Omaha daily bee., 1921-03-26
Holding a Husband
[ Adele Garrison's New Phase Of
Revelations of a Wife
The Way Lillian Endeavored to
Ease Madge's Mind,

iully lowered window curtains
Dieky must have given instructions
that because OF my nervous head
ache | should not be disturbed, for
realized that it was late in the fore
noon. Ca.
For minute or two lay still, un-
easily wondering at the cause of the
weighty depression which seemed to
have settled upon me. Then | re-
membered the alternative which
Dicky unwittingly had given me the
night before, that OF acquiescing in
his plan for trying to get back the
house he had sold, or by refusal,
leaving the burden OF helping me
move and find new home upon Lii
lian's already overweighted shoul-
ders.
| shrlink from confessing even to
myself how much the fact OF Edith
Fairfax's presence next door in the
Durkee home meant to my decision.
II il we're not for her | would have
snatched eagerly at the chance of re-
gaining the home l loved so well,
and whose sale by Dicky had re-
sented so deeply. But if she were
TO be my neighbor | could not bear
TO remain in the house, and knew
that | would welcome any shelter
which would take me far from her.
Yet Lillian's health meant every
thing to me. | knew her well
enough to realize that she would
spend all her strength. indeed, ex-
haust herself, in her zeal to help me.
Love Wins.
had short, sharp struggle with
myself, and then my love for Lillian
Won. Not for any advantage to my
self would l jeopardize her health.
Dicky had not put the matter to me
ior decision, but | had an intuition
that he would not attempt to see the
people who had bought the house
until after he had talked further with
me. | must be ready to back him
Up in his decision to get the place
back. Then ! must find sore place
for Lillian near us, for the summer
at least. To me, alarmed as | was
by my own observation, of Iillian's
physical weakness, and Dicky's re-
marks concerning the possibility Of
her collapse. the most imperative
task confronting me was protecting
my friend fnom the consequences of
her own reckless expenditure of time
and strength.
| bathed and dressed quickly. |
Hearing no one astir in the house,
wondered apprehensively whether
Dicky might not have been mistaken
es his optimism concerning katie's
' naming with us. But when | had
%scended the stairs | heard the MUIR
Sir OF voices in the dining room.
II opened the door upon Lillian,
I. arion and Dicky at breakfast, with
latte serving them as serenely as if |
er tantrum of yesterday never had
been.
/ "Well, look who's here" Dicky ex-
claimed. getting to his feet.
"Good-morning, everybody ! re- !
turned sedately. Katie, are those
really some OF your sour milk pam
cakes that I see? hope you haven't
baked them all for these people"
4 II Realize My Condition"
Knowing my little maid as l do, |
swiftly decided at my first glimpse Of |
her tha: my best course would be !
absolutely % ignore the happenings |
OF the day before. That ! was JUS
titled in my course, katie's embar
rassed. happy gicple proved,
"Sure thing" she carolled hap
PLY. "Dey shoost de kind you al
ways say so goot. Me, got plenty
out in kitchen. Want some now for
have your fruit and cereal first"
"Just grapefruit, no cereal. Katie. !,
not with those pancakes coming
returned pleasantly. Then | sat
down in the chair Dicky pulled out
for ME and looked attentively at Lii
lian. She had a rested look, as if !
she had had a good nights sleep,
but her face was slightly flushed and
guessed that she had been having
al argument Of some sort with
Dicky. /
"Have you finished your breakfast,
sweetheart" she asked her small
daughter, and at the child's afirma-
tive, she added: "Then don't you
want TO run over to see Auntie Dur
kee for a few minutes"
Marion rapturously assented, and
skinned out OF. the room with her
mothers eyes fondly following her.
When the door had closed behind
her, Lillian turned to me, lowering
her voice so that even SO assiduous
a listener as Katie would have had
no chance to overhear her.
"The Dicky-bird chirps,' she
drawled, that he is going TO make
an effort to get back this house
from the people to whom he sold it.
Cross questioning of the youth has
elected the fact that one reason for
his action is the fear that / will get
hardening Of the arteries or heart
failure or fallen arches or something
of the sort If | help you to go home
hunting, to say nothing of moving.
"Now, laying aside the fact that
never in this world will he get this
place out of the clutches of that
dame who was here yesterday-1ll
Law YOU ten to one on that, Dicky-
there sta remains this which I'd
like your assistance, Madge, in get
ling through his skull:
Il realize just as much as you do,
better, my own condition. 1t is Tor
that reason, for one thing, that | am
~ %, o,o ~ xhe rp,pyrv and