Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-11-12
VERSE AND SENSE
BY ELIZABETH c. NICHOLS.
. lssi. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.

e 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper osno'Se'
FOR two weeks the atmosphere In
the Davis home had been charged
with a mysterious excitement when
was new to that household. Allyn had
never known his wife Margie to keep
from him a secret. He was becoming
suspicious of her behavior. Several
times the telephone had rung ana ne
had fastened to answer 1t, only TO
hear the same voice each time say,
"Guess l have the wrong number"
and shut off Immediately. TWICE
when he had arrived home earlier than
usual he had heard his wife answering
the telephone. Upon discovering that
he was in the next room SHE had nur-
| riedly left the telephone and had add
ed to his suspicious by blushing EN-
barrassedly
one morning when Margie had gone
to town Allyn had been obliged to re-
turn to his home for some important
papers. He saw on the table In the
reception room not less than dozen
letters all addressed to his wife, but
not as her mail always read. These
had been sent to Miss Margie Gray
| Davis"
Allyn instantly decided to watch
her. He would confide In no one.
That night when Margie returned
| from town she wondered what In the
world had happened to Allyn that ne
should be so talkative. He had al
ways been dignified, stern man,
preoccupied with thoughts of bust
ness, bur kind to her even in his
busiest moments.
Allyn was practical and never hest
tated to say so. AT the same time ne
was sensitive because of his lack OF
aesthetic culture, which was so high
ly developed In Margie.
"Have you been lucky today, dear?''
Margie asked.
Allyn had been so carelessly tender
and so effusive that she had decided
that he must have had stroke OF
good luck.
"Oh, mol" he assured her, "only our
regular business
AS they left the table he watched
her narrowly as she hurried to the
reception room to get the mail. She
tore open excitedly one envelope after
another. and with each one her dis
| appointment was reflected on her face.
With the last one came gasp. AS
he hurried to her side she slipped II
into the pocket of her dress and slid
the others behind a bowl Of roses on
| the table.
For three months conditions did not
change. Always Margie was hiding
something. Always Allyn was sus-
picious but carefully concealing his
feelings by his attentions to her
wishes, yet keeping watch Of her.
Finally at the end Of three months
Margie, radiantly happy, blew into his
office with the first fall Of snow, and
| fourishing magazine before his eyes,
| exclaimed: "I've made the Atlanta ~
"Atanta" inquired Allyn.
eyes. the Atlanta. Now, what do
you think of your wife? I am In the
contributors column Read what a
puff ] have" she said, passing the be-
wlldered Allyn the magazine. "And
It's all because / have written son.
| net"
"SonnetT exclaimed Allyn. 'Do
you mean to tell me that you have
been spending your time writing fool
verse;"
Margle's heart turned trick OF
two, as 1t had way Of doing when
she was happy. But she was too near
heaven for anything which Allyn
might say TO possibly bring her down
to his practical plane Of life.
"Of course have, you dear old
thing. I've been writing for months
I received my first check three months
ago 1t seemed toe aooG 20 be true
so I decided to war until tie sonnet
was published before ;elllng you But
now it's really In the Atlanta. Isn't
! 1t gi0riousF"
For week Margie talked of moth.
Ing but the sonnet, until Allyn was
desperate. She repeated the words
over and over; she talked about what
she was going to do with future SON
nets.
At last Allyn could stand 1t no
longer. He would go to New York
for a week. But he did not ask Mar
gle to go with him, as he always had
done. He packed his bag and babe
her good-by.
When he retired that night at the
hotel In New York, he opened his bag
and pulled out his pajamas. Some
thing ratified like paper. As he turned
off the light he said, "Now for peace
full sleep. No sonnet!"
AS he turned on his left side he
felt something stiff against his heart.
Feeling in his pocket and turning on
the light. he found sheet of violet
paper neatly folded. Opening It, he
read: