The Washington times., 1922-08-17

wv ns.,s is good s'vss, e be home ssos
20 be with my own"
Big Bill Williams. pink faced
and portly. put an arm around his
wife caressingly and kissed her.
over twenty years of married life
had not killed the romance In those
two and 1t was always hard for
them to be separated.
To others, she was a dark-eyed,
plain little women, neat and cheer
full and rather attractive yet moth.
ing remarkable, but to him she
was the same wistful, fairy-faced
girl he Mad married so long ago
and as she looked up at him that
day in greeting, she saw nothing
of, the telltale bald spot or the
grazing temples or the crows feet.
She saw him tall and slender and
ardent and fired with ambitions
ambitions that had long since been
realized.
why the worried little frown?"
he asked as he released her. ..
"Oh, Bill, I've seen Jim's girl"
'Well, what Of 1t, and which
one?" ~ .. Z
He was irritatingly cheerful and
refused to see any tragedy in her
statement. Il
what of it2" she echoed. "If
you could see her. i can't under
stand how Jim can love her"
What's the matter? Is she so
ugly?' Williams asked, calmly
lighting another cigar.
ugly, no. That wouldn't mat
ter, but she's absolutely the fluff
fy. duffiest little thing you ever
saw. She's blonde and bobbed-
haired and baby-faced and she sim
ply twists Jim around her little fin
ger. He's crazy about her and he's
so big and fine-our limits ter
rible! Oh, it's too terrible! These
scheming little vamps!"
There, there, mother, don't get
90 worked up, dear They aren't
Hell marry her il he can. I'm
his mother and I know some
thing about my own son. This is
the first real affair he's ever had.
But not necessarily his last.
He was aggravatingly optimistic.
fsAnyhow, I'm glad you're home
again. Somehow, sort Of felt re-
sponsible while you were away:
Dear girl, what an absurd idea!
I couldn't blame you If he ran Off
with our cook"
Hes crazy enough to do any
thing"
'"It'n come out all right. Don't
worry. Just think Of the things
you've worried yourself sick over
that never happened"
Anyhow, you'll have a chance
TO see for yourself tomorrow. I've
asked her to tea"
II was a stiff little tea the
following afternoon. Everyone
was Ill at ease except Mr..
williams, who laughed and jested
with Daisy Parker as II they had
been old friends, while Jim sent
him grateful glances Of under
standing. What a game old sport
he was. But Mrs. Williams sat
in dignified silence and only ad-
dressed her guest when she had
20. AS soon as 1t was over her
husband rose.
'"Now, mother and I are going
to let the young folks amuse
themselves, I guess. Come along"
"Why were you 500 nice to
herr" Mrs. Williams spluttered as
soon as they were out OF earshot.
why not be? She's nice
enough little trick. I like her my
self"
did you notice she called Jim
Jimmy And he simply beamed
at her, and you know how furious
It. used to make him for me to
call him that, yet he let's her do
It. and enjoys it,"
'"Yes, and when we were en-
gagged you called me Billy and
my heart flopped with joy at the
very sound, but my father thrash
ed me once for swearing when my
mother forgot and dropped into
her old pet name for me-" WILL
tams chuckled softly.
"Oh, youth, youth" sighed Mrs.
williams in a daze.
"You know, mother, feel rather
awed by It. This Is the first time
any Of Jim's affairs have come
near to me. I've heard about his
girls but I've never seen him with
one of them before and it's pretty