Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1923-06-29

She said she would. unless he want
ca to 90 out somewhere with her; but
ne SAD he must 90 back to the office
ana work. I'm going to be pretty
Dusy between now and Monday he
added. "
She looked at him sharplv Yon,re
gong to be here tomorrow when he
comes, aren't your"
oh yes, I'll be here-you bety II
was so evident, though, that the last
brace of words had ESCAPED him in
voluntarily that she forbore to remon-
strate.
! Ihey kept rather carefully away
from Charles Hawthorn Hawkins as a
conversational topic that night. Next
morning, however, just before he left
for the Office, George uneasily broke
the ice by saying, Don't count on
MN too much, Emily. He may not
come, you knOw-send you a telegram
this morning"
She asked holly why he said that.
and added, as the suspicion struck her,
l believe you've been telegraphing
him. yourself, not to come" But this
injurious charge she at once retracted.
They're supposed to be sort of
temperamental and changeable that's
all" he explained, "and I thought he
might change his mind about this"
you wish he would, I suspect" she
observed.
yes" he answered, unhappily, 81
suppose I do"
She gazed at him a moment in mute
evaporation. Then her expression
softened and she gave a reluctant
laugh. II think you're the most ride
ulous person in the world" she said.
Il suppose you think he's coming out
here to break up our happy home and
get me to run away with him.
He looked so glum over this that she
gave him up as hopeless. ooh, go
along" she cried. But I'm going to
kiss you first. And you will be home
sharp at four, won't your"
1t was an hour earlier than this
that she found him in the dining room
unwrapping a package containing two
bottles, one of gin and the other of
Scotch whisky.
Got 'em from Walter Harbury," he
explained sheepishly. walter has
regular bootlegger-comes around once
month. Been meaning to lay in
something like this for quite a while"
Her asOnishment over this bit of
unabashed mendacity made 1t possible
for him to get on to something else
He put the bottles away in the side
board, turned his back upon it, and
gazed at her so intently that she
frowned inquiringly and presently
asked. "Well, what is it?"
Nothing" he said, "only I think
you're looking great-just as you are"
Now this was the unauthorized
truth. At forty, after two children
and nineteen years of marriage and
Avonia, she still looked infinitely de-
sirable to George, and never more so
than in the sort of clothes she was
wearing now, small felt hat crammed
down upon her small round head
(she'd been out doing some last-min-
ute marketing), a sweater, a sport
skirt lOw-heeled shoes; her face
MOSTLY flushed, innocent of powder. /
1t was true and Emily knew it was
true.
All the same she saw through him
and smiled derisively. $50 you want
me to look like this when Mr.. Haw-
kins eomes?" she asked. "Wel, I
won't. I'm going up TO dress this
minute"
81 wish you wouldn't, Emily he
pleaded. 81 don't want you to dress
up for this chump. l don't want you
to do anything-special for him. I
don't see why you should. You don't
care anything about him, do you? Nor
about what he thinks?'
Her flush deepened as she met his
look. She reached out suddenly and
took hold of him by the ears. Idiot
she said. "Idiotl' But in the interval
between the two words she kissed him.
md she did not dress up for Mr..
Charles Hawthorn Hawkins.
Perhaps because her husbands per
'ormance occupied the first place in
Ter attention, she found it hard to re
member what a celebrity Charley
Iawkins had become.
He was curiously unchanged, through
III his changes. The twenty pounds
n so he had put on hadn't made BIN
ook older; had served only TO accen-
uate the plump. cherubic look Of boy
sh innocence there'd always been
bout him. He talked about himself a
,t lust as he'd always done.
Emily shot an uneasy glance NJ
gorge now and then; for instance, 3
hen Charley spoke offhand Of the d
)remost American actress as Ethel q
he wondered whether George was d
wing 10 himself "Assy But APP p
arently George was not He seemed q
, be enjoying the gossip Of the the "a
Ter as much as the tales Of Capri "a
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