Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-18

turning me into a hard mold of in
difference. 1t was easy for me to
speak now-I didn't care how my
words hurt JIM had no desire to
| smooth things over ard take the sting
out of them.
"One thing at a time. please" 1
said quietly. "I couldn't take that
money because I felt you'd given 1t
to me to. buy my approval of your
treatment of Tom Mason. 1 simply
will not subscribe to that. So l put
your-bribe-among your things
And then hustled my studs and
links into my shirt so I'd not find it
and raise Cain before Virginia's din
ner," Jim broke in.
"I suppose that was my underlying
motive" 1 agreed wearily.
You know mighty well it was!
I won't stand for your funny busi-
ness, Anne. You raise a row over a
blue robe that Tom Mason leaves
here-you fling my money back into
my face. And then you let Anthony
Norreys stake you to a hundred
week.
"Jim--how dare you? stop-stop
it this second" I cried. cut to the
quick by this twisting of facts. You
shan't put your own ugly interpreta-
tions on a beautiful charity. Mr..
Norreys is giving his money to the
canteen to buy food for soldiers who
can't make their pay reach"-.
"Oh, is he?" Jim's voice nicked
out the words with ugly scorn. "Old
Norreys is a down-and- outer who
can't get at women in any way ex-
cept through their sympathy, and 1
won't have him buying his way into
my wifes good graces by posing as
a noble philanthropist. Now you re-
member thatr'
Perhaps you think I'm going to
deprive the canteen of this fine en-
dowment just to suit you?" 1 Ques-
toned with curt sarcasm.
II know mighty we'll you are. And
now take your $40 and cut out the
highfaluting nonsense. l may be
working for Norreys. but that doesn't
give him the right to ruin my wife's
life-and mine. I'll have him under
stand he can just cut out the inter-
ference"
"The interference" I said slowly
my mind working along a step at
time. THE interference-you mean
sending Miss West to Boston! Jim
was it-your secretary, Doris West.
you took to dinner the night 1 worked
at the canteen?"
"And suppose it was?" Jim shot his
words at me. Are you going to start
with your foul jealousy again? Ev-
cry time 1 look at pretty woman
are you going to moon all over the
place like a sick cat? First it was
Betty-then Evvy-now poor little
Doris West. Do 1 make fuss every
time you speak to another MANI"
1 laughed. 1t was a hurt, sick
laugh.
mo, you don't. You don't seem
to value me highly enough to be
jealous-when you ought to-even
jealous of my dignity and my good
name. Why, Jim, you don't know
what it did to me when you failed
to protect me from Tom Mason
Jim yawned in my face.
For the love of mercy, Anne-cut
out that everlasting whimper about
Tom. Here, I'll make a bargain with
you. You leave me alone about that
and I'll say no more about your hare
Drained canteening and you taking
help from Norreys. Is 1t bargain?"
"A bargain" l asked slowly.
"Yes-you let me go my way--and
I'll let you go yours. Well cut out
a bit of the lovey- -dovey stun and act
like good pals. Maybe things will
work better that way. Are you
game?"
"Fm-game." I replied almost in a
daze.
"All right. then-I'll pocket the ten.
I've use for two of it, even If you
haven't. Come-shake on it-pal."
AS put my hand into Jims my
heart sank. Did our bargain mean
that the romance-the poetry-the
love was gone from our life together? &?
ITO He COntinued)