The Washington herald., 1920-09-30
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

SN-' ~ IL AAOlA 1 aNL O.Nbs
they dined at French or Italian
tables d'hote in a cloud Of smoke.
and brag and unshorn hair. Jess
learned to drink a cocktail in or
der to get the cherry. At home
she smoked cigarette after
dinner. She learned to pronounce
Chianti, and leave her olive stones
for the waiter to pick up. Once
she essayed to say la, la, la, in
crowd but got only as far as the
second one. They met one or two
couples while dining out and be-
came friendly with them. The
sideboard was stocked with Scotch
and rye and liqueur. They had
Uneir new friends in to dinner
and all were laughing at nothing
by l a. m. Some plastering fell
in the room beLn them. for
which Bob had to pay s4.5O. Thus
they footed it merrily on the
ragged frontiers of the country
;hat has no boundary lines or
government.
And soon Bob fell in with his
cronies and learned to keep his
foot on the little rail six inches
above the floor for an hour or so
very afternoon before he went
home. Drink always rubbed him
the right way, and he would
reach his rooms as jolly as a sand
boy. Jessie would meet him at
the door, and generally they
would dance some insane kind Of
a rigadoon about the floor by way
of greeting. Once when Bob's
feet became confused and he
tumbled headlong over a foot
stool Jessie laughed so heartily
and long that he had to throw all
the couch pillows at her to make
her hush.
In such wise life was speeding
Tor them on the day when Bob
Baobitt first felt the power that
the gittie gied him.
But let us get back to our lamb
and mint sauce.
When Bob got home that even
ing he found Jessie in a long
apron cutting up a lobster for the
Newburg Usually when Bob came
In mellow from his hour at the
bar his welcome was hilarious,
though somewhat tinctured with
Scotch smoke.
BY screams and snatches of
song and certain audible testimo-
mails Of domestic felicity was his
advent proclaimed When she
heard his foot on the stairs the
OLD maid in the ballroom always
stuffed cotton into her ears. Att
hrst Jessie had shrunk from the
rudeness and flavor of these spir-
itual greetings, but as the fog of
;he false Bohemia gradually en-
compassed her she came to accept
them as loves true and proper
greeting.
Bob came in without a word.
smiled, kissed her neatly but
noiselessly, took up a paper and
sat down. In the ballroom the old
maid held her two plugs of cot
ton poised. filed with anxiety.
and ran to him with frightened
eyes.
What's the matter, Bob, are
you ILL.,"
Not at all. dear"
Then what's the matter with |
you?"
Nothing"
Hearkcn, brethren. When She |
who-has-a-right-to-ask interro-
gates you concerning a change she |
hnds in your mood answer her
thus: Tell her that you. in a sud-
den rage. have murdered your
grandmother; tell her that you
have robbed orphans and that re-
morse has stricken you: tell her /
your fortune is swept away; that |
you are beset by enemies, by bum
Ions. by any kind of malevolent |
fatei but do not. if peace and hap
piness are worth as much as a |
grain of mustard seed to you-do |
not answer her. Nothing"
Jessie went back to the lobster |
in silence. She cast looks of dark
est suspicion at Bob. He had never /
acted that way before.
When dinner was on the table |
she set out the bottle of Scotch |