The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-14
CHAPTER 535 1920, King Features Syndi-

CHAPTER 5S5 Copyright, 1920, King Features Syndi- cate, Inc.
 We've all heard about the per versity of inanimate objects''-but I've never seen the perversity of the whole scheme of things mora cruelty illustrated than by the fact that Vir- ginta's car had come along just when Tom Mason and I gave the absurd Imitation of being somewhat over-in- terested in each other and our tete- a-tete,
 Poise might have taken care of the situation-might have shown that there was no situation But even in the minute that I made the tactical blunder of driving my car fairly into the ditch I could fancy Vfrginfa's su- perior and skeptica1 smile at what must appear like lodging.
 Whats the matter Donna Anne |? See a, ghost ?'' asked Tom with an amused chuckle. "Or did you think you had to lay the ghost of my old tendency to philander-even v4th an aloof and indifferent lady like you?"
 'tNothing's the matter I replied. Now that I know you're going to stand by Evvy, alFs well with the world"
 "And to prove it, you almost drive the car into the ditch and throw off my unoffending hand as if it were the paw of a tiger" murmured Tom.
 Did you happen to notice who was in that big blue car we just passed % I asked, venturing body because I couldn't bear not knowing whether or no Virginia had anything new to add to her accumulation of counts against me.
 "We went so fast I couldn't make out. did see that there were a. cou- pleof women and man." replied Tom lacontcaly. "One of 'em looked back after us; I got that over my own shoulder. Think it gave you a black eye to be seen with n1e?''
 Don't be absurdi" I temporized.
 I'm not absurd; I want to know. Donna Anne, the time hasn't come to talk about it. but you know perfectly well that there's "a girl in my 1ife-a girl I don't want to have touched by anything I was once-as girl who de- serves the best I've got. By love! She's going to get tiff she'll take it. And I don't want it cheapened for her by any echoes of the way I used to play the game. So. I've as much at stake-as you have"
 A girl in his life! I thought. Who |? Daisy or Irma?
 ''No one has anything at stake,'' I replied more easily than I felt, forc- ing myself to suavity as I spoke aloud. Something in Toms sudden tenseness, and in the honesty I felt underlying what he stammered, gave me an absurd idea of comforting him. After all, if two old friends, who happen to be visiting the same per son, can't skim down a country road in that persons car it's an absurd re- f1ection on the viewpoint of-folks in genueral"
 "Quite so," replied Tom dryly. "On1y the viewpoint of folks in gen. eral isn't a thing I'm inclined to look for"
 For a half a minute I was stung to sort of cold fury by Toms insinua- tion- Then I found myself merely annoyed by his blunt statement of the worlds unpleasant attitude toward things which ahe perfectly dignified and correct until evel-nindedness makes them otherwise.
 was glad when we reached the gates of Mason Towers a moment later and our tete-tete was termfnat- ed. We were just ia time for supper, and it required almost no finesse to turn the conversation adroitly to suit Evvy's purpose. Tom played up splen- didly and Evvy's co1orless parents
 agreed to all he proposed, so in a tiff it was arranged that Evvy be per