Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-22
The Wife
By JANE PHELPS



CHAPTER LII
'N hen did you see Miss KING
,Hsl'' Nuth asked, trying not 10 let
700 much anxiety appear in her
voice
"Whcn-- when" Brian stam-
mcrcd, then, ~ always when he was
"nharrassed h" commenced 10
blusler. who told you had seen
her at all? People are in great
business why can't they let feI-
low alone"
No one told me. You told it
yourself"
"Mc--I--what do you mean"
In spite of her jealousy, Ruth
dense OF humor made her laugh. lie
vas 20 genuinely fused.
why tonight when Mrs Curtis
elaborated upon my kindness In let
ting Miss King enjoy your society
TO such an extent, she also said that
Mollie King had told her that /
knew you spent the evenings | was
away. with her. Now. as / had not
told Mrs. Curtis anything about H.
very evidently Miss King had And
how could she know ! knew and
Ruth had been about to add "A sar-
castle approved" but she said
didn't object, instead. unless she
had been toldY
"She and MOll.e are thick as two
peas IN II pod,' Brian grumbled.
you haven't answered me, Brian.
When did you see her."
"Oh, Il day or two ago"
AZ luncheon"
Yes, She wanted my advice-aS
a lhwyer-- and tclephoned me. II was
about luncheon time, 10 | took her
TO lunch and we talked then. We
both had to eat, and It saved her =
trip to my office"
"My what an elaborate explana-
tom Ruth said ironically, then at
once plunged into another subject
Sow she was glad she mad not told
Brian about her Delmonico lunch
con. Had she, he would have blamed
her for his not wanting to lunch
alone, she thought. as he always
blamed her for not wanting to dine
alone when she was out OF town.
Brian, evidently relieved, was
willing to follow her lead. and was
pleasantly chatty both then and the
following morning. lie had. to tell
the truth, been a little uneasy over
Ruth's reception OF his having
lunched with MOllie. lie had not
rcllshed her tone when she spoke OF
his elaborate explanation" Was she
going To be nasty about Mollie? lie
hoped not! \ fellow was so comfor-
table with her. or course II Ruth
objected, he would have TO keep
away from her when Ruth was In
town. When she was away--that
was another matter. He had told
Ruth how he stood. on the point.
After he had left for his office.
Ruth thought very seriously about
him and Mollle King. Big tears
welled up into her eyes as she
thought that perhaps he was sorry
he had married her instead of Mol
lie. The very feminine trick of max
ing herself miserable even before
she was sure there was anything TO
he miserable about, had not passed
Ruth by, even though she were a
business woman. Business had In
no way robbed Ruth Of her feminin-
lty: nor OF her womanly, or her
womanlsh traits. SO she pictured
herself neglected, forlorn, because OF
Mollle King.
When she reported for work. Ar
thhr Mandel quickly sensed some-
thing wrong. She looked troubled
about her eyes.
THAT fellow has been making her
unhappy" he said to himself. and
apostrophlsed him In no uncertain
language--in his thoughts. Its a
darn shame" ne resumed, yet could
not help feeling OF pleasure that 1t
! would emphasize his own attitude
toward her.
you are not looking up to the
mark. he said TO her. Take II easy,
today Really, II you like, you may
go home at noon I shall be too busy
to do anything about that western
matter, and nothing else is at all
pressing"
Al first Ruth started to say sl e
didn't care to go home, Then there
rushed over a desire To spend the
afternoon in her own apartment
She would let Crawford go, and
would meet Brian somewhere for
dinner She longed to be alone so
she thanked MIR. Mandel and said
II nothing came up between then
and the noon hour to cause him to
change his mind, she would be glad
To go home,
Il have II number OF little things
Yet to do TO my apartment. | shall
he glad OF the chance she said,
then added rather shyly-she had
not Vet become II, ,customed to being
In the position ot employe-"Thank
YOU very much Mr.. Mandel'
' Don't mention me, ld'-he
flushed and caught himself, lie had
almost said more than he knew TO
he wise at this time. But he wanted
hcr to owe her happiness to him.
"Td not have allowed you TO show
mp at all today had known you felt
/ badly" he finished in business
4 Ike manner.
How good he Is to me" Ruth
said to herself as she went abott
her days work. 81 don't believe
many employers are like him
She was thinking, as it happened,
lust exactly what Arthur Mandel in
/ ended her to think.
Tomorrow Claude Becky En-
lightens Ruth AS TO Brians where
ahOuts.