The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-06-24

ST OR S DRY.
SEIappiness Insurance
NJ arti3a Nc culIoeh-Wiliam

Martha illiams
Mrs Timmins was twin,spiritnal
the lady who said, don want
PEOPLE tozdo anything bad put II
they will Sdo it, Why want to
\ know all about It : (which is an
sother way OF saying Mrs. Grundy.
plus 81 detective bureau, had notn-
Eng on her in the matter OF know
ing things If, as sometimes hap
Epened the things turned out not
10 be so, she said she was sorry
for having repeated them, put
never took pains to set hearers
right. Perhaps that was Just as
vel, considering that listeners
commonly take after-corrections
Jas perfunct tory, though keeping
vivid credence of the things de-
MED
ii Notwithstanding Mrs. Timmins
was mo ighou I-merely born COS
p,8kind: and generous in all things
6 save Judgment BY believing the
worst of. things right off the reel
II She felt that she saved herself the
shock Of discoveries. Thus when
u. he Il idley-G Gordon engagement
sks s. broken She was intuitively
gure Carol Denham was at the
SO tom OF it. Also that it was q
Z sham elisabeth Gordon was
clearly cut out for a stepmother.
And III ack Ridley had all the things
4 Lisbeth deserved but lacked
money position, fine home anu
4 mighty good heart to balance his
hot temper. Also and further the
Ridley twins, big girls OF thirteen.
sahad made truce, saying openly:
I'VE hate to have dad marry. but II
t1eswill5do It, we'd rather have Miss
Lisbeth.,, Any well-regulated mind
would acceed that as final, a elm
Cher that here Ridley luck was
running true to form.
Mrs .s Timmins couldn't put tho
break up out of her mind. she be-
ganyto hate Carol heartily, also to
i$spy@upons her. That was almost too
easy-tlles Denhams lived catacor-
#ner across street, thus the Tim
minis wind ows automatically COM
manded the house, front and side.
s#GommUn1y Carol came and went
by. the side entrance; further, she
set in the evenings on the single
sgstept there rather than on the broad
granite slabs in front. A fierce.
Growing satisfaction filled the
sFimmins consciousness whenever
Its owner noted Ridley escorting
Carol up the side path or sitting
with 4 her in the softer dusk, OF 3
space the arc light did not reach.
True, this was none SO often.
SAY 10 rtnightly at most. Against
d that " as the fact that Carol admit
s. cd ou enlyL CHI o osing5 stufss and col
@ors for the making new of the
Ridley home.
But If the case looked dark for
Il caro-, it was darker for /. Lisbeth.
4 Erora a sober home body she had
h become a butterfly g here, there,
seYerywhere, gayest of the gay. l1vlt-
identity her willow had turned to a
rose garland in the wearing. NO
body denied that Banker Ridley
mad broken the engagement, yet no
body knew for certain. Not even
&CaroI-she perhaps might have
made shrewd guess, but never
did tho even under the. provoca-
tion48of rigorous Timmins cross
questioning.
Things went on thus for; full
wear Carol was the only girl ever
seen with Jack Ridley, yet there
was othing loverlike in his atti-
8tud eat; least on the surface. The
sSoddest part was, Lisbeth saw so
much of her reputed supplanter-
s came and went as she liked at the
Denham house and was evidently
always welcome. Now and then
IL encountered her some time
fiance, shook. hands with him cor
dial ", or:2waved him, gay good
9by as occasion required. Which
was the hardest nut of all for Tim