South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-14

glad you can come boon-bye-
Helen Maynes hung the telephone
receiver on it's hook. leaned back in
her Office chair and smiled She
lifted the receiver again.
"Royalton apartments? Give me
Miss Maynes' apartment. please. III
know Miss Maynes isn't in for I am
she Her maid Is. That you. Ber-
tina? 1 will have two guests to din
ner tomorrow evening Make your
plans accordingly. please. No. a 4
simple betwixt and between war
dinner Let me have your menu
when you bring the coffee in the
morning. III dine at the club to-
night
The active receiver was not al
lowed TO rest. Again it was lifted.
THAT you, Mabel" It was Miss
Haynes voice How are you. Sis?
Wait until I finish. Jim Belmont is
in town. I heard Of it indirectly.
One OF my clients mentioned him in
"A business way. I've invited him 70
dine with me. and told him you
would be there. VIII you come?
Bring Harry? 40. Sorry. Nothing
wrong. am in a hurry. Can't
talk longer. Shall expect you at
/ quarter OF seven? Bye bye"
Although Helen Maynes had said
she was busy she set for helf hour
at her desk thinking. The perpen-
dicular line that ploughed into her
ordinarily smooth brow while a
I knOtty problem awaited solving, ap-
peared and tarried Even after she
had made her desk neat, slammed
down the lid, scrubbed her hands
/ free from the days dust, straight
ened her hat over her ink black
hair. taken the elevator and swung
out into the dusk and turned up the
semi-lighted avenue on her way to
| the Professional Women's club, the
/ furrow remained
The next afternoon she was BRUSH
| ing back some disarranged strands
OF hair. when a tense sweet voice
addressed Bertha from the hall:
Has my sister come in? Good
1 should like TO go straight to her
room. She won't mind"
| Mabel Cummings pretty face
i-shaded by its aaureole of fair hair,
was as her voice, at that moment
tense II was paler than usual. Her
violet eyes were strained.
! Helen, what does this mean ?
/ After all your lectures. All the way
back from Bueons Aires you scolded
about my Irritation with Jim Bel
mont. You said you didn't like him
and lauded Harry as no sister-in-
law ever did or ever will again. Now
you're inviting the man 20 dinner,
throwing me straight at his head"
| Nonsense" Helen Maynes
studied her profile in a hand glass
to assure herself that her hair was
smooth and needed no extra pin.
But 1 can't make you out, Helen.
Have you gone back on your broth
er-in-law?"
! mo"
A ring at the door bell ended the
/ catechism.
! James Belmont. promoter. eyes
! close together and eyebrows meet
| ing, rose 10 greet the sisters as they
entered the tiny drawing room. AS
he rose the pocket of his gray coat
caught the fiuted edge OF a tiny
| Venetian vase, swung IL into a cor
ner and shattered IL.
A red tide of embarrassment
mounted 20 his face. His brows
knit in an irritable line. The smile
he had prepared stiffened on his
lips.
so glad to see you, Mr.. Belmont.
Don't mind that trivial bit of glass.
You remember my sister, Mrs. Harry
Cummings?"
The Belmont countenance grew a
deeper crimson. Perfectly / hope
Mrs. Cummings hasn't forgotten
me"
Mabers violet eyes rested upon
him in the half dusk OF her sisters
drawing room with a look SO differ
ent than that which they had
turned up TO his on a certain tropic
night that he was warranted in ask
ing the question.
Yes, indeed, i recall many
courtesies that made the trip short
err" She placed her hand. long and
slim and snowy in his Once he had
/ whispered 10 neT De0edln the stars
on that tropical night that were so
near and softly brilliant that her
hand reminded him OF lilies that
he lOnged to crush them as he had
crushed lily petals to enjoy their
fragrance. He would not have
dared 10 repeat that speech tonight.
Perhaps because Helen Maynes
was present. He had disliked her as
much as he had liked the fair and
fragile one. But tonight her dark
eyes held a frank. friendly regard.
II was the violet eyes Of her sister
that were the tenants of distrust and
a vague dislike.
You were good enough TO say
might come just as I was. straight
from the office" he reminded Helen.
Certainly" she assured him. She
gafy chartered. Mabel family
smiled The dinner though IL was
Bertha's South Carolina best palled.
Helen struck the key OF the con-
versat ton. It was essentially practi-
cal. Would the chemists OF Argen-
tina and Brazil and Bolivia be- able
] ., vonTa0n axraz