The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-03
CHAPTER /

ON EDGE
When Celia hpa rd his latCh-ksy. she
sang out from her room the open door
Of which was at the head of the stairs: !:
You'll have to ny. Fred, Its a
quarter to seven and they're coming
at half past
A minute later. realiz.S that he had
not answered. that there had indeed
been no sound at all since the click of
the closing door. she called:
Its you. isn't it"
Yes. it's me- She heard him say,
And then the swish Of his evening
papers and the Gathering OF the big
buttons on his oyercoat as he tilImis'l
it careles>ly on the oak settle al the
foot of the stairs
But there was another silence after
that Whatever was he doing down
there: She even arrested the movement
of her lamb's-wocl SO that she could
listen better. Then with frown
mot an ill-tempered frcwn: reuful
one of exasperated patience. which one
saw pretty often in her face when she
was talking TO. or about her husbands
she started toward the door 10 inve>u-
gate But before she had taken
more than a step or two in that direc-
ton she heard him numbering Up and
Went back to her dreSsingtable.
The glimpse of the doorway that s.
got in her mirror showed her that lie
had. stopped there. bur even without
that. she could have felt him looking
at her. So. without turning. she greet
ed him with a goodhumored Hello.
and added You. heard what l said.
didn't you: It's nearly. seven and
they're coming at half past
Are there people coming to dinner
All right His voice was stiff with
preoccupation- hardly articuiate. He
might have been talking in his, sleep.
She shot glance at him over her
shoulder. You don't mean to say
you'd forgotten all about the dinner.
Fred:'' ...
In that some level voice. with neither
surprise nor contrition in it, he ad-
mitted that he had. But its all
right he repeated. There's plenty
of time"
Not if yon want to shave in the
bathroom" she warned him. Aou II
have to be out of there with all yonr
lathery things. and clear ND after your
self. before a quarter past. because
the Golfers are driving ou; from town
and they may be little early AND
I can't spare Marie 10 pick up after
yOu. because I'm going 10 use her my
self"
He said ''All right again i'll that
same dull. half-conscious sort of way.
so that she whipped round upon MN
energetically.
For heavens sake. Fred. wake up
and be human! Go downstairs ana
get yourself drink. That sleep
walking way Of yours is growing on
YOU and you've no idea haw madden
ing it is!' She made as if.t6. turn back
to her dressing-table. but fa'tered
'Nothing's-happened, ] suppose she
said.
HI answered. "No. N"thing's. hap
pened..' And added below his breath
That's it."
She didn't hear the last two words
and would hardly have understood
them if she had. But the look and
the tone were@ unmistakable
ooh. i know, you poor old dear.
she said. She meant her voice to SOUND
sympathetic. but in spite Of herself.
the words came out petulantly. and a
realization of this made her add. You
know. don't yoll. Fred. that wouldn't
keep you going like this if ! didn't
think it was really good for you to
buck up and forget your worries for
while? You do slump so when
we're just together and there's nothing
to do. And l know that doesn't help
YOU and it's deadly for men. Don't
you think you're better in the morning
if you've forgotten to worry for Il