Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-08
CHAPTER XVIII


| else, Marie Celeste" he said
lie went out and bought the lorgcst
bunch of roses he could find and carried
them up to her room He was des-
perately anxious to please her. She
thanked him with little empty smile.
1t was not roses that she wanted. or
pearl necklaces, or pretty clothes, She
wanted some one really to love her. in
ali circumstances and for ever and ever.
but she meant to do her best to keep
g compact between them so she took
great pains with her toilet to go out
win MIN, and Chris dutifully admired
her frock.
=, It's a new one, isn't it?" he asked.
She had not the heart to tell him that
she had worn it half :. dozen times on
her honeymoon, and that he had not
notlced 1t. The car was at the door
ready Tor them to start, when taxi,
indcn with luggage, came swinging up
the road and stopped at the curb.
Chris frowned.
"Who the dickens?" he calculated,
| then broke off as the door of the taxi
opened and girl came running up the
| steps toward them.
She gave little cry when she saw
Marie.
"You dear thing! Then you are in
away, but | had to chancG it. ! was
on my way home, and then mother
wired to me not to come, as one of the
boys has scarlet fever: SO l took the
bull by the horns and dashed to you
on the chance that you would be an an
gel and take me in for tlmc."
She kissed Marie and held hand to
Chris. You dears. How lovely to
see you both :"
1t was Dorothy Webber.
1t was impossible to be ungracious.
Marie took Dorothy Wcbbcr into the
dlawing room while Chris sent the car
away. He stood looking after it with
! a frOwn above his eyes. 1t was rotten
luck, Dorothy turning up like this just
as everything had been going so swim
mingly and he was conscious of a vague
! apprehension.
lie joined the girls in the drawing
room for tea, and Miss Chester came
down, bringing her eternal knitting.
She was pleased 70 see Dorothy, for
| she thought she would be II nice COM
| panion for Marie. She said that she
oped she would stay II long time She
could not understand why Chris was so
silent or why he kept looking at his wife
with queer sort of chagrin in his face.
I'm looking forward TO another
round with YOU" Dorothy said, turn
ing to him. "Of course there are lots of
links round about"
| Pm going to teach Marie to play
Chris said. He had made up his mind
that if they went away he would teach
her and had been looking forward to
it. lie felt decidedly annoyed with Dor.
othy for having what he chose TO call
''buttcd in"
EIe sulked about the house till din
ner time. then went to Maric'S room
as she was changing her froCk. His eye"
were rucful as he looked at her. Its
the DEVILS own luck, isn't it?' he said
boyishly.
What do you mean-about Dor
othy?'
''Yes. Why the dickens she wanted
to come here. I'm hanged If | know
Marie smiled family.
"Well, we both said we should be
pleased to see her ut any time, didn't
we?"
II know-but coming just now - He
took up one Of her silver brushes and
fingered 1t nervouSly. 81 was looking
forward to taking you away, Marie
Celeste"
Perhaps she won't stay long"
Marie said, with an effort.
She did not know if she were glad or
sorry that Dorothy had 50 Unexpectedly
intervened. She had rather dreaded
going away with Chris, and yet 1t had
been a relief to know that at last there
was some sort of an understanding be-
tween them.
Dorothy monopolized most Of the con-
versaton at dinner time, and addressed
herself chiefly to Chris. She was II
pleasant looking girl. very brown
skinned and healthy, with straighttor-
ward gray eyes and fair hair, which
she wore brushed back and screwed
into rather business like and unbe-
coming knob.
She talked a great about golf, and
seemed rather surprised at ChrlS' lack
of enthusiasm. She kept looking at
Marie in puzzled sort of way.
During those weeks in Scotland she
had formed her own opinion OF this
marriage, and therefore had not had the
least hesitation in throwing herself on
Maric's hospitality. man who hal
been married so short a time and who
could leave his wife ut home while he
spent Il month in Scotland playing golf
would certainly not object to n third
rcrson in the house. So she argued.
with some reason as she unpNcked her
the best spare ROOM
IT'S ages since l was in London for
any time" she said. ''lm going to
enjoy myself thoroughly. Marie, where
do you buy your frocks? They make
mine look as if they came out OF the
ark, don't they|'
Marie laughed She had been very
fond of this girl Mt school, but lately
all her old affection seemed somehow
to have shifted. The fault was In her
self, she knew, so she tried her best to
be nice 20 Dorothy to make up for the
cid feeling that was no longer i'll her
| heart.
"I'n take you to all the shops" she
said. "WGll have long day tomor'
row." -,
asked quickly. His eyes were pleading
as they looked at his wife.
"Men always hate shopping. dom
they?" Dorothy chimed in. They al
ways look dreadfuly out of place, any
way. poor deNrs.
"Well, I'll be the happy exception to
rrove the rule" Chris declared, and he
kept his word. lie trudscd round the
West End with his wife and Dorothy
the following morning, and did his best
not to appear bored. lie took them to
lunch at the Savoy, and escorted them
to more shops afterwnrd.
~ think you've got model hu6-
band" Dorothy said, when at last they
drove home. Il never would have be-
lieved he was capable Of 1t when we
were up in Scotland. 1t only shows
how one can be deceived"