Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-07-03

scene, Mr.. Coward. That COW
punchcr! l always knew it would
come out some time. oh, if the pa
perS should learn Of this :"
That's all YOU think Of" Irene re-
torted. "A scene. and the papers. You
don't trouble to even wonder what
was the occasion Of the scene. You're
AFRAID of the papers. I'm not. III
give the whole story to them tomor-
row. I'll tell that you insulted him,
Coward, and how you stood there,
grinning. gaping coward under the
muZZle of his gun. How | wish | had
Il phO.o Graph of il, :" she exclaimed
with a little hySterical laugh 1T
would look fine on the front page"
She broke into pcalS of laughter and
rushed up the stairs.
In the morning She was very sober
and pale. and marks of distress and
SteepleSSneSS were furr0wed in her
face. She greeted her mother with
cold civility and left her breakfast
untouched. She gave part of her
breakfast to Charlie; it was a saving
balm to her To have someone upon
whom she could pour affection. Then
she went To the telephone. She called
Dawes office. Nothing was known of
Mr.. Etden; he had been working there
last night; he was not down vet. She
called his apartments. There was no
answer. Then she tried a new num-
Der.
Hello, is that the office of the Call?
Will you let me speak to"
Her mother interrupted almost fran
tca'ly: Irene, you are not going TO
tell the papers? You mustn't do that.
Think of what 1t means-the dis
grace-a shooting affair almost, in our
home. Think of me, your mother"
"I'll think of you on one COnSidera-
tion-that you explain what happened
Eden is" -
Il can't explain. don't know. And
! don't know"
And you don't want to know And
you don't care, so long as you can keep
ii out of the papers. / do. I'm going
W hli' 'ut NiiC ldNlS ubOul llilS, IL
every paper in the country should
print them. Hello. Yes, l want to
speak to Miss Morrison"
In a few words she explained Dawes
sudden disappearance, stripping the
incident of all hut vital facts. Bert
Morrison was all sympathy. IT'S
big story. you know" she said, "but
we won't think Of IT thar way Not
line. 80 far as am concerned,
Edith Duncan is the girl we need. A
sort of adopted sister to Dave. She
may know more than any of u.s."
But Edith knew absolutely nothing
nothing except that her own heart was
thrown into turmoil of emotions.
She spent the day and the evening
downtown. rotating about the points
where Dave might likely be found.
And the next morning she called on
Irene Hardy.
In spite of all efforts at self-c0ntrol
she trpmbled as she pressed the bell.
She had never met Irene Hardy; II
was going to he strange experience
introducing IlClSti1 W llit N'liislil WIN
had been preferred over her and who
bed apparently proved so unworthy of
that preference
She had difficult things TO say, and
even while she said them. she must
fight Il la tie to the death with the
jc;' iousy of her natural womanhoOd.
And she must be very. very careful
that m saying things which were hard
20 say she did not say hard things.
And. most difficult Of all, she must try
To pave the wav to Il reconciliation be-
~ cen Dave and the woman who stood
he. cen her and happiness.
Ircl:e attended the door. as was her
custom. Her eyes took in Edith's face
and figure with mild surprise. Edith
WAS conscious of the process of a
quick intellect endeavoring TO classify
her-solicitor. music teacher. bust
ness girl? And in that moment of
p:usa she saw Irene'S eyes and a
strange cornmutiOn of feeling surged
through her So this was the woman
Dave had chosen TO love!
No: one docs not choose whom one
will love; one loves without choosing.
Edith WAS conscious of that; she knew
That IN her own life. And even as she
looked his first zine upon Irene she
hecame aware of subtle attraction
gathering about her; she felt some
thing of that power which had held
Dave 10 a single course through all
these years. And suddenly great
new truth was born in Edith Duncan.
Suddenly she realized that if the steel
nj any time prove unfaithful 10 the
r.nrnpt the fault lies not in the steel
but I'm The magnet. What II change of
view. wha II reversion of all accepted
things came with the realization If
that truth which roots down into the
bedrock of all nature! -.
won't you come in?" Irene was
saving. Her voice was sweet and mu-
steal. but there was a note of sadness
I'm il which set responsive chords
a-tremble all through Edth's heart.
81 am Edith Duncan" she managed
10 saw. IL think ! have something
70 say that may interest you"
There was quick leap in lrene's
eyes: the leap 0f that intuitive temi-
nine sense of danger which so seldom
errs in dealing with its own sex, and
is vet, so unreliable a defense from
the dangers of the other. Mrs. Hardy
raS i'm the living room.