The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-10

ga1Iys AS q matter Oh TACT We ~
have to be bit careful in our
/ reference to Betty tonight. my
dear. She's out at Dreamwold
with Jeanne. And Phoebe would
be cut TO the quick II we MEN
toned that. |"
I'm glad you told me" said
Carlotta with her usual warm
generosity. .shall we pretty up
a bit?"
Lets" said THE youngsters
won't be here until 1880. You run
up and start unpacking, dear, and
I'll go out to the kitchen and
break the news Of your return to
Bertha and Cook. They'll prob.
ably want to come upstairs to
greet you, but that won't be as
much Of a. strain as getting the
warmth OF the kitchen and the
warmth OF. their affection in one
large unrestrained dose.
gave the delighted servants
the welcome news Of Carlottass
homecoming and then went mp
for my own tub and prettying.
More time had elapsed than I'd
been able TO Aeep track of. so
Neal and Phoebe arrived Just as
I was hooking the waist of my
henr1a satin dress. And when
Il went to call for CarIotta 1
found she'd already gone down.
This gave me my cue. After
the strain and emotional revela-
tons OF her leave-taking Carlotta
is afraid to. trust herself alone
with me. Perhaps she breads
what more she might be tempted
to reveal. Possibly she fears SYM
pathy. My best course, realized.
was a manner Of matter-of-fact
serenity with no reference to the
truth behind her so-calIed business
trip.
Neal and Phoebe were so unre-
servedly happy to see CarIotta
again, 80 gaily cordial about her
surprise at having them in to vel
come her, that we were soon
translated into a mood of gayety
and camaraderie than which moth
ing could have been better for
Carlotta. It was Phoebe who
broke the spell-but not for Car
Iotta alone.
Tony Norreys was in to see
Neal today. Anne" she cried.
"Of course you've seen him, too.
just happened to be in the
office, and I thought he was the
gauntest. saddest looking thing.
asked him to come to dinner
with us. But he couldn't. did
he tell you why, NeaI?'
NEAL EXPLAINS.
tried to catch Meals sye-to
stop him from some word which
must be the clue to topics we
ought to avoid.
He was motoring out Of
town." said Neal tactfully. mrs.
Winston is back. He said he was
taking her to the country"
They would have taken me-
II broke in, stretching the truth
a bit in the interests of saving
a lot Of sensitive feelings from
unnecessary hurt.
well, considering all that
stopped you was our coming here
to dinner. I think they might
have dined with us, too. Surely
they knew we'd excuse you as
early as ever you liked SO you
could go off with them" went
on Phoebe with the Harrison
strain. adding to her happy
and conventional young-married.
woman air.
No use criticising old Tony"
protested Neal painfully. He's a
prince. No other man would
have chased across thee country
for his chum's widow the way
he did. He just dropped all his
own interests. Poor Betty's
hardly sane, you know''-
Cali the more reason he should
stop and think how things look!'
said Phoebe primly.
could have shaken her. The
Harrison fetish of conventionality
was being outraged, but Phoebe's
criticisms were so wide Of the
mark that they annoyed me
almost beyond endurance. Sud
denly I felt Carlotta.s eyes on
my face-pleading, almost COM
pelling. I cast about for some
thing to say. and while was
thinking Phoebe went on:
Il never saw anything so won
derful about Tony. And now 1
think he's banking too much on
the fact that no one would bother
much about any one so manned
and unattractive''-
Don't you think you ought to !.
have the facts before you con. :,
DENIM"
It was Carlotta's voice cutting
across the room like a lash. Re.
Numbering her new yet old man.
ner of flamboyance, I trembled
for her next word.