting as usualr'
. Then she went on, walking very fast,
and without another glance toward
the tennis ground. But little far
Their on Miss Maggie's step Jagged
perceptlbly, and her head lost its
proud poise. Miss Maggie, for a rea-
son she could not have explained her
self, was feeling suddenly old, and
weary, and very much alone.
TO the image in the mirror as she
took off her hat few minutes later
i'll her own hall, she said scornfully:
We'll, why shouldn't you feel old?
You are old. You are oldw Miss
Maggie had habit of talking to her
self in the mirror-but never before
had she said anything like this to
herself.
An hour later Mr.. Smith came
home to supper.
Well, how did the game go?"
queried Miss Maggie, without look
ing up from the stocking she was
mending.
Game? Coz Obi Why, I don't
remember who did win finally" he
answered. Nor did it apparently oc-
cur to him that for one who was
so greatly interested in tennis, he was
curiously uniformed.
1t did occur to Miss Maggie, how
ever.
The next day Mr.. Smith left the
house soon after breakfast, and, con-
trary to his usual custom, did not
mention where he was going. Miss
Maggie was surprised and displeased
| More especially was she displeased
because she was diSpleased. As if il
mattered to her where he went she
told herself scornfully.
The next day and the next it was
much the same. On the third day
she saw. Jane.
When Miss Flora had gone, Miss
| Maggie turned to Mr.. Smith with
eyes that still carried dazed unbelief
Did Flora say that Frank Blaisdel
had sold his grocery stores?"
SHE certainly didl You seem sur.
prised."
Pm more than surprised. I'm dunn.
| founded"
"Why? Don't you think, like Mrs
Jane, that he ought not to enjoy his
money, certainly"
"Oh, no. He's got money enough
to retire, if he wants to, and he's GER.
tainly worked hard enough to earn
a rest"
Then, what is it,"
Miss Maggie laughed a little.
I'm not sure | can explain. But, to
INC, IL just tHls. WHile nc got
plenty to retire upon. he hasn't got
anything to retire to-"
and what, pray, do you mean by
that?"
why. Mr.. Smith. I've known that
man from the time he was trading
jackknives and marbles and selling
paper boxes for five pins. l remem-
Der the whipping he got, too. for
filching sugar and coffee and beans
from the pantry and opening gro
Gerry store in our barn. From that day
to this that boy has always been trad
ing something. He's been absolutely
uninterested in anything else. don't
believe he's read book or magazine
since his school days unless it had
something to do with business or
groceries. He hasn't a sign of a
fad-music, photography, collecting
things-nothing. And he hates So
ciety. Jane had to fairly drag him
out anywhere. Now, what l want to
know is what the man is going to
dor"
nOh he'll find somefhinp." laughed