Omaha daily bee., 1922-04-30

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"oh. We can manage that, all
right. ! guess" said Charlotte, Don't
spoil your vacation worrying about
%. anyhow"
Then there was the matter Of VIII
iFed. Anne, not resentiul BIT. she
was able TO assure herself. OF her
sisters new attitude, but feeling
that. as a mere sporting proposition,
she must get the upper hand OF her
II she could, decided that perhaps
Wiifed Was the handle that this
could be done by. Charlotte really
and unreseryediy adofed hin-any
one could see that. But was he
equally mad about herr Was any
man. for that matter. ever so fond
as 10 he totally insensible 10 all
magnetic waves save those which
came from single soufees And
even II Wilired was, how sure OF
this was Charlotte? She had. Tor a
fact seemed little startled tha, first
morning over Anne's suggested un-
certainty whether she wished 10
dress 10 excite him or not. He'd
seemed uneoneerned enough about
her up TO now: friendly aud Jolly
aud all that-simply brother-m-
law. nothing more. Bu, this was
no sign she couldn't get some
,bange out of him IL she tried. Well.
il was worth an experiment or two.
anyhow.
II was in bed one morning that
She first entertained this line OF
thought. and she was pondering up
on the most effective time and place
ior staging the first move in the
domestic triangle play khe contem-
plated when the maxim occurred To
her that the way 10 get the jump on
anybody was 10 do /, now. The
moment was favorable. too. The
breakfast routine oi the Blunts was
made 10 order Tor her purpose. Will
fred took a terribly early train TO
town. and his simple breakfast. con-
sis,ing OF oatmeal out oi the hreless
cooker and cup OF patent coffee. he
usually got Tor himself. Charlotte
was usually up at this time. but not
down; busy with the baby upstairs.
The two girls. since that first morn
ing, had breakfastcd together little
later.
Anne popped out OF bed; arrayed
herself swiftly and ruthlessly in a
pair OF not quite transparent white
China silk paiamas which she'd bought
wit. the notion that they might come
in handy some time. and her black
tatfcia Pullman; slid her bare feet
into pair Of black satin mules. and
stole downstairs. This ought to
brighten Wilircd's eye bit. The
precise line she'd take with him shell !
trust to the spur OF the moment.
She rounded the corner o. the din
ing room. alight with the glad con-
viction that she'd got the jump at
last. But there. at the head OF the
table, with the baby beside her in a
high chair, sat-Charlotte.
"Anne. you duck" she cried. How
perfectly sweet! Sit down and III
go and start your eggs. Bill will be
down in a minute"
Hasn't he-gone yeti" Anne
gulpcd, blighted by the belief that
she was turning rather pink.
mo, he's being lazy this morning:
Heavens. child, you won't mind
l,imp Then to chinch the thing she
called upstairs. Bill! Come along
down just as you are. I want you
10 see Anne. She's looking perfect
ly frabjous."
II almost sounded as il they'd
been having an argument about it.
and this impression was heightened
a bit by Wilfred's calling back, Tell
her to sit tight. I'll be along in .
minute
Charlotte became explanatory.
"Fou see, Bills quit his job to cram
for three weeks for his architects
state license exams. They're fear
fully hard and he's going to have to
work live a slave. But he'll have to
play part Of the time, and l hope
you'll play with him as much as you
can. know you'll have lot of
other engagements. but do, when you
can. take him on and gay him up a
little or he'll get to worrying about
it."
Well. there that was.
In spite. though. of these and other
rlinor Illustrations not necessary to
chronicle, Anne cnjoved her vacation
visit enormously. Their entertain
,nent didn't run to much-one musi-
cal show and numerous movies. But
there was something rather electrical
IN the air Of that household-the very
last quality her sophistication would
have expected in suburban. almost
bridal. menage like tfat-which kent
YOU from getting dull however little
there was to do. And it was some
thing that hadn't been there the night
she came. Nothing had happened. so
far as she knew. to make the differ
cnce. But something must have hap-
pened and it must, therefore. be |
something which she knew nothing
about. She spent her odd moments
OF unemployment picking away 1t
the lock of this mystery. but she
never starteda single ,tumbler.
2She thought good deal more
about this than she did about the
nonarrival of her money, which was
matter practically more serious and
hardly more explicable. She had
telegraphed to the school, asking that
the letter be forwarded; had tele-
graphcd again to know why she
hadn't received reply: and had
finally, on the day before she was due
ia start back. got letter from them
saying there was no mail for her att
tho school.
Her belief in the incapacity of all
the school authorities was so deep
seated that this categorical denial on
their part hardly disturbed her
assumption that the letter was really
there. This confidence wouldn't take
her back to school, of course. but
Charlotte went to the bank that same
tfAy and drew 500 for her. So that |