Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-23
MT
PROBLEMS
Adele Garrison's
New Phase Of
REVELATIONS
OF WIFE
HOW BOTH CLAIRE FOSTER AND
DICKY "PLAYED UP" TO MADGE

roster ana l 1cIL neg room IoSC.nS
for the dining room, / found that no
longer hadsto act the role OF frlendli-
ness, that it had become a reality.
Her contrition for the affair which
had caused me so much annoyance ana
humiliation, and her eager-rather,
child like-desire to atone for her
ished from my heart the dislike ana
prejudice, with which / had come to
"Oak Lodge" as Mrs. Bankers house
is ambitiously called.
Her outburst, ''only a %gloriously
reckless time. with no thought save
the fun of flying" had convinced me
that no element of affection for Dicky
had entered into her %escapade. In
the ruthless, reckless manner of mod
ern youth, she had simply snatched at
the opportunity for a good time, re-
CARELESS Of whose feelings she hurt ID
the process.
My reaction in her favor, however,
did not prevent me from a furtlve,
tense Watchfu1ness of the first greeting
between her and Dicky.
/ was not so sure that their Journeys
together had been devoid OF senu-
mental interludes, harmless enough, no
doubt, though not particularly enjoy
able from my standpoint. But l was
conceited enough to believe that Meth,
er Dicky nor Claire Foster was q good
enough actor to hide from me the EN-
barrassed consciousness of such pos,
sible tender passages. 1t he ever had
kissed her, for example, | was sure
that I would know it when l saw their
meeting. which l knew was their first
since Dicky had brought the girl back
rr,,, that Loot vrild dir ride
Dicky vas already in he dining
room when we entered, and l saw that
he was keeping a distinctly wary eye
upon the kitchen door through which
Mrs. Barker might be expected to lp-
pear. That the doughty landlady Of
the mountain resort had, in his own
favorite phrase, 'put the fear mo
him. I realized with an amused smile
which I was careful to suppress. Tier
he saw us, and he crossed the room
with the nonchalant, graceful stride
which is not the least of his attrac-
tons, put one hand as if by accident
upon my shoulder, and held out the
other cordially to Claire Foster.
You've been playing off" he as
serted, looking her oyer with a wa,msl,
myself in sackcloth and pIling ashes on
my head until I've been afraid some
furnace man would dump me out with
the clinkers, all because l thonght you
were crippled for life, OF would be
%eternally minus our nerves or dIges-
ton, and I would be to blame. And
here you look like a two-year-old just
about to have the blue ribbon pinned
on. That's getting sympathy under
false pretenses, isn't it, Madge"
Come On. Let's Eat'
"If you ask me-" / returned flip
pAntly. Il think she's entitled to all the
sympathy you have in stock, and then
some. And sackcloth and ashes won't
hurt you a bit. She might have been
killed.
"Wen. so might /" Dicky re:crted
with well assumed sulkiness. But I
don't hear you doing any waiting over
the possibility. That's this new era
for you. Women stick together like
molasses, and devil take the poor
men"
"I've understood the gentleman
mentioned always takes care Of his
own Claire Foster m%urinured de-
murely, and l saw with relief that she,
too, was playing up" There would
be no a~wkwardness at the impromptu
supper.
EFT tn Brute!." Dicky said ~reproach-
fully. I'm used to having Madge
smear me all over the landscape, but |
did think you'd treat me better. Come
on. let's eat. There's only one solace
left me now, and that's food. Let's
hope"-he lowered his voice discreetly
that our worthy hostess hasn't
slipped any arsenic into the food
Mrs. Parker Helps
"Hush." / cautioned, none too
soon, as we crossed to the dining Ia
BILE, and Dicky drew out first my chair
and then Claire's with the touch of
gallant ceremony which always invests
any attention of his to women. For
Mrs. Barker had appeared in the door
leading from the kitchen bearing n
tray of steaming dishes, and / was
afraid that even her word to me would
not be proof against anything which
she might deem impudent On Dicky's
part.
But she evidently had heard nothing,
and though her toward both
Dicky and Claire Foster was as stiff
and forbidding as it was cordial to-
ward me, she gave no verbal evidence
of her displeasure, and the meal she
served was far too good for most kings.
- 0ffs