The Washington herald., 1921-05-08

sctousness and almost overwhelmed her.
MY God" she cried <what am
doins7"
Cropping her way a. II the room were DARK,
she staggered from the apartment A low
moan escaped her lips.
- 20, Andrew! Andrew" she murmured.
half sobbing. She never remembered just
how she reached the street. There was =
taxicab passing. and she hailed II. She
almost stumbled into II. gasped her address
to the driver. and II started on just as Elder.
with his Japanese servant running to keep
pace with him, reached the door. He recog-
nized her, gazed In stupefaction at the de-
parting taxicab. and hastened to his apart
ment. Perhaps she had left q note for him.
He found the telephone receiver hanging
over the edge Of the table. Beside IT lay Mrs.
Motifs handbag. He gazed at It for q long
time. and then he smiled.
Here, otami," he said. Wrap this up
In paper and take It to Mrs. Motifs house.
It had been a narrow escape. BY the time
she reached her home Mrs. Motifs faculties
had returned to their normal state. The ten
sion had relaxed, her vision had cleared, and
the unrealities which had filled her mind had
vanished In their place, however. had come
. realizing sense Of the enormity Of her con-
duct which filled her with horror She felt
ashamed. humiliated, and afraid. Afraid that
she had within her the possibility Of such
outrageous outburst the one which had
nearly swept her away.
- xvfs ~ oha lrs, ftr- e.
herself. over and over again. She felt an I'm
pulse TO throw herself at her husbands feet
and implore his forgiveness At that moment
he could have confessed to her that he had
twenty mistresses and she would not have
cared. She felt that she had stultifed herself
to such an extent that no matter what he did.
he was vastly her superior. For the first time
in her life Mrs Mott tasted a sense Of hunfl-
ity. Which is very disasreeable to thorough
breds.
She decided that # would be folly TO tell her
husband. He could have his Alice. could have
all the Alices he wanted, but II would surely
make him unhappy to know that his wife was
such . weaknng. No. she would not tell him
What had ever possessed her. anyway He
could never understand-she could hardly
understand It hersef-and It was much better
to try to forget It all She would strive IN
every way TO make him happy. she would
devote the rest OF her allie To atonement for
that terrible impulse
otarni. the japanese servant, refused 70
give the package to the maid who came 10
the door. He insisted upon placing It In Mrs-
Motifs hands. And when Mrs. Mott raze<
into his suriy face and saw. or thought she
saw. laughing sleam In his eyes. she shud.
dered. She tasted fear.
OF Elder she never thought What be
might say or think did not interest her. In
. vague. wordless fashion. she felt that, no
matter how bad he was, he must surely have
suficient chivalry in his nature to remain
quiet II he should presume upon the Incl
dent and make advances to her she would
know how to conduct herself when the time
came.
All that Mott observed when he came home
was that his wife had recovered her former
gayety and was more gracious than ever
Her nervousness and the after effects Of the
strain she had been through escaped hi,
notice. He remarked upon her improved
color. and Mrs. Mott with q sigh of relief
felt that the episode had ended. And tha,
night when It came time for Lucille to X
to bed her mother almost smothered her with
kisses. 1t was Lucille who had saved he,
from herself
Fate. however, seemed to take q nendisf
delight in keeping the ball a-rolnng. tn,
Motts' household had returned to its norma
status; Motifs worries seemed to have dis
appeared, and his wife had become accus
toned to forgetting her episode. She was n,
longer afraid. even. Of Elder. From time Z,
time be came to the house. and Mrs Not
faced him without embarrassment
She had made up her mind that II he eve
referred to the incident she would sag tha
she had called upon him for advice In rs
she could not bring herself to volunteer tha
explanation to her husband. Elder. however
never referred to the matter. He was soms
thing Of fatalist: II she wanted 10 come .
him she would come-there was nothing 3
be gained by talking about It
And 20 matters stood until one day tn
maid handed her q note It was from otam
the japanese servant, asking for SO to sen
to his parents.
The letter was badly written. -Honorsbl
Lady" it began. MY father and mother
in poor poverty circumstances in Japan, an
must got to send them money. Ten do
lars viii be enough this time. am q goo
friend. Very respectfully, otami II 70
give it to the door servant call for it,
The surly face Of the japanese, with