New Britain herald., 1920-11-04
The Way Dicky Amazed and Then
 Delighted Madge.

DenSnteu NIauRe.
 Dlcky's sudden gust of anger at what he termed the cursed self sufficiency'' of Lillian and myself van ished as suddenly as it had appeared. But the anger was much less impress sive to me than the resumption of his unusual serious authoritative man. ner with which he said quietly:
 Let me tell you something my dear. You, of course, have certain inalien- able rights as a woman, and all the rest Of it-you probably can spiel the proper jargon a great deal better than can-but there are two things, I think, you sometimes are perilously near forgetting in your dRire to see that everybodys happinesSis straight ened out according to Hoyle-' He paused, while struggled with nervous humiliated tears, for there was something stronger than ridicule in his last words. l wondered if he | really considered me the "meddle- some Matty'' which his caustic words | seemed to imply.
 One of these things, the lesser in | importance" ho resumed, slowly, ''is | the fact that you happen to be my | wife, and that I have-or am sup posed to have-a certain responsibil- | ity for your safety. The other is. | that you are Juniors mother, and | that you have no. moral, legal or any | other kind of right'-his voice sud- denly grew sterner and deeper than | had ever known Dicky's voice to be-"to jcopardize yourself in any way because of him.
 I strengthened myself in my seat, preparing to defend myself against this astonishing indictment. Dicky Commands. But Dicky," I stammered, and I never in our lives together had felt quite so subdued, so chastened, so young as I did in this unexpected moment so amazing to me. II don't see how I risked anything in this affair of Rita Brown"
 You don't ch?" Dicky fairly snap ped the words at me. well, I do and in a few moments I'll elucidate a few things to your benighted intel Iigence! But in the meantime, sup pose you tell me a few minute de- tails. Tess .up,. now-just how did this mess get stirred Gp?"
 I set my lips obstinately. What I had done about Rita Brown was my own affair. I could tell Dicky that. But without revealing the fact that Leila had believed the things Rita had said, I could not give my reasons for interfering. That was a secret which had pledged my little friend to keep from her. fiance. I could not betray it to her husband
 I was prepared for anything from Dicky, save a peal of laughter. AS look cd at him in angry amaze ment he leaned over and patted my cheek in much the way that he would have tried to pacify an angry child.
 Don't be angry, old dear" he coaxed, but it is too funny to see you protecting the secrets of your friends with your hearts blood. Of course, there's no use putting Ali on -he's too much in love just now to be quite sane-but don't try to pull any wool over my eyes. Let me re- hearse the scene for you.''
 He stopped and struck a theatrical attitude.
 A Revelation of Love.
 Lovely Prosecuted Heroine comes to Faithful Woman Friend" he be- gan. Says she to her, Rita Browns been telling some perfectly awful things about me steady, and every things all off," says she to her. 'Boo-hoo! I think I'm going to die"
 "'Fear not" says Faithful Woman Friend. I'll fix things. I'm the original little fixer for this here quar- ter of the globe. Be calm" says F. w. F. Curtain drops
 Next act. F. w. F., disguised as the original female detecatif, gets word to her soulmate-also a general fxer in little old New Yawk-and Souley sends on pronto some done