The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-05-25
CHAPTER see
Copyright, 1920. King Features Syndi

Sopyr1Rht, lSkVs ming FeAtUreS Syndt-
cate. Inc.
did you come in a carr" asked
Mabel with a judicial calm and cate
gorical manner.
Yes replied. Gin Evelyn Mason's
cara little blue one which she ask
ed me to take care of for her while
she went on a-presumptive trip. I
parked it down the side of the build
ing. It's there now, of course. How
can it help being there? I locked 1t
carefully. No one could take it-that
is-no one but the owner who had
a duplicate key, suppose"
We looked at each other question
ingly for a moment. Then Mabel
pressed a button set in the desk.
I'm have Oliver go down and sec If
the cars still there" she explained
quietly.
After the little lame lad had been
given his commission and had nmped
away to perform 1t I returned to the
history Mabel had been telling me
when the telephone message from Ev-
Wy interrupted.
you haven't tied up the threads
of your narrative I protested And
want to hear the rest of it-that's
and explains why you think you and
are Of the same Northern tempera-
ment's
IT don't believe I'd better go back
to that now. Perhaps 1t would be bet
ter for all of US If. instead of my de-
nvering you a lecture, you were to
tell me more about this Miss Mason.
I've an idea that the Dick West group
is about ready to close in on US, so we
ought to share all the knowledge we
have-and try to defeat them on the
1II haf+
plan"
There's one thing I must know
before we start on a new tack in
sisted with a smile to counter-balance
my grim determination to insist on
probing her feelings. ''I want to
know what made you confide in me
like this I know how se1f-sufficient
you are-and how proud. You say
we're temperamenta1ly alike. Well
putting myself in your place. know
wouldn't pour out my heart as
you've done unless I had "a real mo-
tive"
Mabers face crimsoned. She sat in
thought for a minute. Then she
said:
Anne, I can't tell you now. The
spell has been broken. I'd feel banal
intrusive lot of miserable things
if I had to dig up my motives"
WAS ito show me the danger
of jealousy?' I insisted.
Mabel flushed and turned away.
After a moment she swung around in
her chair again and faced me with
eyes steady and warm again.
why shouldn't I have the courage
of my convictions? she demanded.
evidently of herself. ct had a per-
fect1y definite motive for telling you
how Mr.. Harrison came into my life
and Dick went out of 1t. Two mo-
tives. I'd only be proving that I'm
a quftter-and suggesting that you're
a snob-ff I didn't go Through with
this and tell you just what 1t was
beyond the desire to unburden my
seIf-that made me tell you the story
of my life"
"'r know your motives were fine and
generous" I replied earnestly, 81 sense
them can half guess them. But
I'd like you to round out this expert
ence in mutual discovery we've gone
through by telling me just what 1t
was You set out to convey"
Mabel squared her shoulders as a
man does sometimes when he is
about to tackle a Job which may
make enemies for him, but which he
feels it is up to him to see through.
Then her face took on its look of fine
stability, telling how much strength
and fineness she's brought out of the
bitter experience that might have de-
stroyed some women. Even Betty