The Press., 1922-03-16
The Wedding Present
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By M, MAcwTLLuAMs.

spit, spit?'
 Ending with a dance merry enough to cure a hypochondriac. But it did nOtAlng of the sort to her sole Sp@cta- tor. Bess Leech, her sometime chum, was deep in very angry blues. "1 think you might have Q little pity for my head" she scOlded: "It's splitting II came here in hOpa of Quiet-and cOnDOlation-and you're 60 cheerful it's wildly disgusting"
 'eWhy not be cheeFful2 Praise be, I'm not contemplating matrimony on the grace of God,-and expectations. JOSefa retOrted. Bess sat up very straight from the couch where she had thrown herself, to say aCFidly: "S0ur grapes my dear! You know you were quite mad about WilmOt-and he has the same as confessed to me, you at tracted him-until came.
 ssNot really" Josefa drawled, going CT into a gale of laughing that made Bess sob angrily: ''I laugh to think of you as the Angel of DeliVerAnce, Elizabeth Betsy JOsefa explained when she could speak: "With your red hair, and the way you dance! When you give your whole mind, and body to it, nobOdy's ealome-not the original blown-in- -the-bOttle artic'e-has anything on you"
 "YOu! YOu're-diaguSting," BesS panted. T won't stay here to De mocked. IT thought you were my friend. not a jealous cat" Bess re- turned. however, without making a motion of departure. JOsefa smiled behind her hand
 Better have lunch before you SC" she said. Swear I won't poison you, no matter if I am jealous, and cat. Fact is Betsy Lizabeth. I believe you're suffering the bangs of hunger even more than love. Tell me, what did you have for breakfaSt?"
 Quite all I wanted, thank you, ReSs answered with her gravest dig nity speaking truth literal, and nctlOn actual. She had had all she wanted of rather stale crackers and water from the tap, but now there was a void sensation conducive to weak knees and trembling hands. JosefO knew 1t, but was too kind, in spite of her rail- Iery. TO stress the point. "Me myself has a bear appetite" she said over her shoulder Keep house please till I come again; I shan't be long,"
 She came back quickly to hnd that Ress had sobbed herself to sleep. Tosefa looked at her with kind eyes, if merry ones, murmuring. ''1f heaven doesn't help these babies in the woods sIl R-n hn6 yNVRS But nothing of that was in her voice or manner when she reused Bess to sit at a table we'll and beautifully spread, and to lind further the be- loved WiImot just entering the door, and saying: You here2 Joe fooled me. I thought she was cooking in my honor"
 ''Im a designing person you know" JoSefa retorted. Always something up my sleeve. This time it's some thing for the pair of you-a chance to honeymoon in . heavenly cottage for six weeks or so, rent free, and de work enough meanwhile to take y0U half through the winter"
 Ress brfdled at that but Wiln0Ot, otherwise Billy Johnson, said half shamedly: Mighty good of you. Tell us some mOre'
 After the more had been told, specifically the illustrating of a book that might lead to something perma-' nent, he dropped shamed eyes, saying huskily: "JOe-T-we really don't de- serve this of you"
 By her showing she had 'happened", to hear of the chance. Wilmot thought; the happening had been really an offer: to herself, which she had diplomat icallY diverted his way knowing his: need. He wanted to thank her; B0me-' how the words stuck, choked back by memory of vainglorious boasts to his. new love. Josefa might have had him. for the taking. With Bess it was tn-' deed matter of "catching on the re bound" And he had the grace to be heartily Shamed by this brand of re- venge. Well, he would work hard, so as to do Joe credit with the publisher, meantime keeping~a a wary eye for any thing that might lessen in any way his obligation. He had been rather appalled, by the prospect of matrimOny without mOney-scarcely the price of q wedding ring. But how gainSay a sweetheart extremely temperamental Sure, in her lies salvation for her lover and his money. BesS was almost a genius, hut lacking in practicality. She could never stand alone, for all her looks, her charm. WilmOt had not withstoOd her, but had. shivered at thought of taking the plunge.
 Eess ate heartily of Josefa's provid- ings. Certainly she had an, appetite for any fate. But, hunger once ap- peased, she began to ruminate-to mill over things in what she was pleased to call her mind, with results rather startling. JOsefa was plotting to separate her from Wilmot. She must be made to understand that BeSS would never permit him to be patron ized by her. What if she was good friends with John Brennan, head of the big publishing firm whose word made or marred coming illustrators !'' If JoSefa had meant fairly she would never thus have taken things in her own hands. Rather she would have suggested to Brennan sending for B!lly Tohnson "~d "ettin~ things man tD man. No, Josefa was plotting to show Billy what she could do for hinl-de. ,tach him from Bess and by and by ap- 'propriate him.
 Hence, in her haughtiest drawl, she said, rising from the table: ''I think we'll be going, WiImot-to the club, you know. lazy Bi1ski may be there If we go early. You can tell him your ideas for costumes; you know, he puts on things that are hummers. And once you get him nailed you're made for nfe."
 ''But mailing himI" Wilmot gasped l "Bess of course you're joking but I'd l rather you stopped it-here at least"
 I'm not joking. intend you shall l try for 8 chance at designing for him