Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-24
CHAPTER XXXV.

surprised even herself, but these
once over, the old habits Of ire
sponsibility and self-indulgence re-
sumed their sway. Old habits led her
to satisfy her desires without fur
Their tax on her conscience than the
need Of deceiving herself as to her
motive. She wished to see Monte
Bracken, so she easily persuaded
herself that the new intimacy which
developed was in reality working for
his happiness and the interests OF
Fiji Nordstrum. But, week before,
that independent young lady clari-
fed the situation by announcing her
engagement to a western engineer
without a cent or a social connee-
ton, sublimely confident in his own
star-a conviction which Fiji cheer
fully shared After her surprise had
subsidized, Amy was well-enough
pleased with this denouement. She
had performed her whole duty, and
she was now absolved Monte
Bracken in future would be on tne
basis of any other attractive man of
the world, forewarned OF the terms
and limitations of the intimacy per-
mitted. ..5.
A certain stiffness settled on the
party, despite the determined eff
forts of Kitty Lightbody and the
usual minstrel patter of Jap LaraCy
and Tody Dawson. 1t had neither
the intimacy of a tete-a-tete nor
the opportunities of a crowd. Brack-
Ell was in bad humor; the converse
ton plainly bored him and, having
no intention of descending to its
level, he retired behind his cigar.
Amy shared his impotence. 1t was
not thus that she had looked for
ward to this excursion. Tody Daw-
son, knowing himself in a false po-
sition, houndered on heavily, seek
ing to conciliate Amy by being
amusing without perceiving how
much he bored her. At such mo-
ments. the gentlest of women arc
capable of a refinement of cruelty.
Really, Tody," she said, with
shrug of her shoulders, "if yon are
going to be amusing. you must learn
some new tricks. Those jokes are
very old. I know them by heart"
Tody Dawson's face went blank
under the reproof.
ITS too far to SWIM" he said,
glancing at the distant shore with
an attempt to cover up his misery.
He turned tip his collar and said,
with a submissive bow: I'm
crushed. Put me in corner and
punish me-"
He went up forward in gloomy
dignity where, in a moment, Kitty
Lightbody. after an exchange OF
glances with Amy, went to console
him with Jap Laracy.
"Now. / suppose I've hurt his
feelings" said Amy, "but really |
those boys do get on my nerves
sometimes"
Bracken's good humor returned
instantly.
mo great harms done. They'll !
amuse themselves" He drew lip his |
chair by hers. 81 can't abide the
type. Haven't you progressed be-
yond them?"
dts rather hard to drop them all |
at once" she said pensively, land |
they are so convenient"
He looked at her,~his amusement |
returning as his ill-humor cleared.
Eyes, of course they are convent
emit" he agreed. 81 suppose they fill
a place in the lives of YOU women
that real men could not. We ought |
to be grateful for that"
Are you in a very bad humor,
Monte?" she said, glancing up at
him. In the last month they had pro-
crossed to the intimacy of their first
names.
"Not now. Can't we manage to
lose them in town somehow" he
said suddenly. "The ride home
oughtn't to be spoiled"
She shook her head slowly.
"a sailor and butler are chape-
rons enough surelyW
mo; / can't do that" she
firmly. She had often, in
self-defense, fallen back on her in
tention to remain a virtuous wife.
The phrase flashed into her mind,
but she decided not to employ it on
Monte. Instead, she added decidedly,
Il won't be talked about
you're strange person" he said
I'm like that" she said quietly.
"You know my ideas"
"At the bottom" he said rebelli-
ously, 81 believe one man is just the
same to you as another. Despite all |
you say about the Tody Dawsons in
this world" /
"Well?" she said, as he stopped.
Total docility and innocuousness
are quite sufficient"
She laughed.
II give you permission to abuse
me-"
Monte Bracken had returned into
her life at critical moment. II was
not that she was tired of society,
but that she was momentarily tired
by it. The dramatic thrill of her per-
sonal triumph at the Versailles fete
had been the climax of her season.
After those dazzling hours, every
thing else seemed tame in COM
par:son. She had felt let down. A
new mental progression had come
that moment which arrives to every