Beverly banner., 1924-10-03
CHAPTER v-Continued d

"Joe? Joe's great fellow" he said.
"Were very fond of Joe at my house.
In some ways he's the most remark
able boy ever knewl He's absolute
ly and utterly honest. Things don't
deceive Joe l like to introduce him
TO people-if they've got anything that
interests Joe. he gets it out. If they
haven't, II doesn't matter how much
champagne they open, or whether they
have a season opera box or villa in
italy, they simply don't register with
Joe. / think that fellow will go a
long wayi He's taught my boy more
now than could ever teach him.
more than he'll get out of college"
Ellen went back to Gibbs with her
eyes shining.
MIR. Lathrop was talking so nicely
about Joe, GibbsI"
"Oh, that's love affair all round 20
Lillian said lazily. 'Of course Har-
riet's feelings are no secret. She's
plain and she's not likely TO meet any
one else on the same intimate terms
that she's known Joe. George is will
Ing, Joe is willing-I suppose-and
Harriet is more than willing"
~Joei" Ellen could only echo, in
amazement.
"Joe is clever. and steady. and SEN
sible," Lillian said, 'and George
doesn't care about anything else. His
one terror is that his precious child
will be snapped up for her money.
Joe's position doesn't make the slight
est difference to George |"
1t was said so pleasantly, in her
good-natured, Indifferent manner, that
the oddity of this sentiment, coming
from Lillian, did not occur to Ellen,
nor the propriety of her saying 1t to
Ellen at all. The two women, utterly
different in type, were inclined to like
each other, perhaps for the reason
that they lived In alien worlds, and
spoke alien tongues. Ellen, clear of
vision for all her simplicity and mex
perience, knew that Lillian regarded
her with a sort Of indulgent contempt.
A woman who was cheerfully unfash-
ionable to the point of dowdness, who
was domestic and unselfish and con-
tented had no common ground upon
which to meet Lillian Josselyn.
As the pleasant days went ON, Ellen
marveed at her more and more Lii
iian never talked of herself. She had
her mysteries, her cryptic reserves.
She had friendships Of sort with
women, sometimes she tried t. make
Ellen express herself about them And
she had friendships with men, but of
these she never spoke at all. She was
the type of beautiful woman who can
remain silent with perfect self-posses-
sion, and when she did speak 1t was
to amuse her old husband, or to en-
courage Ellen and Gibbs to talk.
In the evening occasionally all four
vent to the theater. But Lillian liked
better to dine at leisure somewhere,
and to meet friends, as they always
did. and to dance. Gibbs danced a
little, Ellen less. They sat and chat
ted with Josselyn, Senior, quite hap
PLY, enjoying the music and the gen.
eral gaiety of the scene. Lillians
partners would bring her back, flushed,
lovely, silent; she would exert herself
TO be pleasant to the group at the table
until she WAS claimed again She
taught Gibbs new steps, but It was
quite apparent that she enjoyed dane
ing with good dancers, regardless of
her feeling for them as men. Some
times they went to the tea dances that
were the latest attraction at the big
hotels; Ellen would feel little sorry
for her father-in-law. He was always
weIl-groomed. interested, alert. She
found little pathos in his eagerness
to join them In all their amusements
not to be clog, or TO affect their
plans.
He treated his wife with unvarying
courtesy, but he grew deeply fond Of
Ellen. and little Tom became the joY
Of his life. There were days wheSn