Omaha daily bee., 1920-11-01
What Made Dicky Laugh at Madge


MY hands trembled as | set down
wi the bowl OF flowers | was ar
Ava ranging | am afraid il I had
followed the first primitive impulse
which seized me, should have
thrown bowl, flowers and water at
my husbands head. | even had
seconds malicious enjoyment of the
picture Dicky would have presented
with the water streaming down his
collar, before | controlled my voice
and asked quietly:
why don't you go for more in
formation OH the subject of Rita
Brown TO the person who gave you
your first insight into the matter"
Dicky looked frankly astonshed,
then bit uneasy.
Meaning" he said.
Edith Fairfax" returned square
w..
| expected one of his RACES, but
for some reason Or other, perhaps
because of his sudden realization
that | had observed his actions of
the evening before more closely
than he had thought. he contented
himself with the question most
familiar to me through his long
usage of it:
What the devil do you mean by
that?"
Madge Astonishes Dicky.
| can remember the time when
Dicky's expletives shocked me into
disgusted silence. But | think, like
most wives whose husbands relieve
their feelings with occasional abjur-
cations, have grown so used to
them that | do not often resent them
Exactly what | said" | returned
. by the mercst accident. happened
TO overhear you and Alfred talking
last night at the Paige dinner. From
your conversation. | CLEANED that &C
cording to Edith, Madge was in It
somewhere therefore | am not sur
prised at your present quest for more
information
Dicky's face as he listened TO this
little speech was one to provoke
laughter from person vowed to
mournful silence.
Amazement and chagrin were so
personified in his features that my
tugging risibies pleaded with me to
forgive him.
well. I'll be---r' was all he
found breath to say at first. Then
he grinned reluctantly and infec-
tiously. struggled with my dignity
for a second or two, then |, too,
smiled, and the next minute we were
laughing heartily together.
Get your hat and sweater" Dicky
commanded, "and let's get out into
the air. I've got lot to say. about
Rita Brown that didn't come from
Edith. You are awfully wise, old
dear! but mighty careless about leav-
ing discriminating papers around.
You'd be just the eaper for the third
act of melodrama."
He was very much like the third
act Of melodrama himself, with the
mysterious air he assumed as we
walked out INTO the grove of long
leaved pines behind the house. To
A question of mine as to his meaning,
ne retorted airly:
You'll know all in good time,
Vdear heart! A dame with your gift
Tor sleuthing should be able to posi-
sess her soul in patience"
The Tell-Tale Message.
What had he discoveredf l
racked my brain with the question as
we walked through the pine woods
to the bank of the little lake which
I had first seen upon the day oil
Major Grantland's warning to ME
not to 60 outside the house unac-
companied by my husband. my
father or some other man.
Indeed, I had never seen it after
that first time. had felt certain
disindination to visit it alone, for the
memory of Hugh Grantland's warn
ing fingered unpleasantly in my
mind, even after all necessity for
acting upon it had vanished. But
now, with Dicky by my side, a
smiling. good-natured companion.
instead of grouchy one, the pic
turesque little sheet Of water, its
waves dancing in the sunshine, ap-
pealed to me strongly.
turned to Dicky impetuously.
"ron't talk of anything unpleas-
ant for few minutes" l pleaded.