Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-10

girls transfer themselves to your
charge. You may HE yourselves tc
you wicked demi tasses.' I'll take
me wife and her lady friend home
out of danger
How Major Grantland Forestalled
Dicky.
/ think Hugh Grantland was never
nearer on explosion of temper than
he was when Dicky made his nom
chalant proposal to transfer Lillian
! aud me to our car and take us home
tleaving the officer to transport little
Mrs. Durkee, her son and the Fair
fax girls to the beach for dinner.
Whether intentional or not, and
gave Dicky the benefit of the doubt,
my husbands voice and manner
while making the suggestion was
filled with patronizing possessive-
ness. If he had said in SO many
words, run along little boy. You've
been very kind, but Pm in charge
now, and you don't need to bother
any longer" he could not have made
his meaning clearer.
One hand of the officers was rest
ing idly on the wheel, the other upon
his knee. I saw one grip the steer
ing gear fercely, saw the other
clench into a fist, and wondered
panic-st stricken if he would resent
Dicky's manner 1 know my hus-
bands hot temper, feared scene if
the officer did not regain his usual
icy poise.
To my surprise, despite my panic,
| found my sympathies instinctively
ranged behind Major Grantland.
Usually l am for Dicky, right or
wrong, but the knowledge of his
dawdling enjoyably with Alfred
Durkee and the Fairfax girls in mo-
tor excursions while | was i'll had
struck me cruelty. | was not quite
ready to be taken up again like a
doll that has been neglected for
time and then picked up again in
hurry because its owner sees some
other child admiring it.
| need not have feared, however.
The young officer has matriculated
in too severe a life school to allow
his temper to get the better of him
when he doesn't wish it to do so.
But he allowed himself one little de-
parture from the conventional.
Bending his head low over the
steering wheel as if to adjust some
thing, he spoke softly, but measured
ly, as if between clenched teeth:
"Does this proposal meet your
wish?"
Dicky Is Piqued.
My reply was prompt, though
evasive.
at is better 50, butt am sorry
Ny sense of justice would not al
low me to say less, and | was glad
that I had uttered the words when
I saw his face brighten and the grip
of his hands loosen
The bitof by-play had taken but
moment, and | was reasonably
sure that it had been unnoticed. And
when the officer spoke was as
tonished to hear his voice holding
note altogether foreign to it-that
of reckless gayety.'
81 ought to quarrel with you. I
suppose, Graham" he said, smiling,
"for depriving me of your wife's So
ciety, but when you give me such a
charming exchange ] am dumb. Al
low me, Mrs. Graham"
And ! had thought him awkward
ir handling situation!
OF course, | saw, as could any one
used to observing the varying tenn
peraments of men and women. that |
he was naturally shy and self con-
scious with women, because little |
used to their society, but that he |
was the type of man whom emer-
gencies or strong excitement stirnu
late to a facility of manner, per-
lection of poise otherwise foreign to
them. As he spoke le descended to
the ground and turned with out
hand to assist me to alight.
His uuickness efectually forestalled
Dicky, who had jumped as quickly !
from the tonneau of our own ma
chine and was hurrying toward US,
evidently with the purpose Of help
ng me out. Il
| have never seen my husband
ook ridiculous before, but when he
.ealized that Major Grantland had
neatly and effectually thwarted him
ne pulled himself up so quickly that
The effect to an onlooker was dis
-inctly lhdicrous. I heard little Mrs:
Durkee chuckle behind me. and
aoped that Major Grantland did not
notice her mirth.
What Grantland Asked.
<Dicky, however. can always be de-
pended upon to "fall upon his feet"
IN almost the same minute that he
,alted he had made a cleverly bur.
esqued grandiose bow to the oftlcer
md me, pulling off an imaginary
,lumed hat as he did so, and flour
shing it in a long sweep.
"Very much after you, my dear-
israntland," he paraphrased gayly:
And let me thank you on behalf OF
10Th Mrs. Graham and myself for
,our care of her" |
He walked toward US, offered me
lis arm as gallantly as if he indeed
lad been cavalier of old. His eyes
we're bright, his face flushed. Alto
,ether he was so handsome, so pic
uresque figure that, woman-like. |
ELI INV recruitment against him |