Evening star., 1922-09-24
: BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER.
In The Stars Fiction
Series by American Authors.

head: the hay was sewed to a narrow
band. There was extremely short
hay. Pictures of Hawaii and the
South Sea Islands flashed on my
brain. l saw my Susan on a sandy
beach. In my Imagination could
see nearly all of the beach-and
nearly all of Susan. felt sick;
suddenly and extremely sick, So this
was to be my wife! This was to be
the tenth Mrs. Tulkington. / could
feel the cold perspiration oozing out
of my pores. My Susan in a hay
lampshade and wreath of red
petunias!
l hardly dared turn my eyes toward
trunk number IL. I dared not raise
the lid: could think of nothing but
Eve-Eve in the Garden of Eden.
lifted the trunk by the handle and
shook it. Nothing! There was abb
solutely nothing in that trunk! And
beyond 1t stood trunk number II. And
beyond that stood trunk number 13!
I went down the stairs slowly.
Five times I stopped and stood try
ing to overcome the trembling of my
limbs: trying to regain my usual
composure. This unseemly business
had gone far enough. Trunk number
10 might do for a Lady Mercedes. but
for respectable American wife-no!
The tenth Mrs. Tulkington might
please Lord Algy. but as for pleasing
Augustus Tulkington-no! I met
Susan in the hall. / grasped her arm
firmly.
Susan" / said, II have had enough
Of this! have had plenty of Susans."
"Augustus" she cried, and threw
her arms around me. Augustus, j
have had more Augustuses than 1
could bear. ! want just my own old
Augustus! want my plain, old
Augustus
And l." I said briskly, want
nothing but my same old Susan. This
whole business has been nothing but
idiocy. We can vary the monotony
Of our married existence without
committing imitation bigamy by re-
| tail and wholesale"
was tremendously relieved, for J
admit now that I had been tremend-
ously frightened. The tenth Mrs.
Tulkington had upset me.
Susan" I whispered firmly, for 1
was not going to let her come under
the influence of Amelia Tithers an
other moment, "go up to your room
and prepare for a journey-a Journey
| with your own husband You are
going to Palm Beach with your
Augustus, a respectable banker and
married man. In five minutes the car
| will be at the door. Hurry-for we
have no time to waste. But SUSAN
| I added as she turned to hurry up the
stairs. Susan, Will you tell me one
| thing? What was in the eleventh
| trunk?"
Nothing, Augustus" she said. her
! hand on the rail.
And in the twelfth trunk" / asked
with q deep breath.
Less than nothing, Augustus, SAID
Susan.
+ / shuddered to think OF what
wife may be capable when driven 10
it by deadly routine.
| "And in the thirteenth trunk
Susan?" I asked hoarsely.
"Why. you silly, my own clothes
said Susan with laugh; 'the clothes
was wearing when Amelia ana
George came"
"oh!" / said stupidity. "oh! We'll,
! you've no time to pack anything.
| You1l take the thirteenth trunk
From Palm Beach l sent a large
check to George Tithers. and he and
| Amelia were gone when We returned
That was /. several years ago, but l
cannot persuade Susan to allow me
| TO have those twelve trunks thrown
out of the storeroom in the attic.
| .sNo. Augustus. dear" she always
saws. II know now that monotony Is
the one great curse Of married life'
and I love you so dearly, Augustus.
that / want always to have few OF
! dear Amelia's trunks to windward