Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-10-31
By KATHLEEN NORRIS
Copyright by Kathleen Norris

saw something admirable, in the hon
est, earnest little face. and the wet
blue eyes.
,"You are a good woman, Ellen" he
said. Gibbs mother was just such
anotherl You shall have him back,
my dear. and this will all be forgotten.
It's the fault of the times, Ellen-but
| no harm has been done, yet. I'll think
about til have been talking of going
to England, and Lillian seems to want
to go. She's like a child: she forgets.
Only tell me again that you'll for
give him, Ellen, and be happy again !"
Ellen went up to bed comforted. and
undressed while she dreamed Of new
life for herself and Gibbs. They would
| take the little apartment that adj
joined the studio. they would be alone
again, the old happy atmosphere would
be recreated. He loved her, under all
this new madness
Ellen saw herself in her mirror; her
cheeks burning, her eyes starry, her
loosened cloud of hair framing her
thoughtful face. Hope came back,
confidence came back, dimple deep
ened in her cheek. 1t was all her
foolish suspicion, after all. Gibbs had
been at the dinner, and would come
home on the midnight train, and turn
! the electric lights full in her eyes
while he gave her yawning account
of the speeches. and tore off his white
tie. And Lillian had been-she did not
care where Lillian had beenl
But when she had, jumped into bed,
and midnight struck, and one o'clock.
and two o'clock. and he did not come,
the anger and doubt returned in double
force. The storm was still racketing
about the house. Ellen felt cold under
her thick blankets. She tossed and
turned, locked her arms under her
head and stared into the dark, turned
and tossed again.
Her father-in-law had disposed of
the matter simply and sanely. But
suppose she was right, suppose Lillian
and Gibbs had really thrown all
honor to the winds, were really to-
gether tonight, then what? How could
she-how could any wife, forgive that?
To have his father take away the dan
ger, as she might take matches away
from Tommy, proved nothing for him,
and solved nothing for her.
And If he and Lillian did not choose
to be separated. If that passion had
carried them far beyond any plans
that she and his father might make?
The clock struck three; struck four.
Ellen felt as If she would never sleep
again.
The next morning she surprised LIZ
zie and Tommy at their early break
fast; she was going into the city. The
world was mantled with snow, but the
lad who assisted Torrens, had the little
service car at the door, and was con-
fident that he could get Mrs. Josselyn
as far as the station.
Just as Ellen was leaving, her
father-in-law, also cloaked and gloved.
came downstairs. Their heavy eyes
met.
II don't know why I'm going or
what I'm going to do" Ellen said. "I've
got to go to the studio-and see II
they-if he's there. didn't sleep all
night"
"I'll go with you," he said quickly.
II saw Louis come to the door. and l
thought you must be going to town.
I'll go too. Lillian's car may really
have gotten into trouble"
"Or he may have been foolish
enough to try to come out in the road
ster," Ellen added. They went down
the scraped steps together; not an
other word was exchanged on the
drive to the train. 1t was an early
train: commuters were stamping on
the snow-tracked platform. Ellen
placed herself at window and stared
blindly out. making no attempt to en-
terrain her companion, who ratified
his newspaper with a great show Of
interest.
The world glittered under the risen
sun. Smoke rose straight from a
hundred chimneys into the clear cold
air. Ellen saw woman with shawl
tied over her head. feeding chickens;
another woman kissed two bundle-like
babies at gate. The little woman In
front of her, In the warm tram, was
consulting IN insignificant-lookin
kindly little man about Christmas
list. 1.-THE children will go out of their
senses when they see It'll" Ellen heard
her say.
Then they were in the big station:
in taxicab. The streets,ewhere lam
guild gangs of men were shoveling
snow. went by. Forty-second: Fiftieth:
Fifty-ninth. They were atsthe door.
"You have some explanation Of this
early trip for Gibbs?" her father-in-
law asked suddenly in the lift She
turned to him tortured eyes.
"Oh. yes-toothache," she answered
breathlessly, abstractedly.