The Ely miner., 1924-02-15
CHAPTER V-Continued.


She didn't feel at all sure she liked
the taste of Joe. She found his real
istic moments unpleasantly acrld; his
egotism, naive; and his prudery-for
she'd been aware that shed sometimes
shocked him-rldiculous. She admit
ted the attractiveness of his looks, his
surprisingly good speech, his vigor and
freshness, and the queer miscellany
that formed his background: the
Jungle, and the musical-comedy stage;
that he bought pictures, and had never
been TO Europe. and knew Sorolla.
This was how her palate reported 1t
about as a boys palate reports his first
taste of strong drink. She didn't
reckon on anything in her, behind her
palate and capable of overruling Its
report, being concerned in the matter.
But, even on that first morning, she'd
been forced to ignore as irrelevant
some rather queer sensations and i'm
pulses she'd had.
1t annoyed her to learn that Joe was
a married man with grown daugh-
ter; she lost her temper with John,
who told her about 1t. Hes probably
got FIVE or six Wives" she raped out.
zone in every port, like a sailor.
suppose one Of them is trying to put
him in Jail and he's come TO you
And I'd bet you've said you'd help him
out !" ..-
She would barely listen to Johns
detailed explanation that Greer's mat
eimOnial difficulties were, compara-
lively speaking. respectable, and it did
not In the least placate her when she
heard. Respectable !" she fumed.
THAT'S the beastly second-rate vul-
# ~ Why do uc'' .h,nk they
have to marry those people?
When she heard about Beatrice, and
Joes wish to enter her In a smart
school, preferably Thornycroft, where
Dorothy was, she fairly boiled over.
What affair was 1t of his. or his daugh-
ter's, where Dodo went to school?
How did he even know of the school
unless John had been babbling about
II? But Of course Johr had been!
Given the man all the details. no
doubt; Miss Hoods address, himself as
a reference, everything!
whats the harm IL l did" he
asked HE couldn't get her into that
school in hundred years-not in ten,
anyhow. And next years all that mat
tiers TO u.s." IL wasn't this argument.
however. that had the effect of pulling
his wife up short; 1t was his look of
curiosity at her. What was there for
her to be so disturbed about?
She, herself, couldn't understand
why she'd been so bitter about II nor
why she went on thinking and feeling
that way. She tried to make out that
she was angry with herself for being
angry, hut the Intricacies of this alb
straction were a little beyond her. Pre-
posterously, what warmed her into a
friendlier feeling for the man was the
outrageous surmise that the girl
mightn't be his daughter. after all. but
some little fiuff he was trying TO palm
Off upon them, under a cloak no one
would think to look beneath. She
found this notion rather entertaining,
though she didn't take II seriously
Well, she didn't take him seriously.
eitherl aaE
She didn't pass 1t on TO John. for
she had a clear premonition that he
wouldn't think II funny. She didn't
suppose Margaret Craven would think
It funny, either. but this didn't prevent
her mentioning 1t to Margaret. expert
mentally.
Margaret took II In the most sur
prislng way: fairly fiew at her over It.
That's like you. Violet" she said
when, after a tight silence, she spoke
at all. Her voice was brittle with
anger, and her eyes were dry with It.
'HOw long have you been telling that
sweet little story7"
The mere impact OF the charge took
Violet's breath. 81 haven't been telling
It at ALL" she protested. "I only lust
thought of 1t. II strrck me as anus
ing, and l said It."
at win be frIghtfully amusing for
her, won't itT' There was no quality
OF reflection In Ma-garet's voice, not
even the thinnest eneer to give 1t q
surface. ITO find story like tat GO
ing roundl A young girl. alone as
she is; even her father a stranger to
her"
'It isn't going around Violet re-
iterated. Then. with a short laugh.
as she recovered her balance: "oh, II
II is. it's not my doing. But it's a
natural enough thing for anybody to
think Of. who knows what he's like.
AS a possibility. anyhow. After all.
how do you know II isn't true?"
II met her last night" Margaret said.
I'VE had dinner there. Henry and 1.
She happens TO look like him, in the
first place. He had photograph of
her before she came; you could even
tell from that So. if you want a
story, she went on, after breathless
pause. you'd better make II that she's
ilegitimate. II isn't likely that she
brought her riother's marriage certifi-
cate with her"
To Violet the purport of this was ms
plain as ii was astonishing. II Mar,