The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-04-19

IKE, ana L S1nelt a dear Orotnei
solicitors smell in that letter. Ask
ing him to make home possible for
her to return to SO they might re-
sumo their life together.
II handed it back. L said, HIN
again. l said, HIM, you remember,
old man, there was that remark
that remark that perhaps the girl
might have claim on you. Remem-
ber that, don't your
by Jove,. l thought for q minute |
he was going to flare up and let me
have 1t. But he laughed as If 1 was
u fool and said, oh. good Lord. man,
that's utterly ridiculous. Man alive. |
with all my faults, my wife knows
me-"
CHAPTER Ill.
/.
On a day a month later--in May
Hapgood said:
Now, III tell you. Old Sabre
by Jove, it's frightful. He's crash
ed.
Look here, it's in two parts, this
sudden development. Two parts
morning and afternoon yesterday and
bit today And of all extraordinary
places to happen at-Brighton.
Yes, Brighton. / was down there
for a Saturday to Monday with my
Missus. Monday mroning we were
summing on the pier, she and l.
We'll, all of a sududen she began.
oh. what a frightfully interesting
face that mans got!'
ct looked across Old Sahrei
II went over to him. His face was
like a shout ON a sunny morning.
Yes, he was pleased. l like to think
how jolly pleased the old chap was.
II got old Sabre on to a secluded
bench and started in on him. What
on earth was he doing down at
Brighton, and how were things?
He said Things =? Things are
happening with me, Hapgood. Not
to me-with me. / had to get away
from them for bit. I'm going back
tomorrow. Effie was right-with her
baby. She was glad | should go
glad for me, l mean. Top of her own
misery, Hapgood, she's miserable at
what she says she's let me in for.
She's always crying about it. She's
torn between knowing my house is
the only place where she can have
her baby. between that and seeing
what her coming into the place has
caused She spends her time trying
to do any little thing she can to make
me comfortable. It's pathetic, you
know. Jumped ut this sudden idea
Of mine of getting away for "a couple
%
and all that, you know. oLok, just
TO show you how she hunts about
for anything to do for me-said my
old straw hat was much too shabby
for Brighton and would l get her
some stuff, oxalic acid, and let her
clean it up for me. AS a matter Of
fact she made such a shocking mess
Of the hat that l hardly liked to wear
it. Couldn't hurt her feelings, though
Chucked it into the sea when 1 got
here and brought this one. Make
funny story for her when | get back
shout how 1t blew off. That's the
sort Of life we lead together. Hap
good. Give you another example.
Just when had brought her the
stuff for my hat. Met me with, Had
lost anything? Said l was to
guess. Guessed at last that it must
be my cigaret case. 1t was. Shed
found 1t lying about and took me to
show where she'd put 1t for safety
In the back of the clock in my room.
Said was always to look there for
any little valuables | might miss.
and wanted me to know how she
liked to be careful of my things like
that. Fussing over me, dyou see?
That's the sort of life we lead
together. Hapgood-together; but the
life I'm caught up in. the things
that are happening with me, that
I'm right In the middle of. that /
felt I had to get away from for bit
astounding. Hapgood, astounding,
amazing. ="
'Hapgood. IL | kept forty women
In different parts Of London and
made no secret OF II. nothing would
be said. People would know l was
rather n shameless lot, my little
ways would be an open secret, but
nothing would be said. 1 should be
received everywhere. But I'm thought
TO have brought one woman into my
house and I'm banned. I'm unspeak
able.
"'Do you see. Hapgood? DO you
see3 The conventions are all right,
moral. sound. excellent. admirable,
but to save their own face there's a
blind side to them. a shut-eye side
Keep that side OF them and you're all
right. They'll let let you alone
They'll pretend they don't see you
But come out and stand in front OF
them and they'll devour you. They'll
smash and grind and devour you
Hapgood. They're devouring me.
THAT'S where they've got me In
their jaws. Hapgood and where they'v,
got Effic in their jaws is just pre-
cisely again on blind, shut-eye side
&. . They're rightly based, they'r,
absolutely just. you can't gainsay
them. but TO save their face. again
they're indomitably blind and deal
TO the hidcous cruclties in thoir ap
plication. They mean well. The,
cause the most frightful suffering
the most frightful tragedies. but the,
won't look at them. they won't thlnl
OF them. they won't speak Of them
they mean well =.
"old Sabre put his head In hi
hands. He might have been praying
with that he went back to al
that stuff I told you he told me wher
was down with him last month liz
said. his face all pink under hi
skin. he said. Hapgood. I've got h'
secret I've got the key to the riddle
that's been puzzling mo all my life
Light. more light Here II is: Coz