Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-03
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary Douglass.
THE FOIL.
Chapter NN.

Chapter M.
The rain, pattering on the tin roof
| outside nv window. wakencd me from
a heavy sleep, was glad that IT had
only been a drcam-my power OF last
night the swing of earrings against my
checks and those fiery kisses that had
scorched my bps.
! pulled myself up to sec the time.
wisp of tulle flung down upon a chair
caught nv eve The black dressl Then,
II was no DRAM after ALL but q reality!
For ono night | had been Cinderella at
| the ball. and had felt the tremblc of
| mans arms as they caught me To him.
! The gray light crept in through the
windows and wrapped my room IN wraithe-
! like charm, but | would rather have seen
| NV own bare little room at home, with It's
| cold iron bed and ugly bureau of oak,
| lust then | felt guilty somehow, as II
| those kisses were my doing and ] could
| have avoided them
Who had kissed me? | hated HIM,
whoever il was II was not so that
man would kiss girl he loved, had rcver-
cnce for
An hour later, as my eyes swept the
breakfast table. II brought me back some
Of nv confidence in things as they arc.
Jean Naring, vivacious now rs at md
count OF something that was perfectly
screaming" Mrs Norman. over the coffee,
urn seemed the same slightly-tolcrant,
bored woman OF my first impression. And
| Mr. TrcmaincS chair was still empty
How natural. in a short week end, had
/, all the qtnct luxury of the NoImans be
come to me- Ilght-fnoted maids 10 wait
On me. the unseen machinery OF perfect
scryrcC. all seemed rs if they belonged
to part nf my life How little these
! poor L. undcrStand of that other kind OF
life OF work that one must do 10 lYc-
of the drcarv round Of every day an every
day in which nothing ever happens
| thought sadly.
How are we going TO get home Mrs
Newton asked, rousng us all 10 hvcly
discussion
You'll 90 with me, Of course, Jack
sand under cover of the general conversa-
tion.
resented his tone. ooh, no, I'm going
IN t,v train. didn't You know? ] put IN
/ hurredlv
With whom. ma, ask" Jack said,
The sullcn light faring into his ewes
Miss Richards Is going with me, Mr..
Trcmainc had slipped into the empty
chair ~ the table 1T s the LOG, is It not.
Miss Richarts
fcIt that JAG, caught the quick start
of surprise ! C*Sr involvntanly II
think 50. | stumbled
A look of sullen otstinacv set about
Jacks mouth lie said nothing more
would not 90 home wlth Jack IN ms Stutz
alone and risk another Of his resenttu
tcmpcr>: Vet | scarcely welcomed the
Journey down with MIR. lremainc much
more did not like to confess il I" NV
sell but something about Mr. Ircmatnc,
whether il was subtle magnetism. oI
merely The strong dominating character
Of the man, made nc feel weak, almost
powrrlcss in hlS hands
VIII you walk with me- Mrs New
ton asked As we rose from the table
Outside the wind WAS sweeping IN sharp
gusts and the steady monotonouS drip Of
the ram seemed if It would wash All
things clean II might help
We flung On rain coats from the hall
closet and pulled sou'wcstcrs down over
our halr
Ready" Mrs. Newton called as
tugged At 3 rubber Hurry. Wen get
away before anyone notices
Why she, too. was in such a hurry. why
She wished 10 plunge out in the drenchlng
wctness, ! did not ask myself then
was too glad 10 feel the rain against my
checks and 10 drink IN great hreaths Of
tic sharp. salt air We stumbled on a
y hile without speaking
Then Mrs Newton caught my arm and
said quickly. almost desperately. ~ III
YOU do something Tor me, chiid2'
turned my face 70 her cunously,
noddlng an acqmescence
Il heard Mr. Iremalne ask you 70 90
down on that O6 10 New York. Will
YOU let me 20 with YOU and viii you help
me TO manage il 50 that ne sits with me
We ploughed through the uneven turf
and spiashed into pools Of water
"Why7" ! asked curiously
'.Whve" repeated Mrs Newton after
me. as II one woman needs TO ask another
that He resents something | said 10
him, and now | must right il, or | may
not have another chance. suppose
YOU think that he-he-has been dazzled
by Your charms, youth. simplicity? Have
YOU not seen that he has been using YOU as
my foil? To make me jealous Oh,
YES he succeeded y Mrs Newton bit of
the last word
But vour husband" ! said before
could bury the words that had been in
my thoughts
Nay husband Mrs Newton laughed
you are refreshing, child,
! said nothing more. But on the way
back Mrs Newton slipped her arm into
mine, Il going to see something OF YOU
when We get back To town That Is. II
YOU would care tor her tone was almost
pleading
Il should, ] said honestly For. this
woman with her pIquant charm, her life
so different from my own, her experience
Of things. opened before me a new world
that | mad never even gllInpsed before.
Tomorrow You Forgotten