Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-09
MOONLIGHT AND MONEY.
BY Marion Rubincam.
BETTER AND WORSE.
ChaDter LVI.


Two elements were at work about
Louise. Improved physical conditions
were building her up n little; for rest
good food, sleep and care will benefit
| even the broken hearted. But nervously
she was worse. Her mother had been
ordered to bed by the doctor, where she
wore herself out fretting and wore out
everybody who waited on her. Hef
mothers condition, worry over Harry
and the inevitable dread of the tremcnd-
GUS unknown experience OF motherhood,
were undoing whatever good the material
comforts were accomplishing 1t remained
TO be seen which condition would trl-
umph in her case.
Still she did look better. Her girl
friends, coming in with frivolous gossip
to cheer her up, and with dainty offerings
for the baby that was to come, remarked
on her day-by-day Improvement. lier
mother was less tiattering. she merely
said, rs she watched the pathetic look
around Louise E mouth.
"For heavens sake, don NOPE all the
time Don't you imagine | feel awful
enough. without having to look at a
walking graveyard?
And Louise, stung to the quick, but
not daring to reply, fairly ran from her
room.
1t was Carol who frightened the gloom
of that day for her Carol came IN looking
more gorgeous than ever with an arIniui
of roses to send in 10 Mrs. Nrisc0m.
THEY'RE unusually lovely" Louise
commented as she arranged them in a
large jar.
They are" Carol commented cheer
fully. "Brcck sent them to me. You see,
every time he docs anything he knows |
won't like, he sends me an extra expensive
bunch of roses or brings me home some
iewelry or else buys opera tickets. 1t s
TO salve his conscience The poor boy
doesn't know that he gives himself away
absolutely by his kind attentions to has
wife
what do you mean?" Louise asked,
smiling back at Carols own smiling face.
'Hc has a system Carol explained.
''The only flaw is that he doesn't think
know it. When he takes another woman
to lunch he sends home flowers. II be
stays up half the night at the club losing
money playing cards, he buys me opera
tickets that keeps me out until late my
self, YOU see, SO I'm not SO apt 70 inquire
what he was doing all the time.
u see, Louise said.
"If It's ANYTHING more serious than That,
he buys me rings ard bracelets AMI bar
pins. He gave me a stunning diamond
when he went olf to a wild week end at the
Barlows and left me home
Louise looked al her curiouslv. This
woman did not talk quite like the Carol
Of the old davs She wondered whether
She liked the new note OF llippancy.
care YOU happy she asked suddenly
Dear heart. ycs. Carol answered,
and her voice was sincere though She
was laughing. u adore Breck and he
adores me. Do YOU think We should take
each other awfully seriously and stay At
home all the time
Mono" Louise answered, absently
readjusting the flowers in the lar. Doesn' t
Brock know YOU know what he does.
"Ie suspects but he ism I sure, Carol
said. Besides, he never does anything
awfullv bad I always wear his flowers
and rings and use his opera tickets and II
can find out where his luncheons with
pretty girls take place. ! hunt UP my
cousin Walter and lunch there, too, only
! choose a distant table and pretend !
don't sec him Walter watches and tells
me how uncomfortable he looks.
rs this the common sense principle
YOU told me once to apply 70 matrl-
Tnony?" Louise asked suddenly.
Its the common sense principle 70
apply to my marriage, Carol said
'.Breck is a dear, and he would never do
anything to hurt me / know. But he's
Young and good looking and he has been
spoiled all his life tie simply must play
about with lot Of admTing men and
women.
4 can't quite see myself applying
such a principle To Harry, though,
Carol looked at her quickly. There was
something infinitely appealing about the
droop Of her figure and her wIstful mouth.
Harry takes life seriously, and s. do
YOU. If either Of YOU ran about with
other folks. there ght be something IL it
to worry over It's Just froth and frlvolty
for Breck don't say like TO have Brock
going around with 50 many people, par
ticularlv ones | know are not especially
nice, But I'd hate To be married - any
one else. for ali that She paused q
moment and then went on.
u met Harry again at a tea Mrs
SALISBURY gave Yesterday lie looks
rather miserable himself ] don't want
YOU to tell me about il, honey, if you
don't want t0-on4y don't worry about
Harry. lie still NO rships the ground you
walk on
At the name OF the other woman,
Louise felt her heart contract again.
Nerves.
e-----
-xn,~ ~nrr Q, roo ~ Gr~rT r4SE