The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-08-17
Her Happiness
Insurance
BY MARTHA NJ. WILLIAMS

It," Which is another way OF saying
Mrs, Grundy, plus a detective bureau,
had nothing on her in the matter of
knowing things. II, as sometimes hap
pened, the things turned out not to be
so. she said she was sorry for having
repeated them, but never took pains to
set hearers right. Perhaps that was
Just as well, considering that listeners
commonly take after-correctlons as
perfunctory, though keeping vivid
credence of the things denied.
Notwithstanding, Mrs. Timmlns was
no ghoul-merely n born gossip, kind
and generous In all things save judg.
right OFF the reel she felt that she
saved herself the shock of discoveries.
Thus when the Ridley-Gordon engage
ment was broken she was lntuitlvely
sure Carol Denham was at the bottom
of II. Also that 1t was shame-Lls-
beth Gordon was clearly cut out for
stepmother And Jack Ridley had
all the things Lisbeth deserved but
lacked-money, position, a fine home
and mighty good heart TO balance
his hot temper. Also and further, the
Ridley twins, big girls Of thirteen, had
made truce, saying openly: "We hate
to have dad marry, but II he will do
II, we'd rather have Miss Lisbeth."
Any well-regulated mind would accept
that as a final, a cllncher that here
Ridley luck was running true to form.
Mrs. Tlmmins couldn't put the break.
up out of her mind. She began to hate
Carol heartily, also to spy upon her.
That was almost too easy-the Den
hams lived right across the. street.
Thus the Tlmmlns' windows automatl-
cally commanded the house, front and
| side. Commonly Carol came and went
| by the side entrance; further, she set
In the evenings on the single step there
rather than on the broad granite slabs
In front. A fierce, frownlng satlsfac-
tion filed the Timmlns consciousness
whenever its owner noted Ridley es-
cortlng Carol up the side path or sit
ting with her In the softer dusk of a
space the arc lights did not reach.
True. this was none so often-say
fortnightly at most. Against that was
the fact that Carol admitted openly
choosing stuffs and colors for the max.
ing new of the Ridley home.
But IL the case looked dark for Carol
IL was darker for Lisbeth. From Il
sober home body she had become n
butterhy-here, there, everywhere, gay
est of the gay. Evidently her willow
had turned to rose garland I'm the
wearing. Nobody denied that Banker
Ridley had broken the engagement, yet
nobody knew for certain. Not even
Carol-she perhaps might have made
a shrewd guess, but never did lt-not
even under the provocation of rlgor-
Gus cross-questionlng.
Things went on thus for a full year
Carol was the only girl ever seen
with Jack Ridley, yet there was moth
on the surface. The oldest part was,
Lisbeth saw so much of her reputed
supplanter-came and went as she
liked at the Denham house and was
evidently always welcome. Now aud
then she encountered her sometime
fiance, shook hands with him cordially,
or waved him a gay good-by as occa-
sion required. Which was the hardest
nut of all for Timmlns' cracking. Why
why, had they played quits If they
were as good friends as ever?
The situation was hectic enough be
fore Llsbeth got herself a car. How
was amazing enough, but nothing com
pared to the use she made OF 1t. Five
afternoons a week she came to the Den
ham steps, but not alone. Billy Cant.
rell, Ridley's lawyer, sat always at her
elbow, until Carol displaced him. Then
the car whlrled away downtown
where 1t was known to pick up Ridley
and go Its rapid way. The way must
have been lengthy. It seldom came
back before eleven Of the clock some
times 1t was even midnight. But no
body on the street could complain; the
homing was so quiet 1t might even
have been called furtive.
Fancy Mrs. Tlmmlns' feellngsl The
dear lady grew almost apoplectlc II
she let herself ponder things too long
Such golngs on went beyond decency
to say nothing Of experience. She con
fided to her next friend that 1t wore
her to frazzle, this living where she
ought to know everything and know.
ing nothing at all.
Now, why don't you ask some OF
em right fiat outT querled the listen
er. II would If l knew any Of 'em
we'll as you do. Besides, Jack Ridley
does the bankin' for you and all your
folks, not to name beln warden In
your church"
"oh, my husband would have fit T.
Mrs Timmlns protested; but the sug
gestion stuck. Do what she would, she
could not get rid Of it. Carol, she well
knew, was hopeless. Time after time
she had done her best on the close
mOuthed thing. Llsbeth was much
freer-spoken, but had somehow a for
I ~ :