Evening star., 1921-12-20
MERRIAM DISCOVERS A NEW USE
FOR TEMPER.

A r midnight John Lindsay. Gig
~ arctic between his teeth, over
n coat recklessly open to the
November gale. paced up and
down draughty platform. waiting
for a train to New York.
He had dashed out of his father
in-law's house an hour earlier. heart
sick at his brides behavior. For
weeks he had been waiting impa-
tiently for her to come back to him.
striving to make the best Of her frag-
mentary letters. He had truly tried
to be reasonable. He knew that she
was sore distressed by her fathers
unexplained absence, that she was
engrossed in the difficult task of get
ting the huge house ready for rental.
and he had been sincerely distressed
when she had sent him world that
his employer, Richard Slocum, was
lying Ill in the house with pneumonia.
But as the long days passed with
brief letters or none, he began to feel
that he was a much-abused and neg
lected husband. He could not UNDER
stand why, with her aunt in charge
Of the house and competent physi-
clans and nurses caring for Richard.
When he had entered the house at
o'clock that evening after a hard
day of travel to surprise his wife. he
had pictured glowing Merriam. who
would fling herself at him joyfully.
He had not remotely grasped from
her letters what a terrific strain
Richards Illness had been upon the
household.
He was utterly dazed by the fact
that she did not come downstairs for
several minutes after his arrival had
been announced. The dignity of the
beautiful old drawing room in which
he was forced to wait seemed like
cold formality to him. And the pas
sive little person who met him SO
quietly like some strange woman.
Scarcely had she sat down to talk
with him when q white-clad nurse
had beckoned from the doorway. and
she had disappeared He had stood
two tense hourus more OF waiting,
and finally bolted, like the big boy
that he still was, as impulsively as
lie had come, leaving a brief note be-
lind him. He felt. as he paced the
platform, that he had lost all hold on
lis tickle little wife.
BewiIdered and unhappy, he
tr3.mped up and down. shame in his
soul that he could feel SO bitter
against that sick man.
the station when a tempestous young
woman. motor coat thrown carelessly
over her trailing neglige. frivolous
satin slippers stained with mud, came
speeding like comet down the run
way. Bronze curls flying. brown eyes
flashing, she caught hold Of his arm
and literally dragged him away from
"John Munro Lndsay!" she shrieked
above the rumble OF the trainshed,
- 4
ming away like this oh, but you
ought to be 'shamed Of yourself. You
march right out to that roadster!"
II he had been a naughty schoolboy
Of six and she his exasperated
teacher, she could not have scolded
vigorously toward the side street. Six
feet of good-looking blondness. he
trailed meekly after her. trying with
masculine propriety to pull the coat
more closely around her shoulders.
Merriam herself was blessedly un-
ing bystanders. She fairly showed
him Into the roadster. jumping after
him to jam her foot on the starter
with such a bang that the little car
almost leapt away.
Just to see her so glowing with
color, her old spirit fiaring. made his
heart grow warm within him. He
wanted to laugh with delight, he
wanted to take her in his arms and
tell her how hungry he had been for
ut win take mo years and years to
tell you all the things I'm thinking
about you. You've no more sense than
q plum orchard rabbit" He couldn't
get a word In edgewise. she was talk
ing so rapidly. She babbled floods Of
detail about Richards temperatures,
what the doctors had said. what the
nurses had said. How on earth
you'd think I'd be such a cowardy,
custardy Quitter as to go of and
leave him
They were in the dimly lighted
hallway now. She put her finger to
her lip.
said it slowly. 81 could only think
that you didn't want to come-that
you'd stop caring about me. I didn't
understand how Ill he was"
She did not answer him. She nodded
rather abstractedly. She dashed up
the stairway. where he could hear her
whispering with . nurse in the upper
hallway.
Whoiesomsly ashamed Of himself.
he sat down to wait. But shs was
back almost before he realised 1t.
Her brown eyes were looking At
him with the oddest mixture Of mis-.
chief and misery he had ever seen.