The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-06-16
Revelations
of a Wife
CHAPTER TX.
BY ADELE GARRISON.
How Madoe Escaped From Harry I'm.
dsrwood,

When saw Harry Underwood hur-
rying toward the door of the omni-
bus on the top of which I was riding,
rose from my seat in wild idea Of
flight
I knew that he intended to join me.
I felt that I could not ride up Fifth
avenue conspicuously seated upon the
top Of bus with this man by my side.
But second thought made we stay
where / was. I could not reach the
street and get away unobserved. He
would meet me coming down. / had
experience enough of his persistence
to know that he would turn and walk
with me wherever / went. was
afraid he would urge me to have
lunch with him.
unreasoning and silly as I felt the
feeling to be, yet really felt safer
with him on the top of an onluibus
than / would walking with him on
the street. l resolved to stay where
I was, to treat his appearance in the
most matter-of- way, and to invent
an errand in some part of the up
town route of the bus which would
enable me to leave him suddenly.
So when I heard his deep voice a
moment later i was dOle 10 return
his greeting coolly.
inspecting the street Of the Big
Bluff? How do you like it?" He
bowed mockingly.
Very much indeed. Why do you
call it that?"
II could only keep the CONVEX
sation at this pitch / need not fear
any unpleasantness other than the
dislike I always had Of his presence.
'Oh, simply because it holds more
Bluffs to the square foot than any
other street in the world"
He stood expectantly by my seat.
I had hoped he would take either the
seat opposite to me or the one be-
hind me, and I had not made room
for him. But he laid his hand on the
back of the seat as If he were going
to sit down. and. willy-nilly, I had
to move over.
The seats on top of the buses are
narrow enough when two slenderly-
built people share them. I am slen-
der, but Harry Underwood is a big
man, tall and massive-framed.
lshrank over as close to the side OF
the seat as could get, but / could
not escape being crowded uncomfort-
ably against him.
Now we are nice and cosey," he
said audaciously slipping his arm
across the back of the seat.
II l had made many trips on the omni-
nus in the old cousinly days with
JAck. Before we were married Dick
and I had taken two or three blissful
rides upon this seat, or one just like
1T.
The memory of those rides, the
peaceful and blissful ones, made this
enforced one taken in the company OF
a man I detested. even more hate
| full than it would have been ordin-
arily.
"How is Mrs. Underwood this
morning?" I resolved to take the
conversation into my own hands, and
keep it there.
VERY well, thank you" He put
| his fingers in his mouth and mimicked
small girl repeating first lesson
in courteous answer.
81 am so glad" said. ignoring his
buffonery. IT was so afraid she
would be ill after her hard work last
night.
"She was a bit upset after we got
home, but she was all right this morn
ling when she left for the studio"
| I wonder what business or profess
sion this man could have to enable
him to stroll idly down Fifth avenue
in the late afternoon. while his wife
was busy at the studio. l meant to
ask Dicky about it.
| but / didn't come up here to talk
about Lii, my dear Miss Iceberg"
| I interrupted him hastily. 1 had nc
Intention of letting our talk get away
from me.
| "Do you know I experienced most
embarrassing. annoying sequel to our
adventure of last night?"
The speech showed my desperation
Ten minutes earlier I could have
imagined no emergency which would
lead me to retail my experience OF the
morning. But I was determined not
to let this man begin his embarrass-
ling personalities.
| you don't say!" He was all pre-
tended interest. / saw that he imag-
ined 1 had dropped my unfriendly
latitude toward him.
! Yes, indeed. The maid brought
back the hot water bottle early this
morning before we were up. and told
Katie the baby was better"
Rather ungracious way to return
it."
THAT is what / told Dicky. But hi
said they were probably so upset tina
they did not think of conventionalities-'
That's just like old Dicky. He al.
ways has an excuse for everybody"
YES. I know. But when I tell hin
what happened I think he will admit
my first judgment Of them wa.
fright"
Tell me. I am sure you are al.
ways right
/ When / started for my walk
thought it would be only decent t
stop at the door and inquire abou
4 the baby"
/ did you get the door slammed IL
iyour face?"
i Not quite But the maid left mi
lstanding while she went in and tolt
her mistress I was there Then I hart
the baby's mother say in low tone
oh. that woman from across the hall
II suppose shall have to see her.