The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-26
CHAPTER $40

Copyright, 1920. King Features Syndi-
| cate, Inc.
| When Tom Mason looked up in the
| doorway Of Jim's office, it seemed as
if he'd brought with him a second
| ghostly figure. I felt a sudden re-
| turn of my first impression of him
back in the early days of my mar
| riage. I presented him to Mabel
Storrs, and as they exchanged casual
words of greeting, I wondered which
she saw-the man Z am beginning to
like and trust or the visible Tom
Big and indolent in his movements,
with his keen rapder-1ike face, narrow
of eyes and with that oddly CONTRA
diotory full mouth, Tom bears the
outward signs of his phi1and ering and
luxurious nature. Would Mabel find
the loyal friend. the sQuare-deahng,
fact-facdng man under his physical
aspect?
Her manner was frank and friend
1y-trusting even. 1t worried me
from the first.
you've come to help US. haven't
your" she remarked with a quiet as
surance. I'VE can use a mans judg-
ment in a few of the things that are
bothering u.s.
I'm glad you have a welcsme on
the door for me, Miss Storrs," said
Tom gaily. For your friend, Donna
Anna, is q, proud lady. She never
sends out S. o. S. calls to her friends.
So if my cousin Envy Mason hadn't
adopted the cause of Harrison versus
West by the simple means of butting
in, suppose I'd be anywhere but
here now. And what makes that all
wrong is that I've begged to be allow
ed to prove my friendship for jimmie
and Mrs Harrison. Oh, shucks, you
don't mind if I stick to the name that
suits her and call her Donna Anna,
do you? OF course you don't-you're
a regular feIlow!" announced Tom as
if he'd been discussing the Harrisons
with Mabel Storrs since grammar
school days.
"Of course, 1 don't." Mabel said,
adapting herself to the occasion and
Tom, with out the least sign of effort
or strain. Donna Anna is as right
for Mrs Harrison from one point of
view as Lilac Princess is from an
other"
"Righto! Why shouldn't you re
mind me that James H. Harrison has
| a sense of appreciation of his own ?'
| chuck1ed Tom good naturally. I'm
used to being put in my place, Miss
| Storrs. But in the oIden days wf1er
| the tinid little bride thought I was ar
| ogre fattening on hearts, she never
| put me DcNCh where L De1OhS llOTe
| neatly and sweetly than you man
| aged it just now. No hard feelings
| however. And to prove it, how about
| going out to lunch and discussing
Cousin Evelyn and her message ir
| confort?''
Tom certainly has way with him
| Mabel accepted, with only q. prelfnin-
airy.
DO you think it will be quite al
| right for us to leave the Officer
| Anything here that matters?"s ask
| ed Tom succinctly. "And anyone here
| to take care of a message If one
| comes along that does matter?"
| mo, to the f1rst-yes, to the sec
ond," replied Mabel.
I'd never before seen Mabel in mas
culine society, and the frank sim
| pIicity with which she responded tC
| Tom, puzzled me. While we were
| making arrangements to leave, and
! later, aus we were riding, first in the
| elevator which carried US to the street
then in a taxi that bore US to our
| prospective luncheon, Tom and Mabe
| started an interested discussion OF
| things which they seemed inmedi
| ately to discover as mutual interests
| And sat back and wondered what i
| was all about.
Why were we permitting Tom tt
carry us off like this? Why did he
and Mabel take each other SO com
| plete1y for granted? Was it simply