The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1920-06-03
Phyllis. her hands at her throat,

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her that Allan was jealous. or indeed
that he could care enough for her to
be Jealous.
at was talking about Louise Frey"
she said. THAT. and DR.. Hewitt bring,
ing up old times. Oh, why did I ask
about her.? He was contented-I
know he was c%ontented! He'd gotten
to like having me with him-he even
wanted me. oh, Allan, Allan!"
She did not want to cry down
stairs, so she ran for her own room.
There she threw herself down and
cried into a pillow till most OF the
case was wet. She was silly-she
knew she was silly. She tried to
think of all the things that were
still hers, the garden, the watch-bra.
celet, the leisure, the pretty gowns
but nothing, nothing seemed of any
consequence beside the fact that
she had not kissed Allan goodnight!
1t seemed the most intolerable thing
that had ever happened to her.
Chapter XIV.
It was just as well. perhaps, that
Phyllis did not do much sleeping
thai night, fol at about two Wallis
knocked at the door. 1t seemed like
history repeating itself when he
said: could you come to Mr.. Allan,
please? He seems ves.y bad"
She threw on the silk negligee and
followed him, just as she had done
before, on that long-ago night after
her mother-inlaw had died.
did Mr.. Hewitt's visit owe tax
him, do you Think" he asked as they
went.
81 don't know, ma'am," Wallis
said. Hes almost as bad as he was
after the old madam died-you re-
member"
ooh, yes," said Phyllis mechanic
ally. 81 remember"
Allan lay so exactly as he had on
that other night, that the strange
surroundings seemed incongruous.
Just the same, except that his rest
lessness was more visible, because
he had more power Of motion.
She bent and held the n%ervously
clenching hands, as she had before.
"What is it, Allan?" she said sooth-
ingly.
Nothing" said her husband saw
agely. Nerves, hysteria-any other
silly womanish thing a cripple could
have. Let me alone, Phyllis. I wish
you could put me out Of the way al
together!!"
Phyllis made herself laugh, though
her heart hurried with fright She
had seen Allan suffer badly before
be apathetic, irritable, Respondent,
but never in a state where he did not
cling to her.
81 can't let you alone" she said
brightly. I've come to stay with you
till you feel quieter. .... Would
you rather I talked to you, or kept
quiet?"
"Oh, do your wifely duty, whatever
it is" he said. 49,. cit was a mis-
take, the whole thing. You've done
than your duty, child, but
oh, you'd better go away"
Phyllis's heart turned over. Was it
as bad as this? Was he as sick of her
as this?
"You mean-you think" she falt-
cred, at was a mistake-om mar
riage?"
EYES," he said re~stlessly. Eyes. . (.
It wasn't fair"
She had no lei Of knowing that
he meant it was unfair to her. She
held on to herself, though she felt her
face turning cold with sudden pallor
Of fright.
81 think it can be annuIled," she
said steadily. "No, I suppose It wasn't
fair"
She stopped to get her breath and
catch at the only things that mat
tered-steadiness, quietness, ability
to soothe Allanl
at can be annu1led," she said
again evenly. "But listen to me now.
Allan. It will take quite awhile. It
can't be done tonight, or before you
are stronger. So Tor your own sake
you must try to rest now. Everything
shall come right. I promise you it
shall be annulled. But forget 1t now,
please. I am going to hold your wrists
and talk to you, recite things for
you, till you go back to sleep"
She wondered afterwards how she
could have spoken with that hard
serenity, how she could have gone
on with story after story, poem after
poem, till A1lan's grip on her hands
relaxed, and he fell into a heavy,
tired sleep. sg
She sat on the side of the bed and
looked at him, lying still against his
white pillows. She looked and looked
and presently the tears began to
slide silently down her cheeks. She