Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-05-09
The
Prom oter'S
Wife
By JANE PHELPS.
Bah is HEARTBROKEN BECAUSE
NEIL HAS BEEN DRINKING.
nITADnu,D WYNN
By JANE PHELPS.
Copyright, George Mathew Adams)
CHAPTER LXXXVII.

myself with two or three small din
ners, and by taking her to the theatre
and driving. Neil was at home very
little scarcely more often than be.
fore she came, | could see that it was
hat times an effort for him to cncen.
trate his mind upon what either of us
were saying, and l worried accord
inEly.
1 begged MIN 10 tell me what he
was doing that he could not be more
at h)me, could not give his aunt the
attention it seemed his respect for hel
ema. lded. He only shrugged and asked
me not to annoy him.
"Fhave all l can take care of with
iout listening to your reproaches," he
said. Il am putting-trying to rather
"a big deal. l can't be worried about
Aunt having good time. You surely
should be able to entertain her; her
ideas are very simple
1t isn't that Neil; She is your aunt
know. But I am fond of her, and
imagine she feels hurt because you
aren't with us more
"Nonsense!-if you want to bring
her down town to the Lawyers Club
or luncheon tomorrow you mav Then
you can plan for a matinee or some
thing afterward.
That will be nice, | am sure she will
be pleased to lunch there. l know
always am. We will take Robert for a
drive in the park first. She simply re-
fuses to be separated from him and he
from her. She told me yesterday that
she never thought she could become
so fond of child as she had of him. -
He's a great kid"
You don't know half how cunning
he is, you see so little of him. He is
way ahead of his classes; his teacher
told me. last week she had to hold him
back, that he was almost too bright
for his age. He speaks French wonder
fully we'll, his accent is much better
than mine. | wish mother had made
me learn languages when l was his
age instead of waiting until l was al
Qost young lady"
Eyes, you can't commence too ear
H." Neil answered but absent mind
eddy. That was the way he was now.
His mind did not seem to be upon
anything I said for more than a mo-
ment or two. | longed to beg him to
talh to me. to tell me of his work,
but did not. When he was trying to
float one of his schemes he was i'm
patient, nervous and unlike himself.
There was one thing he had done,
rather left undone since his aunt
came. Not once had l seen him take
drink, neither had l detected it on
his breath. She was absolutely oppos-
ed to liquor in any form, and knew
it would pain her greatly if she knew
that Neil resorted to it, even when
worn out nervously: or when in com
pany with men who habitually in
dulged.
Then one night he came home more
nearly drunk than l had ever seen
him. 1t had happened two days be-
fore he had proposed we lunch down
town with him. He had not come home
to dinner had not come in until about
midnight Fortunately his aunt had
lust gone to her room. He was noisy
ana quarrelsome. | had a bad half
hour with him. I was so afraid she
would hear him and come down to see
what the matter was. Finally got him
to bed and soon he was sleeping. |
was almost heartbroken. l never had
become accustomed to his taking Ii
uuor, even ever so little. And to see
him in such a maudlin and quarrel
some condition was degrading for him
and for me.
In the morning he had been very
penitent. He had called me a good
girl'' because l had kept it from his
aunt and from the servants. And
had given me his solemn promise new
err to offend to such an extent again.
If l do I won't come home" he
had added.
But 1 far rather you would come
home than to let others see you in
that condition" l returned. 1T is
5ad enough for me to know it.
should be ashamed indeed if it were
publicly known that you could so far
forget yourself as to drink too much. "
You make mountains out of mole
hills, Bab. But don't look so serious,
have promised, haven't ~
les, aedl." But somehow l hadn't
the faith in his promises l used to
hare. But l wouldn't let him see it.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Refuses to Con-