Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-02-24
MR.. FREDERICk'S OBJECT IN
CALLING UPON BARBARA.
CHAPTER XIV

| Cf1AH / Fit AA1N.
| had somewhere heard that one
of the great joys of married life lay in
its surprises To be able to say and
do things at a moments notice, in
stead of arranging and calculating
everything in advance.
do not agree.
The surprises of my married life
have not been joys-not many of them
Things done at a moments notice have
not turned out as satisfactorily as
they might l do not believe I like
surprises of any kind.
! | thought of Mr.. Frederick as pre-
pared for bed He was awfully plain
looking, there was no use denying that.
Yet his face was calculated to inspire
confidence. Yet neither his appear
ance or his manners could have been
very much use in making him the very
wealthy man he had become. That he
was ruggedly honest, one felt positive
| wondered idly what it was that he
wanted to see me about.
But after had switched off the light
and had lain down, 1 forgot that any
such person as Mr. Frederick existed.
My thoughts veered to Neil and the
business which had taken him to Bos-
| ton. That business about which he
was so secretive. Then, all suddenly,
Blanche Orion popped in my mind. On
the day after my little dinner party l
had decided to dismiss all jealousy of
her as futile. But just as person
who thinks about love-considers the
possibility of being in love-ends by
loving, so a person who ponders on
whether or no he has cause for jeal-
ousy ends by becoming jealous,
So | once more suffered the pain of
jealousy of Blanche orion. Once more
I recalled every word of praise Neil
had ever spoken of her l writhed as
| remembered what he had said about
her being able to influence business
men where l could not / felt like
writing Neil to come home at once,
| that l was jealous and he must come
and tell me how he loved me, and
make me forget that Blanche orion
existed
Strangely, however, my last waking
thought was of Mr.. Frederick, and a
sleepy wonder regarding what he
wanted.
The next day was very unpleasant,
so l busted myself about the apart
ment, doing little odd jobs that always
wait for a rainy day to be done-ra-
Their, for a housewife to have the grit
to attack.
All the morning l kept thinking of
Mr. Frederick, wondering what he had
to tell me. He came promptly at
three o'clock. At first he seemed a
bit awkward and | began to think he
was just making a social call. But
there had been something in his man
; ner the night before which precluded
that. He had an object. / would try
to put him at ease then he would
tell me what it was. So l chatted
about the play we had seen, and other
things until suddenly he stopped me.
81 have come here this afternoon to
say something, and, being blunt man
I am going to say it."
Eyes, Mr.. Frederick, knew you had
some purpose in calling"
He looked at me keenly, and I
thought / detected CLEAN of admir-
alton in his gray eyes. But if it was
there, it was already gone when he
began to speak.
Your husband is young man
compared to me He is a very smart
young man-too smart, | am afraid.
think you have great influence with
him; you must have You are SEN
sible, leyel-headed woman Hold him
back. He wants to make money too
fast"
"But I do not urge him to make
money!"
| "No-but you are extravagant. You
live, you dress, you entertain as