Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-11-07

when she got home. He had gotten her
books, magazines, he had brought
Tommy in for goodnights, and talked
cheerfully to his wife, while he I'M
dressed the child by the fire. And
Ellen, watching him. had been afraid
that she would suddenly scream out.
and go mad.
She loved him so-she loved MIN so
her big, clever masterful Gibbs !
She had loved him since the hour they
met, and she could not unlove him
now. She longed, with unceasing hun
ger gnawing at her heart, to have him
her own again, to have his laughter,
his condolences, his moods all for her.
Ellen was not proud. She had told
him thousand times, in their happy
years. that her life and her being
were bound up in him; she could not
change because he had changed.
Tommy's prayers were said
Tommy's goodnight kiss given-and all
the while she knew-she knew that
Gibbs was longing. longing to get down
stairs, to meet Lillian for one minute,
for just the necessary second, that
should reassure them both, that should
equip them for fresh play-acting.
And she knew he was not happy,
that he never could be happy again
in the old way-nor in the new way,
eitherl AS surely as the day would
come when Lillian would give herself
to him; and Ellen said feverishly to
herself that II might already have been
so surely would the day come when
he would read that cold and
cruel heart of her Alright, and would
shudder away from 1t In utter sick
ness of soul.
Josselyn, Senior, had aged ten years
in this week. His pride was pierced
in a vital spot. He had liked his
position as elder in this houseful Of
brilliant young persons; he had ad-
mired Gibbs. Lillian, and Ellen. In
their separate spheres, and had liked
nothing so much as to make them
happy. to be the power that could in
dulge and please them untiringly
Now accepting their ready explana-
tons in the same spirit that Ellen did,
he was awakened from the FOOLS
dream. He saw himself an old man.
gulled and blinded, put off with empty
caresses. He saw himself bringing I'M
told suffering upon Ellen by his SEN
| timental dream of having the younger
family beneath his rooftree. He saw
her life ruined, his boys life ruined,
his own old age dishonored. OF Lii
liam he thought little: for many years
he had realized that whoever might
pay for his second wife's dellnquencies.
1t would not be his second wife. There
was no Furnishing Lillian; her heart
was like mirror that could give back
only reflection of her own charms.
| And yet, of them all, during this
strange week, 1t was Lillian who was
discomfort. For Lillian. discomfort of
any sort was new, and she tried a
hundred times to writhe away from
her apprehensive thoughts.
For although it had been perfectly
| true that Lillian on the night of the
storm had gone to seek unexpected
hospitality from old Mrs. Pepper at
Great Neck. the fact she had success
fully concealed from her husband was
that Mrs. Pepper at this time had been
making a long visit to her daughter In
Montreal. Lindsay Pepper, keeping
bachelor quarters with his Japanese
| boy, had welcomed her and Lillian,
resting and warming herself by his
| fire after her adventures, had assured
him gaily that he must find her a
chaperon before dinner-time. or some
how. anyhow, she must get back to
Tom. and the 'villino DELI Ooto."
| While Ellen, restless and suffering,
had been wandering about the house
at Wheatley Hills, and while Gibbs,
| thinking perhaps Of Lillian's coming
| In the morning, had been dressing for
his dull dinner at the club, Lillian had
been experiencing her own uneasiness,
too. Llndsay's devotion to her she
had never questioned; 1t was one OF
the elements In her life with which
her fancy liked to play, but she real
lied now that she had never truly es-
timated its depth and Its power.
The storm was gathering in fury,
and the friends to whom Lindsay was
duly telephoning, one after another,
regarded his gay suggestion of get
ting together for party" as some
thing less than mad. Finally, he had
to face her ruefully with the simple
summary: Nothing doing!"
There was left them the alternative
of struggling out into the storm
fighting their way for more than q
bitter mile to the station. getting into
the city by eight o'clock, when Lillian
wet and blown. might still join the
party at the Plaza, leaving Lindsay to
dine and amuse himself otherwise as
his fancy dictated. And had Lillian
| foreseen the events Of the following
morning, she would certainly have
adopted this course at any sacrifice.
But his house was delightfully."- warm