The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-09-13
One Of These
Country Girls
BY PAUL SCOTT MoWRER
Copyright by the Frank A. Nun
sey Co.

had not come in at the usual hour
from the marshes: how she had stood
the suspense until night dusk. and
how she had then rowed up the lake
in the flat bottomed skiff in search Of
him.
Fortunately for Blame her eyes were
as keen as her determination to find
him had been great.
$50 now you got to lie still, like the
doctor said," she concluded, half play
fully, laying her cool hand upon his
forehead. you've had smart spell
of fever, and we don't want it comm
back on you"
How soothing her hand seemed!
Formerly he had thought It big and
rough. AS he looked up into her soft.
regular features-her full red lips
slightly parted, her calm eyes of deep
blue, her placid brow, now somewhat
wrinkled with solicitous concern for
him-he could not help comparing her
with his wife-Mrs. Franklin Blame
a woman of stately comliness, whose
lips were thin, and whose eyes wero
cold and gray.
"By the way,'' he asked. did you
mail that letter / left on the wash
stand?"
1.-THE one to Eloise Blame? Yes. She
must be your sister amt she? You
amt never told me much about your
family"
NO." said Blame. 81 have no sisters.
She's my aunt. She keeps house for
me when I'm home"
It was the story he customariIy u.s.
I ed. "And Gertie," he added, Il think
you'd better send a telegram to her
Tell her I'm unavoidably delayed for
a while longer. Do ycu remember
the address? Or. here-if you'll bring
me some paper and pencil out of
my coat, / can write It."
The girl stood up beside the bed
and gazed on him with motherly
expression.
"You turn over'n go to Sleep she
said. smiling. "You don't need to
worry bout that"
what do you mean?"
why" said Gertle, plainly delight
ed at having forestalled his wishes.
we've already fixed that. We sent
her telegram yesterday-th doctor
said he thought we ought to-and she
sent back she'll get to Lysium Station
tonight.
Oscars goin' to drive in with the
blackboard to meet her. Why, Mr.
Blanei" she cried out in sudden alarm
'are you-have you" She bent quick
ly over him.
"Just a touch--a touch of headache"
breathed Blame heavily. when did
, you say she's coming?"
Tonight Why? Won't you be glad
to see herr"
''Of course 1t was good of you
good of you to send; but there wasn't
really any need"
Gertie gave him swift look Of UNI
derstanding-o rather of misunder-
standing-that made him actually sor-
ny for her; then bidding him again to
go to sleep, she left the room.
The pangs Blame had endured that
miserable day in the marsh were as
nothing to those he suffered in the
ensuing hour.
He knew very well what Eloise
would do: she would give him short
shrift. To woman of her stamp, the
publicity of the courts would be rath-
/ er agreeable than otherwise; and they
had no children to consider-for this
he had thanked his stars.
! She had never been congenial to
him, even before he fell under her
suspicion.
At the present time he felt she
would like nothing better. than an ex-
cuse to cut loose from him for good
and all, and go soaring away into sub
nminal spheres of high-minded sub
mission to an unfortunate situation.
leaving him disgraced-the talk of the
town, the sport of his friends.
1t was not that he had done any
thing he regretted; only. after all his
Boosting at joyial stas parties, to be
thus ingloriously caught through no
fault Of his own-it was maddening.
AS for attempting to break the truth
\ to GeHtie and casting himself on her
mercy, he never dreamed of it. He
knew these country girls; they have
the devotion of dogs as long as they
think you are true to them; but once
they find out you have only been play
Ing with them, they go insane--simply
insanel
/ Three years ago he had had little
red haired fiend tracking him all over
the city, although up in the country,
where he had first got acquainted
/ with her, she had seemed as gentle
! - .1.slo H..