The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-01-28
When 4 Girl
 MQrries
CHAPTER 472
By. ANN LISlE

the naughty child you'll think me when you find I've gone back to work. On returning to the ranks of the self supporting I'm determined. Name 1t ennut or stubborness or the call of the blood or whatever you like, but can endure 1dleness & moment longer. To avoid arguments, I'm going to get myself nicely established at a desk before trust myself within call of your persuasive and anti-faministic voices and viewpoints. Please, dears, go on loving me-and let me work this out As part of our Jins' problem and with the same fairness I'm trying to show in not interfering with what he feels is the right thing for him to do. You'n hear from me in day or two. So don't worry about your runaway, but devoted Anne"
 I fastened the note conspfcuously to my trunk, seized the small luggage in which I'd slowed all I needd for a week or so. and scurrted down the hall to the elevator. Up to this mo- ment I hadn't solved the problem of where a woman with $2 in her purse could so.
 As I stepped into the car, the eIe- vator boy grinned and held out a let ter to me.
 "Just 'stributin' the mail." he said
 With avid fingers, I seized the let ter. It was from Jim. And it's post mark was right here in the city.
 A letter from Jim! Postmarked in the city. My head swam and my heart thumped. But I managed to that I must read my letter in privacy. So said hastily to the elevator boy:
 "P1ease give these bags to Lyons and fell him T11 hn fYS ofy,- utes. have-som ething to attend to arst''
 Then stepped back into the quiet entranceway which led to Jean1e's apartment, and there. safe from in trusion or question, I tore open Jim's letter and read.
 Dearest Girl-rm giving this to a chap to mail right in the big city, so it will get to you more quickly than if I trusted 1t to the postal routes from the tiny hole in the wall this Information, as I'll bet my hat that -. wcmanlike - you've been puzzling over the postmark for ten minutes before jumping into the litter and finding out that there's a reason. Maybe you thought for a minute that I was camping on the next corner. Now with masculine efficiency I've explained the mys- terry"
 I looked up with tear-wet eyes, through which 8 smile struggled I chuckled as I realized how like Jim this beginning was. But I got a lot of joy out of the fact that I hadn't fingered over the postmark at all. If only could tell Jim and see his re- sponsive grin. After a moment I went on reading the words written ty :oly boys own hand:
 Things are going none too we'll can't write much about my af- fairs for the simple reason that I've no guarantee that my letters will ever get to you-or be untampered with if they do. This is the fourth I've writ ten. I'm hoping at least 50 per cent. of 'em reached you.
 "A1so, I hope that you're making out all right without mo. You've plenty of good friends and 2 few own homefoiks who'll keep you from getting lonesome. But don't firt with any handsome foreigners such as our friend A. N, rrinstance.
 "As to when I'll be back, I can't friend who's hun-dinger and who's making fur fly in her efforts to help me unearth a few facts legal and otherwise. Maybe this will help you to put two and two to- gett1er and come as near the right answer as-f1ve.
 Don't worry. I'm in good com pany and nicely looked out for down here. And my affairs at home are know by this tine. When come home I expect to and you and a cer- tain business woman I won't name. fast friends. You will have a lot in common with her. I'm beginning to see that the business women is the one best bet of our modern ctv1liza- ton.
 eff tell you how much I miss you, you'll get blue. If I tell you how darn anxious am for e sight of my Lilac Lady, you'1l be too sorry for yond saying that tho wish Of his heart is to work out his problem euc- cessfully and to get back to the bright lights and-your bright eyes?
 Keep everything under your hat. Keep yourself in pretty hats for the express purpose of . stopping talk. Hold your head up and say Hubby 8 off on a business trip and that he hopes to come home with the bacon before snow flies again.
 with love to Jeanie and Phoebe
 
 and the rest. I am. Your loving hus- band, Jim"
 With a feeling of disappointment looked up from the letter I'd raced through so fast, hoping for something something I hadn't found. Slowly I read it again.
 The tremendous tenderness for which I yearned wasn't there. The passion of love and longing I wanted to find surging from the very pages to meet the longing in by own heart-wasn'& there.
 I didn't want to be critical. Above all I didn't want to be Jealous But the letter seemed the sort I might have received if Jim had been across the state border for fortnight's fish ing
 of course Jim has to be careful what he says" told myself with an effort at sturdy calmness. t'He can't commit himself at all. But he's man aged to tell me that there's still need for secrecy and to express the hope that Mabel Storrs and I will be friends"