The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-25
Novelist.


praise of his wife, and his mild
criticism Of her ungrammatical
speech-crisply Cnunciated as only
Stanley Trevor ever spoke-annoy.
ed Philip vastly. Yet Constance
seemed satisfied. They lived a
placid life together; there never
were any chickering's or disagree
ments. Philip often spent q quiet
evening or q Sunday in Piedmont,
and the harmony that prevailed in
the little bungalow was pleasantly
soothing. Constance was always
busy with her garden. her sewing,
her kitchen or the needs of the
baby; her husband usually spent
his hours deep in the pages Of
some thick and formidable looking
book on banking.
Phil's Disappointment.
When the first of August arrived
Philip confidently expected Mar
she wrote him voluminous, eager
letter telling him that Virginia
Fisher had persuaded her to re-
main at Santa Cruz for another
month as her guest. She begged
Philip not to be cross, and urged
him with many underlined words
to come down himself to Santa
Cruz for his own vacation.
He was keeniy disappointed. He
missed his wife and found cooking
his own breakfast and going home
to bed in the unaired, deserted flat
dreary and dismal. There was
nothing to do about the matter
that he could see. He reluctantly
decided to go to Santa Cruz for a
few days, spend them with Margie,
and then perhaps he might be able
to persuade her to run up to the
ranch for the remainder of his va
cation.
A day or so before he left,
Roy North came into his office.
Had to come in and know
Margie's husband" he exclaimed,
shaking Philips hand vigorously.
II want to tell you, you've got
a regular peacherino.-know what
I mean? She and the kid get
along first rate; LilIian's crazy
ABOUT Marge. Say, you got to
come to lunch with me. Get your
hat and we'll go have chow"
. Philip was somewhat STAGGERED
by the young mans breeziness
and familiarity. Roy North WIS
a black-haired, dark-skinned. dar-
dified youth with an Italian cast
OF feature, who wore his straw
nat at an argyle, affected a dla-
mond scarf-pin. and forever had
cigarette between his fingers or
dangling from his lips. 1t was
the fashion of the day to wear
narrow, close-fitting trousers and
North's neither garments fitted his
trim legs with almost the scanti-
ness Of tights. He was handsome
In a glittering kind of holiness
which both attracted and repealed.
His enthusiasm over Marjorie
knew no bounds and he express.
siVely waved his small fin. hands
across the r2nch table as he ex-
patiated upon her charms. He
produced an envelope containing
a number Of quick sketches he
had made Of her. They were un-
deniably clever; sharp, lightning
pencil drafts, no more than ten
or dozen strokes at most, which
somehow had caught Marjorfe.s
features. Marjorie's carriage, Mar.
jorie's characteristic gestures.
Il tell you what, Baldwin. that
wife OF yours Is a humdinger.
She's got something awfuliy
French about her-know what
mean? She's the life Of our
crowd down there and Lii thinks
she's outersight. And say, man,
how about her dancing! Well
now, let me tell you-she-knows
dance! She's a regular
fairy on her feet-butterfiy-
know what I mean?"
Resented Tribute.
Philip found himself wonder.
ing, as he climbed back on his
high-stool after lunch, why he
resented North's praise of his
wife. He was glad he liked ner,
glad she liked him, but there was
something irritating nevertheless
in North's 'Iulsome tributes. Fe
decided he did not care to have
his wife's virtues tagged for him
by an outsider. He had known
Marjorie long before the Ncrths
mad discovered her, and he had
thought so well Of her as to ask
her to marry him.
Something of the same irrita.
ton returned to him when Mrs.
North, who had accompanied Mar
Jorie to the station to meet him
on his arrival at Santa Cruz. sat
with her arm about his wife all
the way back to the hotel In the
dusty, canvas covered bus,
Throughout the short drive. she
gased eagerly into Marjorie's race