Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-30
MY MARRIAGE
41
Adele Garrison's
New Phase off,
REVELATIONS .
OF WIFE
MADGE vALlANTLY FACED
MRS. BARKER

house after the receipt of the telegram
from Lillian I was swiftly m%arshaling
in my mind the things I would have to
do in order to elude DR.. Petit, who
half insane with anger and wounded
affection for Claire Fester-was draw
ing learer to us with every throb OF
his swift motor.
| must telephone to Dicky. l must
get a motor car to take us to some
point upon which Dicky and / should
agree. i must waken Claire Foster.
have her ready to leave in record
road home so that there should be no
danger of DR.. Pettit's finding our route.
Last, but by no means least, I must
enlist Mrs. Barker's aid in placating
the irate physician, or at least throw
ing him off the track when he should
arrive.
BY the time T had reached the door
way / realized that I must tackle Mrs.
Barker first. She could give me the
information | sorely needed concerning
telephones, motor cars and routes. She
was nowhere to be seen, although l
knew she was busy somewhere about
the house, because the old man who
had brought me the telegram had said
she had sent him to me. I made my
way down the hall, to the empty dining
room, and crossed it to the kitchen
door. where I knocked deprecatingly.
ooh, It's You'll"
Come in" Mrs. Barker's voice,
While pleasant enough, was crisp. and
| guessed that she did not relish inter
ruptlons to her work. / pushed open
the door, and found myself in a big.
immediately clean kitchen, with flow
erlng plants at the windows. and brill
liant parti-colored rag rugs softening
the severe linoleum floor covering.
Mrs. Barker, erect, efficient and whole
some in spotless Bingham working cos
tune. was putting mullins into a pan,
while a rather sulky-looking girl was
attending to the frying of potatoes.
"Oh, it's you!' Mrs. Barker dropped
the last spoonful of soft. almost batter
like dough into the muffin tins. busted
her hands together-although I could
see no flour on them-and popped the
pans into the oven before she spoke
again.
Her air of absorption was such that
l did mot feel like speaking until she
should have finished, and when she
turned from the oven she quickly fore
stalled any speech on my part.
Watch those mullins better than
you did yesterday. Jennie" she said
curtly. Il don't van to have another
scorched batch on my hands. Come
INTO the dining room, Mrs. Graham"
What Madge Feared
She led the way out of the kitchen.
iottliy ignoring the sulky muttering
which the girl at the stove sent after
her.
Il count the days in the fall until
my boarders co. she said when the
door had closed. mot because I don't
ENJOY them, but because I can't abide
the help you get nowadays. I'd much
rather DO the work myself. but I can't
COOK and wait on table at the same
time. with all these boarders, so when
they're here have to put up with a
specimen like that one in the kitchen.
but that's neither here nor there.
What's on your mind? Bad news in
your telegram?
Not bad, but upsetting news" |
returned, 'and / need your helm yerv
much. | know it's not necessary to
ask you to respect the confidence / am
going to give you. l know you will do
that without asking"
I've been considered pretty close
mouthed ever since | was a child" she
returned with a note of pride in her
voice, and | knew that | had struck the
right key.
When Miss Foster was in our
town." / began, "she was engaged to a
physician, who, while he is our family
physician, has no love for my husband
because of old differences. which, how
ever, have nothing to do with Miss
Foster. He is a peculiar man, and, l
believe, is dangerous when angered.
The engagement nc longer exists, and
he is very bitter toward Miss Foster"
| drew q deep breath snd went on:
When he read the newspaper accounts
of this-performance, he was wild with
rage-absurdly and unjustly-against
Mr.. Graham. / have just learned that
he started for here at three o'clock
this morning. AT any cost, he and Mr..
must not meet, for Mr..
is as fiery-tempered as DIR.
Now, / want q telephone at once"
/ hurried on, "a motor car in half an
hour, breakfast in between. and where
can / find out about trains to New
York on some other road than the one
going through Baldwin, and motor
roads which will connect me with such
a route? And will you give DIR. Petit
a note from me if he comes here? l
hate to trouble you, but really, l am