The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-10
CHAPTER s4

HOULD try once more to speak C to Manville, tell him what Mrs.
 Clayton had said and beg him be- cause of gossip not to be so openly at- tentive to Ruth Markham? If l did would he see her just as often, only more privately-that is, if he paid any attention to me, my request?
 Finally I decided to risk it. So after dinner said:
 Mrs. Clayton was here yesterday afternoon"
 Full of gossip, as usual?'
 Fuller"
 What did she retail this time? |? Whose character did she take away? I hope not mine" He said it careless ly. I was positive he did not know she had seen him.
 'Yes, yours"
 "What?" sharply.
 'Yes, she told me you were at Gan nard's restaurant with Mrs. Markham and advised me to go and do likewise so that I could make you jealous"
 What did you say% l knew he was becoming angry. The veins of his fore head commenced to swell as they in. variably did when he lost his temper.
 Why, I told her I didn't believe in her theory; that considered it in- jured the wife who did it more than the husband she was trying to get even with"
 By gad, Susan, you're a brick! wouldn't have believed it was in you to give the old cat such an answer"
 Tt wouldn't have been a while ago. I am not so afraid of speaking my mind now, Manville" He looked queer ly at me. He knew to what I referred. Then:
 What else did she say"
 "Oh, that was queer girl and that she had told me for my own good be- cause she was so much older"
 If it wasn't that Clayton and I are so closely associated in business we never would receive her again. The idea of her going around setting young women to doing things like that! It is prepOsterOuS. Go on. What else did she leave behind?"
 "She had heard-she didn't say where-that Aunt Cynthia wouldn't re- ceive me, that we had quarreled. Prob ably Martha is responsible for that. And she tried to sympathize with me-"
 What did you tell her about aunt?"
  with that story two weeks ago. should have been embarrassed. 1 simply told the truth, saying nothing of your aunt's illness. l said visited her nearly every day, that we were the best lightfully situated, so near us, yet in- dependent of us, etc"
 ''She didn't have much to carry away NrTIt flt chn
 "NO, but 1 must tell you something know it will amuse you"
 ''I hope so, although usually I can- not say that I find her gossip anus ing
 "She praised our supper in extrava- gant terms, then asked me who ca tered. When I told her 1 had attend ed to everything her expression said as plainly as if she had spoken you lie. It amused me immensely. You see she started it by giving you the credit. She was rather on my nerves by that time, so I promptly told her you had nothing to do with it. I may have been unwise, but I blurted right out that you knew nothing about the supper whatever Then she wanted the caterers name and address. So gave it to her"
 Manville laughed uproariously.
 "I am glad you could tell her you did it. Susan. She certainly had a dis appointing afternoon from her stand point"
 Yes, but Manville, don't you think it is wrong to give her and others the HOW ACTRESSES KEEP YOUNG
 Wonderful Ellen Terry. who is now in her seventy seventh year, is as full of vicacity as in. her young days, and she takes a very active interest in ev- erything around her. A short while ago