The Omaha morning bee., 1924-10-20
A WTe's Confessional
Adele Garrison's New Phase 60
REVELATIONS OF A WIFE
How Madge Won from Dicky Amused
Praise.
Copyright. 1920

Praise.
At my mother-in-law' permemp-
tory call Dicky glanced wildly around
the room, and l knew that some
fantastic idea of secreting himself
was obsessing him.
Our voices had been so low that
his mother could not possibly have
heard us. but If l opened my door
and she saw Dicky my little scheme
for persuading her to accept my es
cort instead of her sons would have
no chance at all.
With an impish grin. Dicky
pointed to the clothes closet and div
ed into its recesses, closing the door
noiselessly after him, as 1 spoke
through the closed door to his
mother.
He isn't in his room, mother,
l said making the process of unlock
ing the door laborious and noisy
one, and reflecting that after all
was not actually telling falsehood.
"Anybody'd think you had him hid
den under the bed" she retorted
Grossly, the bother you're making
with that door" but just then /
threw it open and she walked ma
jestically in. looking around her as
If in truth she expected to find her
son in some absurd hiding place.
Have you looked in this room?P /
asked.
She turned upon me the whitening
scorn [ deserved for so banal a ques-
ton to any one determined and re-
sourceful as my mother-in-iaw.
Sometimes, Margaret, ] wonder
whether you're more of fool than
you sound or sound more of a fool
than you are. she snapped. Did 1
look in this room. forsooth, OF course,
went there the very first thing,
but I found no trace of him. Then l
looked In the other rooms before COM
ing here. Where do you suppose he
can be?"
Perhaps he has gone for walk.
suggested desperately.
Mother Graham's Idea.
III walk him IL he has," she
said acidly. II can't stay awake all
night to talk to him, and l want him
to be ready to take me into the city
in the morning."
/ put a figurative ramrod down my
spine and faced her.
Mother, dear" l said as per-
suasively as I could, wouldn't you
really rather shop with Mrs. Durkee.
or-or-me, than to go with Dicky?
You know how impatient he gets.
"As you've been married to him
only a few years and l have known
Dicky all his life, you don't imagine
that's news to me, do your she
queried acidly. I'm not anticpat-
ing any pleasure trip, but It's alto
gether too much for you to drive me
in so early after working as late as
you'll have to on these clothes of his
his" She indicated the garments upon
the chair and bed with an indicating
wave of the hand. I'D lend hand
myself, but my eye sight
But you haven't the latest de-
velopments." l persisted. Il shan't
have to work late, after ALL Marion
helped me go faithfully that good
share of the work is done, and Dicky
Is sending all the rest, save one gar
ment to the tailor. So, you see l shall
have a good nights sleep. and we
can start as early as you wish In
the morning"
well. in that case" she capitu-
lated. DO you mean that you will
60 shopping with me in the city,
I'D love to-" | returned, temporiz
ing. but what would we do with
Marion and Junior?"
Il Miss My Guess"
"Why. are you going to take them
along? What's the matter with Katie
and Jim all of sudden"
1 permitted myself a sly grimace
at her inconsistency. IL 1 had pro-
posed leaving her idolized grandson
with only Jim and Katie, faithful
guardians though they are, she
would have been up in arms In
moment. But old.fashioned 'contrari-
ness" is personified by Mother Ora
ham.
Not to her, however, could ! con-
fide my discovery of footprints on
the veranda roof, following Marion's
hysterical declaration that she had
seen a queer face looking in at my
window. But / knew that / must con-
jure up some excuse for taking the
children with me, for 1t was un-
thinkable to leave either Lillian
daughter or my own small son at
home with those fantastic spying
footprints fresh in my memory.
Nothing is the matter with them,
| returned mildly. But they can
not be everywhere, and have
seen so many queer-looking men
lately hanging around that house
across the road. I'm sure they re
making whisky there again, and IL
they are those men are likely to be
drunk"
You needn't explain any further,
she said quickly. "Of course they II
have to come along. But l can't be
bothered with them shopping. Well
start early and you leave me at Mrs.
Durkee's. She'll go in with me. Better
get to bed as soon as you can. I'm
going to-"
She turned and walked out of the
room closing the room after her.
slipped over TO the door and locked
it noselessly, as Dicky stole out of
the closet.
IF Machiavelli isn't writhins
around in his grave with envy he
declared enthusiastically. Il miss my
puess A"