South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-25
HOW MADGE WAS FORCED TO
FACE THE MYSTERIOUS
STRANGER

There Is no use looking around
here any longer, Margaret. l ought
to have known better than TO waste
my time coming 10 any store in this
section. Never ask me 10 come with
you again. Please wrap up three
yards Of that. and give me two
spoOls OF black silk No. 60.
My mother-in-law interrupted her
TRADE to give the direction TO the
saleswoman. Then she resumed it
with a different grievance.
And for mercy sakes. do go out
ahead and start the car, so that 1
won't have to sit around waiting for
it to go! You won't more than get it
TO going before I get out there"
"Oh! Let us wait until" I began.
But I changed my sentence quickly
at the astOnished look on my mother
iE-law's face. I'D like to look at
some Of those draperies first"
stammered. snatching at any chance
to remain in the rear Of the store un-
til the people in the front should have
departed.
Not that I would have fingered one
instant because of the underbred
curiosity Of the Smythe-H Hopkins
group. 1 fattered myself that I pos
sesscd sufficient poise to carry me ig-
noringly past them. But was really
panic-striken at the possibility of the
man whom they cal ed Don Ramon
Almirez accosting me and recalling
my meeting with him on the train. l
could visualize Mother Graham s
reaction TO such a meeting and 1
had a vivid idea OF the caustic cat
echism 10 which I should be subjected
on the way home
\ Strong Impression.
L had another reason-or rather,
instlnct-for not wishing TO encount-
er the gaze of the mysterious Don
Ramon, who, l was convinced by
this time was no more foreign than
L. The impression was strong upon
me by this time that if l could only
look beneath the mask afforded by
the white mOuStaChe and Nandyke
beard and the disfguring lenses OF
the glasses I should see a face
knew. 1t troubled me that I could
not clarity my impression, though
/ am aware that in spite of my really
unusual memory. 1 am what Dicky
terms a distinct dumb dud," when
II comes to penetrating even a simple
disguise.
But my mother-in-law is as clever
in that direction as I am stupid, and
she already had received the impress
sion that the mysterious stranger re-
minded her of someone whom she
had seen. 1 found myself dreading
a closer scrutiny on her part, and !
realized that back Of this dread was
a fear that she would penetrate the
mask which baffled me- Just why
feared her recognition I could no
more have told than I could explain
the reason why the strangers bizarre
personality half fascinated, half
repealed me.
lis That His Cameo"
What's the matter with you ." she
demanded in a low tone moving
close 10 me. You needn't hand out
any excuse about draparies to me
There's some other reason YOU don't
want 10 go now.
What nonsense said with as
much sprightliness os I could force
into my voice. And. il you're in a
hurry. I can run over and look at
the draperies another time. III
start the car right away Come
Junior"
I took my small son by the hand
and walked steadily toward the door.
forcing myself 20 cast just the sort
OF casual glance toward the group
standing near It that one ordinarily
would give. And with the look /
realized that would not be troubled
by any inspection. amused or other
wise, from the three people accom-