Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-22
VIRTUOUS WIVES s:;' ;.;: i; !: ST.. s:


= Copyright. 1918. BY Little. Brown 4 Col
admire him. But that was all. There
had been no further discussion. She
accepted his decision as an ultimat-
ufn. After all, why discuss? They
had never really talked openly to
each other and they probably never
would. No compromise was posi-
BILE with one Of his obstinacy In a
way, the decision was a relief-con-
slant daily contact would have been
more difficult.
Drop me first, Monte" said Fiji,
waking up at last. mo; it's not
manners or etiquet. Just simply
moods, that's all. If / were left
alone with you, I'd be nasty"
Amy started to protest, for she
was apprehensive of tete-a-tete,
but all at once she treasured her
self by the thought that this would
be good moment to open up the
subject of Fiji. ..
why don't you spend the night
with me?" she said half-heartedly.
mo, mol Communiug with ma
ture's got on my nerves" said Fiji.
Home for mep
They left her at the old family res
idence on lower Fifth avenue, just
off Washington Square, and started
uptown, over the vacant streets,
across which an occasional taxi
went suffering, a milk wagon rat
tied, or a newspaper truck screamed
on its GREATNESS rush for the out
ward mails. She had come into
the front seat beside Bracken. The
car slowed down to a colloquial
pace.
mice time to talk, don't you
think? Not sleepyi" ...
Quite awake"
Eyes; you always are" he said,
turning toward her with a smile.
"And tremendously alive"
The slightest compliment, even
the most obvious, from him gave
her an instant pleasure. But to-
night she feared an approach to in
timacy, so she began resolutely
"You knew that Claire wished
you TO marry Fifi?"
What? Oh, yes"
She hesitated, then went on with
some difficulty:
"You would be happy in your
own home, with some one to work
for and some one to help you. But
! suppose you don't believe in mar
rage"
"On the contrary, yes-I do very
strongly" he said quietly. Il think
my brother the most fortunate man
in the world. He lives as human be-
ings were meant to live. He's part
of the soil, part of his time and part
of his community The rest of us
are just transients."
Then the most reasonable thing
you could do would be to marry
Fiji" she said resolutely. "She cares
for you, I'm certain, and she has
lots of the qualities of your sister
in-law-if she only had chance to
bring them out"
"Fifi's good stuff" he admitted.
"Then why not?"
why"
He asked the question as though
TO himself and relapsed into
moody silence Madison Square,
with its calm, green pools of dark
ness, its beggars huddled on
benches, and the high, fairy tower
with its golden clock, was at their
side; the great thoroughfare de-
serted, save for wandering shadow,
a fare-up of gasoline at a fruit stand
and late car switching noisily over
the echoing stones.
"Why?" he repeated. Because
never do anything reasonable, /
suppose. Kismet. I'm made differ
emily or started wrong. Even Eff
sees that; she wouldn't change me.
You must have realized that about
me" he said, turning and looking at
her.
II don't know" she said family.
His head was in shadow, but she
felt the luminous eyes looking down
into hers.
"They say lot of nasty things
about me, | suppose. If they only
knewl Pm the one who pays. It's
seeking an ideal-chasing a will-o'-
the-wisp-the longing for beauty"
"You must have suffered" she
said Involuntary, Suffered a great
deal. Is it worth it?"
at is worth it," he said solemniy.
"And | am willing to suffer all
again" he added, in a low voice.
In all this there was nothing per-
sonal, yet every word he said came
directly to her. She sank her head
in the furs till only her eyes showed
under the low brim of her hat. The
light of an arc-lamp flashed across
his set lips, and the eyes that burn