The Washington times., 1918-09-03

walter. Ht
His manner to servants Vs.
crisp and impersonal. ETen n
dealing with a eross-eyeo ol6
Newspaper woman or a littia
darkey elevator boy, inns volcs
and air were warm and hantering.
That was q part OF his charm I
wondered where my boy was IIrncb-
ing In washington. and with when.
brought myself back With =
start. There was All OF iopE.
lonely afternoon and evsning
ahead; they would be dedieated y
missing Jim A tonic BIT OF. En-
joyment and forgetting wouA
equip me to face them more eousL
ageously. So I gave myself cdur
pletely to the sway OF that n5ur,
with its delicious food. golden .aas
mosphere and stimulating conhan-
ionship. Mr.. Mason talked ~
shoes and ships and sealing wax
delightfully."- and with a fiatterfar atF
OF being delighted. Over the cdKso
cups Mr. Mason made q suggestibn:
Now that you're right IN ghs
neighborhood. wouldn't II be Vic
to look At the apartment asaine
I'd really like you to have the iittio
place II It appeals to you Ara
IL I don't have to risk its STAND
ing empty all summer, I can a10rd
to. offer very tempting termAr
That's a very wise suggestfaa.'
replied.
But-was IL?
In the hallway OF Mr.. Aasou'u
building we passed q '-Weii-pro-
served" looking woman Of at Isast
afty-nve- She gave the impressioa
of expecting one to think her
nearer forty than sixtyi She pat
up her lorgnette and studied ~
with serene rudeness. Then she
spoke rather superciliously:
I've been looking at the Apart
ment, Tommy decided IN have -
from the 1st of October. A hundrea
you said-wasn't it?'
Mr.. Mason smiled with unrufhsd
amiability.
'-Oh, Mrs. Warden. are you really
serious about an apartmentas I've
another that would suit you much
better. IL you're coming to town ttA1
winter"
But I want this. Don't show II
to another tenant ordered the
woman, turning crimson under heR
Sorry, dear lady. This one i
taken from the first Of July. NJ
old friend Jimmy Harrison has The
refusal of it,
"Oh. the chap your cousin Evalyn
threw over when he went tumbBnE
into the European war q few years
ago. What is he going to do with
an establishment? asked the
woman in a tone which made ma
feel as IL I had been struck By The
fat OF her pudgy white hand
Mrs. Harrison is going WITH ne
now to look at the apartment re-
turned Mr.. Mason. in q cold t0nas
which Mrs. Warden evidently took
as an introduction.
"Oh-Mrs. Harrisoni And -
you're the girl who snatehed Up
Evoy's beau. heard something
about an up-to-date courtship and
a modern wife. Quite modern.
should say. my dear"
Her glance was poisonous
though she hid 1t beneath smile.
1t asked how the husband I had
"snatched up" was amusing aim
self-it cast ugly aspersfons On
love and marriage and all fne feet
ings. II sneered at truth and 10y
alty-that glance!
I marvel now at my self-contrcl.
1t wasn't instructive respect for
gray hair that kept me silent nor
even my frightful resentment oe
the way she misinterpreted Mr.
Mason's attitude toward nie--t
was the sheer amazement OF dis
covering that my Jim had ever
been in love with Evelyn.
He almost disliked her now--snaf
/ knew. I was sorry for her--not
afraid of her
wondered IL 1t was hurt pride,
butt knew that little baby isce
had never Tilted my boy!-it unsS
be that Jim had simply outSr9Wn
Evelyn.
After ten days OF marriags my
husband was actually eager 70 50
hack to the war-waS he indeed
man who could grow tired OF love
after he possessed It? win
newed force IL came over mo thaL
Jfm's life up to n month ago was
closed book to me. TINS palntso'
wouId-be-youthful. middle-assd Wo-
husband than 1!
Nv the time these thoughts bad
flashed across my mind, Tom Ma
son had bowed her away had
swept me up the stairs, into hts
fourteenth-century italian ilv nS
room and back among the tapes
tried cushions of a wonderful deep
couch. much too comfortable 10 0s
anything but twentieth-century
American.
MRS. Jimmy. won't you do mo
favor2" he was saying. Thar
dreadful old Warden woman means
to have this apartment whether OF
no l want her to. To save me from
her. won't you take il on-at sixty
a month: You and Jim viii %
much more comfortable here than
at tho Walgrave-and i VIII oe
rescuedA from a tenant whose pres
ence among my lovely EtnES
would tarnish them forever!
Wont you take II? I want ny
furniture to be among friends.
begged Mr.. Mason with tactra
kindness that made my feelings sor
him change from indifference -
grateful liking.
You're very fond OF Jim I
asked impulsively.
"Jim's a fine chap-old friend
children-together-s you know.
He and Evelyn had a boy and gin
moon-shine love affair. too. But W.
drifted apart. It's Mrs. Jim WHOM
bringing us in touch again she's
making the old friendship sss1
worth renewing. Won't she cement
il by saving my little place from
that old--vampire?'
Tom Mason laid his hand on mine
for a. moment-like a real pal y
seemed to me.
Then he spoke-and there was a