The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-05-09

L he man narrowed critically his eyes
and withheld his verdict as if in doubt;
but a corner Of his mouth was witch
! ing.
You are lovelier today than ever,
lovelier even than the memories Of you
that have Quickened my dreams"
Truly, Dobbin, you've lost nothing
Of your ancient eloquence, That last
speech quite carried me back across
the bridge Of time TO the days when,
more than once you all but talked me
off my feet and into your arms"
Pity l ever stopped talking"
How direct and persistent you are.
It's only fair 10 tell you, the tradi.
Tions OF our kind 10 the contrary not
wirhstandins, I'm sull in love with my
husband
For moment Richard Daubeney
was silent staring at his plate. Then
he reused with = light.hearted shrug
and smile,
Its like you, Dobbin, TO start
making love to me ali over again, pre-
ctsely as If my being married meant
nothing in the iii 81 minutes OF our
first meeting in five years, without Of
fsrins TO tell me single thing about
yourself
Nothing much TO tell. Everybody
knows, when you engaged yourself TO
1Hrry Druce rode off 10 the wars"
We heard you'd later taken up
ranchins in the Argentine, and made
tidy fortune"
Il didn't do badly that's a fact. But
what is man profited If he shall gain
the whole world and lose his own
soul2"
rs one to understand you lost your
soul IN the Argentine? It sounds so
amusinsly immoral"
Il realized down there my soul was
in a fair way 70 prove total loss.
So I sold out and shipped for home"
Hoping TO find me unhappy enough
with Bel"
That's unworthy Of you, Cinda. No;
SIMPLY to be in the same world with
you"
After a little Mrs. Bellamy Druce
said severely: ''Dobbin, if you keep
on that tack, you will make me cross
with you How does New York look
to an exile of long standing? Much
changed?
"Oh, I don't know. Skirts and NOR
ais Dit higher, jazz little more so,
prohibition just what one expected;
society even more loosely constituted
vast influx of new people. 1 don't
know half these people. Astonishing
lot Of pretty girls seem 10 have sprung
up since my time. Who's the raving
beauty on Bill Sedleys right?"
"Amelie Severn, Amene Cleves that
was before she married Surely you
remernber her"
Good heavens, She was In long
dresses when l saw her last"
Pretty creature, don't you think"
Rather. Can't blame the chap next
her for his open infatuation."
Laughter thrilled in Lucinda's re-
ply. why, don't you recognize him?
That's Bel"
AS If the diminutive pronounced In
the clear accents OF his wife had car
ried through the murmur Of talk, Bel
lamy Druce looked up. Perceiving Lu-
cindas smile az the end OF an aisle
OF shaded lights he smiled in return,
but with the muscles Of his face alone.
And looking from him TO the flushed
and charming countenance Of the young
woman on his left. bending low over
her plate to hide confusion engendered
by Bells latest audacity, Lucinda
thought, with = faint pang, more Of
.npatience than OF jealousy He's in
lore again.
II.
with a small sigh Of animal delight
IN the cares OF fur. and the chill, sweet
draught from the open window upon
her face Lucinda Druoe settled back
IN the town.car aware, yet unmindtul
O. the fluid nocturne OF Fifth avenue.
Bel mad asked 10 be dropped at the
Brook, alleging q rendezvous OF one
sort or another. safely masculine. Of
course. Beyond reflecting that Bel was
IN ali likelihood lying, Lucinda had
paid sllgh; heed 70 MS excuses
Then. too she was not ill-pleased
with having herself al 70 herself. IN
this thoughtful mood which had be
come hers since leaving the sedieys.
Besides Bel mad been making too free
with the Ssdiey cellar Not that she
was disposed TO hold this "a grievance,
thoroughgoing monaaine that she was,
saturate with the spirit " day that
was learning to look toleunty uron
intemperateuess as q fashionable form
Of protest against prohibition. No il
wasn't that, IL was the fact. estab.
nshed by long observation that Bel
seldom drank more than he could man
age gracefully unless on the verge OF
some new gallantry Bel assuredly
didn't need anything 20 stimulate his
enterprise She fanc!ed il must be be
cause alcohol served as sort Of an
cs,nete fot his conscience
She had u smile ioleran,ly bitter
Bells conscience! The most feather
headed, irresponsible Of philanderers
the mosi incorr.gible; between while.
the most contrite- ---
tus fits OF penitence were terribly
real, when she caught him misbehav
ing. or was that. too, merely part .
the gune with Bel9 Was II Just
conventional sanbit TO make-oelieve ~
pentance and promise faithfully never
never to be naughty AGAIN.
Snc.discuvered that the car was a
krvady-ut.a. .standstilL Immersed in re,
ksr1e. she hadn't noticed the turn of
hrumthvavenua
A1-alwuys. her home enfolded her 81
6S comfortable atmosphere Of securit
krrvzn-srery assault Of adversely b
kviru,e-ct the solid wealth upon whic
kfe was fozoded- that formidable Who'll
kntoswhich two great fortunes had bee
krussd by her marriage with Bellami
In the library she fingered a Ion
krnsoree. purposelessly searching th