Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-29
VIRTUOUS WIVES s: Ff CT II. 4 ::
Copyright, 1918, By Little. Brown : Col :

- Copyright, 1918. by Little. Brown Co..
/ "Irma always paints a portrait
But one of the Miss Teakes, de.
termined not to let him go, recalled
him with a question. Amy waited
In the glance he had given her, she
had felt the divining instinct of the
man. He affected her with strange
sense of intimacy. Without the need
of effort, in the first pleased meet,
ing of her eyes, she felt he compre-
hended her, her varying moods and
contrary impulses, her bewilder-
ment before unchartered expert
ences, all the good and bad which
lay undisciplined within her, and to
comprehend this without criticism in
his comprehension of many women
Yet when, at length, he turned to
her, she experienced a sudden EN-
barrassment, that first unease which
two persons instinctively drawn to
each other often experience in
sweeping away the opening formali-
ties.
How stupid I AMI am boring
him." she thought, in the first
moments of manufactured converse
ton.
All at once she saw that he was
watching her with critical amuse-
ment. She began to laugh.
How do you know what amuses
me?" he asked.
Il do. You were admiring my
social manner"
Right. 1t is terrifcally impress
sive."
"Then let's break the ice and
really talk" she said eagerly
What Say what we really
think? But that's unheard of! Such
thing is not permitted in good
society"
please"
"The responsibility be on your
head" he said gravely. "But why do
you want to put me to such test?"
IF / told you, it would sound very
fat" she said, smiling at him,
In the easy distinction of his eve
ming clothes, he pleased her eye, al
ways sensitive to harmonies of line
and color.
They looked at each other uncer-
tainly, each impulsively attracted,
and their glances seemed to run
ahead of their thoughts, in mute in
terrogation and answer.
"Of course, there is only one thing
that's interesting-ourselves," he
said, with a mischievous upward
turn of his lips which were unusually
sensitive for man.
She considered this in some doubt.
1t was of course the only subject she
longed to discuss, but she wondered
if this was the prelude to conven-
tional Irritation.
well, begin"
Would you do it over again?" he
said, with an assumption of magis-
terial solemnity which robbed the
question of half its astounding inn
pertinence.
"Why, Mr.. Brackenp she ex-
claimed, taken utterly off her guard,
which was what he wished.
Dear me, is not that the most
natural question in the world?" he
said, lifting his eyebrows. Walking
through the social jungle, l meet
young lady who has the appearance
of having eloped from boarding
school young lady who commands
me to halt and say what I think.
Thereupon, I look at her and, won
dering many things, / ask direct
question. Of course, if you wish to
go back"
Heaven Forbid" she said hastily.
She looked at him with quizzical
smile, which brought her eyebrows
into their odd angle and suddenly de-
termined to give him as good as
he sent, said,
Question for question:"
agreed"
L. "If you had to make up your mind
again"-she glanced over again to
where Irma was sitting-"would you
do the same thing?"
He laughed without embarrass-
ment.
"Your question is more imperti-
nent than mine," he said, without
pretense of misunderstanding. "And
some one has been gossiping.
"Then you admit yours, was too"
she said with satisfied nod. well,
sir?"
~ preceive you are still in love
with your husband" he said evas-
lively. ..5
She saw that he intended to treat
her as child and, adopting his tone,
of banter, replied:
"You see, am still bride. Now
the secret is out. ! am quite helpless
Why such a serious look. Plying
me?"
He shook his head.
COR perhaps my husband"
Perhaps the husband" he said
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