The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-16

the corner of the large empty cneSt something glittered. I stopped and picked it up--it was flashing tas- sel of blue and green beads dropped from the ttnkel girdle. For mo ment I stood with it in my nand depths of the chest and banged the lid shut. Would I ever be rid of that robe?
 A clock chimed the half hour and I flew to look at my roast. I pasted done to perfection. The carrots would get a bit dry and tough waiting for them. A glance at the time able in my cook book had said, "Carro4s- 45 minutes" So 1 lowered the burn CTS in the oven.
 I busted myself with the mint sauce, put the potatoes on to boil, made the salad dressing, and sliced the tomatoes, took my pineapple fluff out of the mold and finished two. No Jim.
 entirely My housewifely instincts made me determine that my nice lamb roast shouldn't be overdone -delicately pink it would be deli | cious, and could be served cold for tomorr nights dinner. I set back the potatoes and the mint sauce, left the carrots simmering and came ! uneasily into the living room. | It was all wife now-the house wife left behind in the kitchenette- MT. Mason's apartment was only few blocks away Jim had taken 1 enough time already to do the trip go out again? Had his trip of the morning worn him out? Was I a selfish wife who, for the sake of her ] own peace of mind, had sent brave war-cripple out on a trivial erran' that was exhausting him? 1 I crossed to the wfndow-not the one where the chest stood!-and peered out. Jim was nowhere to be seen. The street wore the air of de- sertion that's typical of Sunday at 2. A taxi turned the corner and drove
 to our door. My heart sank Jim I-ill perhaps. Trembling, I stood waiting for him to be lifted from the | cab.
 Then the door opened and a wom-
 an stepped out of the taxi. She wore a beautiful dress of orchid-col-
 a cape of purple satin, Orchid col
 ored? She looked like an orchid
 a familiar orchid. She paid the driver and looked up. @
 | It was Betty Bryce!
 | The curtain shook under my hand What was Betty Bryce doig back ir | town? How had she found us:
 How could she have found us-have
 known our address, unless Jim ha6 sent it to her-unless Jim had beer
 writing to her?
 A wave of angry jealousy swep
 over me and l stood staring witt
 dull malignity at the taxi that hat brought her to our door. And in
 second it drove away and the orchid
 figure vanished through the entranc,
 of our building.
 Il I stood with beating heart strug
 ling for composure.
 | Then came the whir of the tele phone bell. I crossed the room anC
 took down the receiver.
 Mrs. Rryce," announced the oper
 ator
 Ask her to come up," I retufne, mechanically.
 And mechanically I continued t,
 try to puzzle out the mystery O
 Betty's return to town and her dis covery of us-though, of course, botI
 would be explained in a very fev
 minutes.
 Then, hoping I was going to man
 age it with some of the finesse tha
 was one of the things in Jim's worl,
 l most admired, l opened the doc to greet her.
 ''This is nice surprise said
 whether to be proud of my insincer
 ity-or to be ashamed of it, puzzle, me; but it turned to sincerity unde
 the warm freindliness of Betty's eve < and words.
 She took my hands in her strons steady white ones and I saw agail her right hand-that scar whicl stood for the new chivalry and self
 sacrifice of womanhood.
 One of the incest things abou . coming back is seeing you agair { Princess Anne,' said she. Now let
 put me into an apron so I can heI you with the dinner party you don
 know you're giving,'
 l entered into the spirit of he l fr1endllness and liked myself for dc
 ing it. Then Betty explained. an @ I was gladder than ever that I ha t been decent even before Betty mad f 1t all clear: "I got back only ye. t terday, and there wasn't soul { n help me strip covers off my furn
 ture and make the place habitahl e Terry came over to explain about tt new work of rehabilitating cripple k here in New oYrk-and we were C e our way to a dreary Sunday dim,
 in a hotel when We saw Jim runnir h down the steps of a house over ( h the other side of the Arch. He toe .s pity on us and invited us here. AT q l took pity on you and taxied ahea h to warn you.
 e Now may I have an apron rig, l. away quick? The boys will be he ,s in just about five minutes' I In spite of my protests. Betty i le sisted on taking that lavender lov m llness into the realm of pots al B pans. Off came the satin turba r, draped high on the left. as Ratt1 = ! - cape, and Betty pinned up her chi St fons and hid them away under u
 pink and white checks of my pretr - est bungalow apron. And she look, an aristocrat even in thati Anne, do you see much of To Mason ?'' demanded Betty suddenly. All the warm friendliness fled. started before the attack So Ii had told her about Tom and u robe. I resented it, and all the mo since my husband had assured r the whole thing wasn't worth tai ing about.
 .why do you ask ?'' I warilv i quired.
 Isn't it natural, little frien, Here you and Jim are-esta bIish in his apartment Tom Mason is cad, Anne-a cad, and a-gre ! lover of the heautiful You're we llovely-but surely, Jim tells you tn a hundred times a day-wel1, dol let that Mason man tell you, too.'' l Jim had not told me that | thought me lovely for longer tn l liked to remember. I resent