Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-11
MY MARRIAGE
vi
Adele Garrison's
New Phase off,.
REVELATIONS
OF WIFE
THE PICTURE THE SALESWOMAN
DREW OF THE DON'S HUST

l. CdLuc lCiu,toANAS cut AAOA III
the rack of draperies in the East.
hampton shop, where under the pretext
of examining them / had taken refuge
with Junior and Marion from my
mother-i in Jaws ~captiousness in shop.
ping. But l knew there was no pos.
sible' way to safeguard the summons
she had just given me. Were / to fai
to answer her, she was capable OF
bringing all business to a s~tandstiI
until she had found me.
But as / advanced toward her l was
niserably conscious that the eyes OF
the people in the front of the store
were fixed upon me IN amused curl.
osity, for my mother-in-law's tone had
been the peremptory one which some
mothers invariably use toward their
erring small children. And my only
consolation lay in the fact that the
eyes Of the mysterious Don Ramon
Almirez behind their thick-lensed
glasses were carefully averted from
my direction. ! felt a psychic little
conviction that those eyes were filled
with sardonic laughter-mirth which
had seen before and would recognize
could l get beneath the puzzling mask
OF glasses, snowy beard and moustache,
and foreign air.
"Are They Anybody"
Where have you been?" Mother
Graham demanded tartly. Il thought
you came to help me shop"
! choked back d smile. My mother
IN -law wishes help or advice in shop
rin~ oln,,% o, r,,oL 90 n TV,rj,ch ~r,,ao
needs assistance in selecting a wife.
But it is her pleasure to pretend that
she does, and l was properly apollo
getic.
Il just stepped over to examine those
draperies," / said indicating the rack
behind which ! had taken refuge. They
are unusually attractive"
"Humph!" Her tone indicated that
nothing in a shop so far from the city
could possibly have any merit. You
always were tacky about curtains.
Look here" She beckoned me close to
her and lowered her voice to a whispr
Il want you to see that tall foreigner
in the front of the store they're all
k~owtowing to. He's just a high-class
confidence man making a fool Of them
all and laughing in his sleeve. And
some way-Im sure I've seen him be-
fore. Does be remind you of any
body?"
l was quickly vehement in my denial
and ! wondered at my own emphasis.
Nobody in the world" | said.
But" with the swift recollection that
opposition always made my mother-in-
law more determined, Il dare say
you're right about him. He doesn't
look quite genuine to me-"
'Genuine!" she retorted. Hes a
genuine crook, that's all, and so those
people will find out"
She turned abruptly to the quiet
saleswoman, who must have overheard
our conversation, but gave no hint of
it in her perfect name
Who are those people in the front
Of the store!" she demanded.
They are from Southampton" the
woman returned. The name is Smythe-
Hopkins"
There was not the ghost of an ex-
preston in her monotonous low-toned
voice, but I suddenly had the Smythe-
Hopkins family ticketed and showed
into a third-class compartment, and I
gave a f~urtive, appraising look at the
woman behind the counter.
She was of medium height. middle
age, slender, with a not-quite-healthy
pallor, but there was something about
her features etched like a. cameo, her
carriage and her voice that made me
think of Hawthorne's novels. That
she belonged to an old Long Island
or New England family, than which
there is no more intolerant tenacious
aristocracy, ! was sure. So I waited
with tense interest for her to speak
again.
But it was my mother-in-law who
Spelled with q y and not e. I'll
she said caustically, They look