Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-06-16
Diverging Paths
CHAPTER 33

| had read some art critics COM
ments on the paintings Gwen was go
enthusiastic about, and they were
very lukewarm in their praise. The
day after the tea l went to see the
pictures myself.
They were fairly nice. but l had
seen some real Cezanne's in Paris
that one time my father had taken
me over, and l remembered enough
of those to see that these pictures
were done in imitation of that artist
but that somehow they lacked n
one essential, indefinable thing that
distinguishes a good picture from a
poor one. | was not a critic, and
[ was a very young woman, but L
had a fair education and a serious
mind. l had read a lot and l simply
knew that my judgment here was as
good as Mrs. Van Brugh's.
And her stock, that was to go
down, went up. L wondered whether
She had sold short. l secretly hoped
she had and lost a great deal of
money.
A few days later I mentioned the
fact casually to Win that the cop
pers had gone up.
Yes, but GWendolyn decided not
to go into it after all, SO she did not
lose" he said.
How did he know? Had he seen
her? I had not, and he hadn't men,
toned her.
That was one incident. There
were many others. Gwendolyn came
down for tea at our little apartment
one afternoon. Win had phoned he
would not be home until late that
day, but he came in at 4:30, a few
moments after she did. There was
nothing strange about that, only
taken in connection with other
things it had a significance to me.
Other things happened. Their
talk, one evening when we all met
at my aunt's, seemed to touch on
things that only they knew. 1t was
not about any subject mentioned
while we were all together.
Then one day l vas at Aunt Har-
riet's for luncheon.
you're beginning TO look badly.
You're terribly thin" she observed.
II have a cdld," I defended my
self.
Rubbish! You've no more cold
than have. Perhaps it's the way
you do your hair. Let it fly, don't
try to hold it in tightly with combs"
After luncheon she had her maid
| arrange my hair in a way that suited
her better, with fluffy masses around
| my face. She shook her head at the
result.
NO, you do look badly. Now,
what's the trouble, Constance? Has
Winthrop been worrying you?"
NO" l answered., promptly and
perhaps defiantly.
THAT means he has!"
l said nothing, for Aunt Harriet
was a bad person to argue with.
do you need money!" she asked.
Mo-"
"Then what?"
Nothing, really
Nonsense. l know you've been
worried about Win and that young
friend of mine, Gwendolyn. Shirley
told me She saw them having lunch
together downtown the other day,
| somewhere near Wins Office. But /
told her to say nothing. L suppose
the little chatterbox went right owe
and told you all about it,"
This left me in a hopeless puzzle.
Win had not mentioned having
! lunch with Gwendolyn. 1t vas moth
irg if he had, only it looked DELHI
( crate that he hadn't mentioned 1t to
me. l could not say Shirley had
told me, for she hadn't, and I did
not want to lie and say I knew about
it.
"Well you needn't worry about
Gwen" my aunt went on. Every
mar becomes fascinated by her, but
none of them take her seriously.
And then, she wouldn't look at your
little country Winthrop anyway"
Strangely enough, this made me
angrier than her implication that
Win might care for Gwendolyn Van
Brugh.
she looks at him quite a lot"
answered. "Why shouldn't she? He
is much nicer than any of the other
men one meets at her place"
Aunt Harriet began to laugh.
'All right, you silly child, have il
your way. You're still in love with
him. And you are SO naturally stub