The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-04-04
CHAPTER CCXIIIL

CHAPTER CCXLIIL
 Mrs HarTson?' % asked a reedy little voice over the telephone. '-rhis is Mrs. Darlington nHason-Evelyn's mother. I was so sorry to miss you both times you called And MT Ma son and I meant to run over to see you And l did so want to have you in to din. But I suppose all that's out of the question now
 The voice traiIed off in a sigh There was something apologetic, querulous and futile in Mrs. Mason's tones. Yet she jeri:ed her words along as if she were in a great hurry to get to important things
 Oh, that's quite all right" I as sured her. 1T can understand you are busy with the reception only a week off,
 But that's just it." futtered the voice languid1y and yet accusingly. T don't think it will be possible to have the tea Evelyn's gone all to pieces She says she caught cold the | night she had dinner with you-she would go out in thin slippers But | Inn surprised you didn't make her | change to dry ones. She's in bed now. | Influenza or a nervous breakdown or
 one Of those dreadful things, I pre- sume. I think you'd better stop in to | see her I can't get her to have a 1 doctor.''
 Then as if in calling me she had
 done her whole duty by both Evvy 1 and me and now proposed to wash | her hands of our affairs, Mrs. Car | ington Mason said a formal good-by my way to keep a. four o'clock ap- | pointmnt with Jim My birthday 1 was coming in a month and Jim had 1 decided to give a car as a birth | day gift.
 We had practically decided on a
 chu1nIny roadster with two extra | seats that could be opened out over i the tank when needed It was to be l lc1T9, cE,~z,+ f4
 were coming back for a festive little ! dinner "a deux' in town
 ''Evvy can't be very sick if she won't have Q docitor,' I told myself. Then, dismissing her from my mind, | I rushed off to meet my boy. On the way down to the office thought. happily. how much raCre "r1y boy | Jim was coming to b The hideous had seth us back to each ether with | a new sense of how impossible life was to us apart Jim had rediscov- cred his need of me and in all tender ness had proved to me that the world doesn't hold any greater happiness for him than the right to hold me in his arms Through all our long try ing period of adjustment to marriage and to each other Jim had never ceased being my man. so now I found complete happiness in being his wo-| Inan-his mate. Every day. over and over, I VOW to myself that I'd never again drive him away by jealousy or nagging or insisting on my rights as an indi- vidua1," or by wanting to run things and manage our world. It isn't a1- ways easy for me to conquer the eE- lecutive Barbara Anna Lee and to be I just the loving Anne Harrison, Jin'S wife. But Jim married his 'Iilac Lady, because a. loving, sweet, trust ing woman is his ideal I mustn't fail that ideal. Jim has to be the leader-the head of his household. I mustn't forget that.
 went over all this in my own mind as I drove down to meet Jim. So when got to the office and, found that Jim was deep in a conference with Lane Cosby and some oil men from the Mexican border. I didn't feel affronted as I might once have done at having to sit in my husbands
 Alter a few minutes Lane Cosby came out to me. Heartily he held out his big brown hand, and kind ness braathed through every word he said in his big gruff voice:
 "Hu1-1o. little 'un- Jfnnnie's fin ishing up with some chaps I brought in to meet him this noon That boys help him buy out West But n! be blessed if he can stop me from bring ing in customar prospects He's go- ing to know every oil man do. Jim
 mics all right. Like to see him do well. Like to see you riding around in hmousines and sableS and pearls, little lady. Pretty llttIe SIlS were made to be happy"
 He beamed at me with blunder- ing protecting sort of affection. wondered now anyone who had ever seen Lane Cosby could suspect him of deliberate evil, or believe he'd let anyone he had ever cared for suffer In this minute knew that whatever part of Evvy's story about the Cos bys was true-and somehow l couldn't entirely discred1t it-this at least was certain.
 Lane Cosby had never desired to wrong his first wife. That he could be putting Val now in 2, position out side the pale of decency wasn't pos sible.
 Some of what was thinking must have fairly oozed out into my words, for, as I spoke, I noticed Lane star ing at me oddly.
 tsYou're a good friend" I said. And loyal WeI1-Jimmie and I are loyal too, as we'll stand ready to prove if you ever need us.' Before he could ask me what meant Jim arrived on the scene. pre-