Evening star., 1924-01-20

can't get along without Mrs. DuttoE-
though don't see how could. It Is
| what I owe her and what she has
done for me-. could no more turn
her Off,
well. Mrs. Pine fs one Of the fam
lily: she is for life" That seemed to
| settle IL for him, and q chill fell on
the atmosphere.
"I am afraid Mrs. Dutton is for life.
too" Gloria said miserably, her head
| In her hands, And she has been so
, nice about you. Jim" There was re-
proach in that. 'she seemed to ac-
| cept you from the hrst."
MRS. Pine thought you were per-
fectly lovely She has said so every
day." he countered.
She gave 1t up with a forlorn laugh
well, half Of tho year I will live
| with you and your Piney, and the
| other half you can live here with me-
and Mrs. Dutton." she proposed.
What We must do Is bring them
; together and let them work 1t out for
| themselves" he declared. They both
! know. without telling. what Is going
| On. We must find some. excuse for
| sending Mrs. Dutton down to the
house and leave them together.
And when we open the door, there
will be just a little pile Of fur and
a little heap Of feathers" Gloria
| prophesied.
She had no hope, but she helped
him find the excuse. The following
day Mrs. Dutton was to take down a
! note and wait for an answer. which
should be judiciousiy delayed. Mrs.
J Pine meanwhile would offer tea.
y ~
! At half-past six the next nigh.
Gloria telephoned from a drug
| store. II don't think you'd better
como up this evening, JIM" Her
voice was furtive, depressed and his
| answer came back muffled:
NO: don't think / will go out"
awful there. too?" she whispered
There was q sigh that sounded like
Pretty bad" and then communica-
tion was cut off. Gloria's evening
| meal was placed stonily before her
! II can't stand hurting her like
| that" Gloria wrote to Jim. 1T is
like taking my happiness over her
dead body. 1 am so guilty / can't
| look her In the face. We shall have to
see each other somewhere else"
And Jim wrote back: "Piney's eyes
are red ana swollen and her kind old
| mouth Is tammed shut TO keep Il from
trembling, and she has asked me
| what II costs to get into an old ladies'
home. I laughed at the idea of her
ever leaving me, but ! couldn't re-
| assure her. She said that 'circum
| stances might arise and then heard
F., her sob IN the hall. I feel like a
hound dog. must stay by, evenings
Can you meet me somewhere for tea?"
They met for tea, but the shadow
was heavy on them both.
Mrs. Dutton asked me IL I would
be willing to give her a letter of ref
| erence, in case she had to And a new
place." Gloria said at once. Vim. 1
cried! But she only grew stonier
and deader. She has literally lived
for me. I can't let her leave. have
told her So"
He was no longer denying the size
Of their problem. II certainly can't
ship Piney." he said sorrowfully.
why don't we elope-fun over TO
Europe for three months and wrestie
with 1t when we get back7" He al
most meant t.
Merry three months we'd have
with that ahead of u.s." she pointed
out. Besides. we couldn't treat them
like that. II we are going to marry
| IL Is only decent to tell them. You
would certainly tell the boys"
"Iff" he repeated, hurt eyes on
hers.
"But, Jim. what can We do?" Her
voice was a smothered wall. We
can't say to them, You have got to
live together in harmony and peace
It would be like telling the ire
sistible force to lie down with the
immovable object. And we can't
throw them over. And there we are"
He tried II over from the outside:
"'They gave up their marriage be-
cause their respective hired girls
were opposed II would not sound
very sensible In our biographies"
They didn't give it up. But they
waited and perhaps time found a way
for them.'" she amended so sadly
that he put out his hand to hers
under the tea table.
II will wait, dear. 1 will do any
thing In reason" he promised. and
so brought back a faint glow from
their quenched Joy. but the topic
would not let them escape long.
Heavens. but I'd like to know
what they said to each other" he
exclaimed suddenly; how they found
each other out! II must have been a
tremendous interview" Even In his
trouble he could get a literary enjoy
ment from the vision Of that meet
Ing. but Gloria could only suffer.
''Oh. poor old Duttonl To give your
all and get back SO little. Jim. 1t
isn't fair. We have each other some
whore ahead. We can be patient"
"But / have gone without you for
so long," he said, and so nearly
broke her heart.
= 4 **
CHE met him daily for tea, but she
- came homo alone for a solitary
dinner, and worked furiously in the
empty evenings, refusing all invita-
tions. And Jim stayed by in the
lonely little house. paying daily his
great debt Of gratitude, taking Mrs.
Pine to concerts that he did not
hear and to moving pictures that he
did not sea The two households were
reduced to dead level Of silent
gloom.
Mrs Dutton, after days Of bleak
ness, suddenly took turn for the
better. She was moro human and
moro exquisite than ever in her de-
voted service. Gloria had an un-
happy sense Of sinking deeper and
deeper into her debt It was a relief
when the housekeeper took her after