South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-01
OFA WIFE

could ever be jealous with the emo
ton hat had made me so hate
Grace Draper. Though Grace
Draper had had a mad. ruthless
passion for Dicky, her nature was
not a petty one. But ! put down
Mrs. Allis as the sinking. feline
sort OF woman who hurt peoples
feelings in order 10 give herself the
same sort Of pleasure that a cat
would have ia playing with a mouse.
II the woman's petty malicious
ness had been the only thing about
her which l had noticed I would not
have given her two minutes OF
thought, but there was an indehn-
able something about her, an
elusive. furtive mir that made me
suspicious Of her.
Ridiculous as / knew my feeling
was. I had a queer little intuition
that the woman was other than
what she seemed. that she had rea
sons for being AT the peaceful farm
house other than her ostensible one
of escaping the city's heat.
To my intuitive dislike of the
. woman was added the sympathy L
felt for Mrs. C~osgrove. That Mrs.
Allis. with all the weapons of a
woman Of the world at her com
mand, was trying to make the lone
~ older woman Of the farmhouse
uncomfortable. not only by catlike
thrusts at her cookery and house
hold management, but by her CO
qaettish advances toward her Jovial
giant of a husband. l was very sure.
AS saw again in Mrs. Cosgrove's
eyes the CLINT Of anger at Mrs. AL
lis's mOckery, I resolved hat during
the week 1 should be under the
farmhouse roof 1 would do my level
best TO make things as pleasant as
possible for the hostess Of the farm
house and as unpleasant as 1 could
for the younger woman.
We finished the meal in a silence
which evidently made jolly Mr.. Cos
grove uncomfortable. For as Dor
as we had refused a third helping
of food ne pushed back his chair
with alacrity.
IF you folks have nothing better
to do" he said, suppose you come
along into the parlor; there's some
pictures of the mountains and
streams around here hat I think
you'd like. My brother-in-law
painted them, and most city people
I've seen think they're pretty fine.
Madgc Makes a Resolution.
I knew hat Dicky must be exceed
ingly bored by Mr.C ~osgrove's request.
1t always annoys him to be asked to
look at the work of amateurs. But
I forgot 10 look at him in my won
der at what l saw in the other faces
laround the supper table.
In the eyes Of Mrs. COsgrove ana
her twin sons there was a tenseness
Of expression which made me believe
that in some unaccountable way the
paintings in the parlor were o n
nected in some mysterious manner
with the fear I had seen in Mrs.
Cosgrove's eyes when l had said 1
could tell her twin boys apart.
But it was the expression in Mrs.
Allis's eyes hat riyeted by glance.
At the mention of the pictures. al
though not a muscle of her face had
changed, her eyes had narrowed
and into them had crept the same
look Of furtive watchfulness which 1
had seen my pet Angora give 4
pitcher of cream when she was wait
ing for her supper.
Her look strengthened the i'm
preston l had that there was some
Interior reason for her presence at
the farmhouse.
] became suddenly curious to see
the paintings which could arouse
such emotions.
1 made up my mind also to watch
Mrs. Allis very closely.