Evening star., 1922-08-17
The Benefit Of the Doubt.

A TEMPEsTUoUs young per.
~ son. Mrs John Munro Lind
~ say, dashed around the cor.
ner Of the Blaisdelrs terraes
at half-past tea time. Her well.
cut gingham frock was q bit rump.
led. her bronze curls were tumbled
and she slumped Imply into a ham
mock to fan herself with her broad.
brimmed hat.
She shook her head vehemently
when her hostess signalled to re.
treating servant to bring back the
tea things.
"sorry: don't bother. Nan. CAM
stay very long anyhow. Knew the
get here. Shouldn't have come any
how. had to drag 3 the babies te
the beach SOS to leave the coast
| Of the porch clear for Rose. John!
got both babies now down behind
the barn-1 made him swear not &c
shall explode II I don't talk to some
body about it, SO I just few here
to pour out my tale Of woe to you
For 1 shall explode II I can't tell
somebody"
Nan Blaisdell laughed
Merriam. you extravagant Ola
put it, even half the times you've
threatened to. there wouldn't be
smitch Of you left. What's tho mat
ter this timer"
Merriam continued to fan herself.
She shut her lips Significantly as
the neatly garbed servant. who had
caught the perfect hostess quiet
signal. stepped to Merriams side
and deftly put a lusciously gar
nished iced drink on the wicker table.
table.
Merriam stopped her condolences
just long enough to nod a thank
withdraw. She auaffed long and fer
"Foolish conundrum. number
eiehty-nine." she calculated: When
is a home not a home? Answer
when you have to turn II over to a
Hasn't he proposed YETI. asked
thought you were sure he would
the other night while you and John
were playing bridge over here"
'oh. that night" Merry shifted.
We'll. 1t seems that that night the
twins woke up and came down on
the porch In a pajama parade and
demanded stories. and Rose didn't
have spunk enough to squelch EN-
and jam 'em back into bed. Rose
is perfectly hopeless. She doesn't do
one thing to draw him out. ] think
the Lindsays are the pokfest FAMILY
ever knew"
John wasn't pokey about propos-
ing to you" Nan suggested slyly.
"Well, I don't know" Merriam's
giggle rang out. II am beginning
to have grave suspicious that I did
my own courting without knowing
= IN
dance, and think 1t was the first
time the old dear ever had a girl
in his arms. and he inadvertently
fell in love with me so hard that 1t
was jerked out Of him that he loved
me, and with one thing happening
got married in a hurry-but l DO
realize that did help him out a lot"
she grinned shamelessly. II think
a woman ought to. don't you, Nan?
And didn't you. Nan?"
Nan pursed her lips, but her gray
Gus gray hair. IT'S rather far back
to remember" she answered cautiously.
"Oh rubbish Merriam retorted.
That's one Of those things you
couldn't forget il you tried. So
don't blur. You know. I knew
She She asked every woman she met,
young or old. and that one question
sent 'em right Off SOS she didn't
have to do any more talking while
she was with them. She used to put
out her hand on theirs and say in
cooling tones, My dear. what did he
say when you propo,ed TO nm nimI
forward % in her intensity. that
ninety-seven times out of = hun
dred, no matter how hard they tried
to conceal 1t. they tacitly admitted
that they had all helped q lot on the
definite finish. And when I tried to
simply turned crimson and pulled a
lot of mid Victorian stun about how
If he did not want her she certainly
did not want him, and then she burst
into tears and left the room"
Have youLer-tried l.ts talking kHas,.,.t to
Neither hints nor threats make
any impression on him. He's q willy
woman dodger. he Is"
Threats" gasped Mrs. Blaisdelf.
well. practically threats" Nor
riam amended her abrupt statement.
''You think this is funny. but I want
Honestly, Nan. haven't had q de-
cent scrap with John since it started.
I have to keep John dolled up. the
babies dolled up, mo dolled UP, and all
Of US in Pollyanna sweetness, DAY in
and day OUT, 30 MlSteT DOHA1o + CITY
viii think domestic welded life Is all
bliss"
isn't it," teased Nan.
Sure it is" Merry grinned back
at her, but not the gooey, sticketh-
bliss that DON Ferry
thinks it ought to be. Mandy pAmby
goose. he is. 1 don't SEQ why Rose
ever fell in love with him-or he
with her, If she's so afraid to grab
him. Honestly. I don't see what
she sees in him."
Maybe he doesn't see what you
see in john" Mans eyes crtnkled
with fun again.
To her amusement Merriam did not
rise to her usual vivid defense OF her
deliberate young husband.
Il sometimes wonder myself" she
said a tribe bitterly. "Oh, Man
her brown eyes widened, was there
ever time when you" she
blushed. sometimes got discouraged
about Uncle Thorne and-wondered
he wasn't ever go