The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-05-31
When A Girl
 Marries
By ANN LESLIE.

T got to go tonight'' Bertha in sist ed. monotonously.
 The maid would neither explain her necessity nor change her plans. I gave her up as bad job.
 When I returned to the living room Daisy was sitting there alone.
 The phone message was for Carl,'' she explained. Your husband called him. CarTs getting so important now that he has to act like a doctor and leave his phone number wherever he goes I wonder if you'll mind if I run along now?"
 Aren't you going to wait for CarI?'' I asked, since it was just in order to have Carl carry out his en- gagenent with Daisy and take her to dinner, even if alone, that I had in vited Ter to call.
 No; what's the user" she ques- toned bittesly. Carl called off his party as sodn as he found you weren't going to be there.''
 Really, it wasn't that" I explained ''He only postponed the party till next week so that we could all be there.''
 Daisy turned on me with steely flash in her eyes and a, sudden firm ness which gave her a personality even though it was the personality of anger.
 He postponed the party for you. Everything's for you.1 An adoring husband. Jewels. That beautiful orchid negligee. Can't you Leave you back in the old days when you called him a big brother and took everything he had to give. He doesn't matter to you now. But you-you read the story of David and Uriah ?''
 And laughing insultingly at her own amazing words, she rushed from the room, in such a whirl of anger and energy that I didn't attempt to follow on my bandaged ankle. Limp ing into the hall, I called Jim and told him of Bertha's unwelcome an- nouncement that she was going to leave.
 Suppose you try to persuade her to change her mind,'' I suggested.
 Jim grumb1ed a little, but assented. As he went out to the dining room, where Bertha was setting the table, I followed to listen to him. But Bertha proved obdurate and secretive. Carl was standing by the window waiting for us
 I have to run right along,'' he ex- plained. 'Tt's just as we'll that my party for tonight was called off, for MT. Haldane has asked me to jump up to Canada after a new corpora ton that's going in for international advertising. See you a week from tonight
 Then brief goodbye and the sec ond of our guests rushed off.
 ''He seemed darn agitated over his little f1ier. in internationl business" said Jim scornfully. Some men do get excited over every deal they tackle. Where's the field daisy?''
 ''She also went off in rush, I said, feeling a little amused at the way things were disposing of them selves.
 trWhat did he mean by See you a week from tonight? demanded Jim. And And what was that reference to his engagements with that bounder with | out consulting me?"
 Jim. don't call Carl a bounder," I Protestsd; Hes a - nee old old dear. dear A A my old friends I've asked you to | meet. You might be decent to him.
 'I can't stand the goggle-eyed way | he stands and adores you," sputtered | Jim.
 I couldn't help cruckling over Jim's evident jealousy and at the absurd | person he had selected to agonize over
 s'Carrs always been the best pal a girl ever had" explained patiently.
 Don't pull any of that platonfc friendship stuff" Jim cried. 'The mans in love with you!"
 You think every man I meet out side of your own circle of 1ntimafes is in love with me-" I replied angrily, and then I crimsoned as it swept l across my mind that even if Jim did think just that, 1t only evened up for | the days when thought every woman I met was in love with him.
 ~tMethinks the lady doth protest too Tnuch"s said Jim, good naturedly, pinching my cheek. But the blush | is so darn becoming that don't blame | 'em even if I hate the incoming and | signing over my wife,
 Just then Bertha announced din ner, and leaning on Jirn's arm, went l out to the table. Hardly were we | seated when I thought of my ring. | even if Jim, with a mans amusing lack of observation, had bought me a ring far too large for my finger, I | wanted to wear it at our first meal l after I came into possession of it. i So I sent Bertha to the living room to bring the little white box from the | table
 After a minute. she returned, car rying the box in her hand. As she | held it out to me her hand began to tremble violently, and the box slipped from her shaking fingers to | the floor. It opened and rolled to l my very feet. Bertha stopped and | recovered its44tting the two parts together again. Then she put it on l the table in front of me Her face l w3s flushed from stoopfng. but when 1 I looked up at her after a frozen minute or two, she had gone quite | pale. I knew that my pallor out l matched hers.
 The box was empty
 To be Continued.