The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-10-03

| ming into town In the car, met Ills OH
j friends at noon and talked. came bacI
to Wheatley Hills to be swept into thu
unendng talk at the club. talked a
| dinner, and talked far into the night.
He would greet Ellen carelessIy, anf
dress in silence. His life was full tt
the brim without her. all these live:
were packed full withour any par
! ticular reference TO the claims OF hus
| bands and wives. Gibbs thought he
was having a glorious time. he was ex
cited. flattered. carried away by pop.
| ularity. The men welcomed new
blood, another rival on the links. an
other hand at cards. another eligible
dinner guest. dancer, and raconteur
The women were all captivated by his
unusual appearance his easy French.
his art. and his ambition. They found
in his indifference a supreme charm.
He did not play their game any more
readily than his odd but nice little wife
did. but while no man ever dreamed OF
taking the slightest liberty with do
nestle, serious. pretty little Mrs.
Josselyn. half dozen women at least
would have been glad to be able to
speak of Gibbs as "suitor."
Lillian lazily called Ellen's atten-
tion to ii to the petticoats that always
fiuttered across Gibbs path at the club.
TO the intimate conversations for which
traps were eternally laid beneath his
wife's very eyes. and Ellen was filed
with a sort of sick anger and terror.
Anger because she did not want to fight
fog what was by aR rights her own.
and terror because sometimes she was
smitten with the thought that she had
nothing with which to hold him. should
he try to go.
She could not be her old self In this
environment. She no longer felt like
the busy little wife and mother who
had so gaily climbed up and down the
heights OF Mont Saint Etlenne. Tommy
toddllng beside her, Gibbs rushing to
the landing to meet her. or to bid her
farewell Surely this was not the same
and mixed "cornbread Americana" to
the amusement and admiration of the
sturdy Lilloise? Had she, only year
or two ago, been able to call cheerfully
to Gibbs through a Brittany twilight
that he must undress Tommy at once.
the bath was waiting, and was II the
same Gibbs who had obediently come
across high grass under gnared apple
trees to present her with a warm.
nude. dusty Tommy to battle? All, and
there were other times to remember:
a night in a French hospital. and
Gibbs shining head against her arm
on an immaculate Counterpart. and the
tiny cry that was so soon to he stilled
echoing through the gas-Iighted. hot
room.
Bui at this memory the thick tears
would blind Ellen's eyes. She had |
her baby her delicate. visit |
'ul little Rose, but she looked back at |
hat sorrow now as something sacred. |
precious. something that had
POUND Gibbs and herself together more
strongly than joy.
She would go into the nursery at
'Villino DELI Orto" and begin to busy
lerself about Tommy's little person
Vas he going to bed? Let mother I'M
lress him. She would fall into deep
nuslng over the little buttons and
traps.
II can undress myself 70 Tom
ny would protest. wriggling. She
you'd catch the warm. hard little face
o hers in a hunger of love. Perhaps
he child would glance at her in sur
rise.
Are you crying. mother? What
orr"
Indeed. don't know. Toni"
Their first real arrangement came
MS summer. Not that Ellen ana
ibbs. rs normal young persons had
OF quarreled before. There had been
rcasions in the very early days. when
fancied GOODNESS in his tone. or let
,r thar Ellen must write 10 Joe in the
our Gibbs wanted 10 read 10 her. had
lused them acute wretchedness for
ours. or minutes thai seemed Ike 4,
ours. And then there had been the
~ he whipped Tommy. after. as Ellen /
NJ Ii. deliberately goading baby !
less lIan loNf years siip Sucn
ate of excitement that he didn't know
neither he was telling the truth or
II. 4
But this was different. Gibbs had n
ken a dislike 10 Joe and he and n
lien could hardly mention Joe without .
cling Gibbs told Ellen impatiently .
al Joe was all right. he might be n
cent enough fellow and all that. but
at he Gibbs, did not like to have Joe d
ioked down his throat all the time. r
,sselyn. Senior. was inclined 10 be O
'spitable to Ellen's brother. 70 bring r
m home TO Sunday lunch. or TO keep :,
m for dinner after the Saturday ten
s. George Lathrop was often al
Tilllno dell Orto" and Harriet and g
70 naturally drifted together. But "a
llIan. Ellen OWNED at once did NOT =,
Re Joe: Joe had absolutely nothing a
contribute TO Lilllan's life. and Ellen 8,
spected that Lillian. in her languid n
ID indirect manner. had influenced