The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-12-05
By Ann Lisle.
CHATTER LIX.


Copyright. 1918, by King Feature
Syndicate. Incl
r. WY and had taken very
IL early tea and il was only
little after when got
home from my unhappy hour
of establishment.
hurried into my bedroom and
began to take of my hat-then
stood motionless with one pin in my
hand and reflected upon the blum
ders that had brought Barbara
Anne Harrison to her present pass
of unhappiness.
Item: Jealousy of Betty Bryce
and a series OF rebuffs to Betty's
offers of friendship.
Item: Longing for a woman
friend in Jim's own world-and the
acceptance Of Evelyn Mason's COM
partnership.
Item: The climax had given
Betty every right to think she was
not wanted or needed here and was
welcome to pursue her intimacy
with Virginia and to forget me.
At this stage OF itemizing with
myself and my loneliness l removed
the other pin from my hat, put
away the outer trappings used for
my afternoon with Envy and ad-
dressed myself sternly:
"Anne, you've been taking what
you insisted was something just as
good In place of real friendship.
You were suspicious of Betty just
because she was so kind. Now /
guess Betty's about done with offer
ing you her friendship; you've snub-
hoA he IL 81 IN NrnI
want her, you'll have to go after
her. Well. do you want her? Do
you want some one who will help
you throw light on Jim's betting at
the races and shaking dice with
Neal as II gambling were the most
gripping thing in life? Or do you
want to go half distracted wonder
ing whether that means he-has the
gambling fever?"
In answer to my own questions,
I went to the phone and called Viz
Einia's apartment. Phoebe an
swered.
Phoebe Promises.
They've gone out" she replied.
almost petuIantly, when asked
for Virginia or Betty. They're
going to have dinner together.
They left me here alone"
Then you come straight over
here, dear. How can you be alone
when you have us?" 1 asked with
pity for another lonely creature.
''Oh. I'd love to, rAnne-but I'm
not very tidy. Have / time to go
home first? I've been working here
all afternoonB-and l don't look very
nice"
So I gave Phoebe till T:30 to
make herself pretty and sweet, and
then turned from the phone and her
delight to face my own trouble.
What was 1 to do about Jim? 1
must solve my problem clone
without aid from Betty. Evidently
she and Virginia were growing
-very intimate now, and il they
didn't want little Phoebe, surely
Betty would have no time for me.
Never before had the city seemed
SO big. so cold. so unfriendly. I
had made a failure of my attempt
to find my place, for although I
had lived in it four years. the
great metropolis" didn't hold for
me even one true friend.
1 stood at. the phone while this
flashed through my mind. Sud-
denly I realized I was turning over
the leaves OF the phone book.
"How-aimless," laughed to my
self.
But there was a choke in the
laugh, and / dropped the book
against the wall with a terrified
thud when / found my eyes resting
on the name, Mason, Thomas ].
didn't need some one to talk to as
much as that.
Then all in aflash the door opened.
Neal dashed in and caught me in his
sturdy young arms.
! wasn't alone at ALL had Neal!
"'Babbs, what do you think OF
your old fox, Neal?" he cried. Two
weeks at his job, and doesn't he get
a promotion already! Forty per.
that's what he gets. Guess he could
almost support a wife. hey?"
There was a note OF deep anxiety
m his voice, but didn't fully sense
1t at the time.
Promotion already" cried.
ats wonderful, Neal, darling! I'll
have to kiss you for that. Tell
your Babbs just how 1t happened"
"Well, it's like this" Meals voice
vas unsteady. so many of the