Evening star., 1924-09-14

ish mist of her own inamgin-
Il ings, Mimi Wood came back
to the familiar plant at her
elbow. She murmured guilty re-
Gret. The bus conductor nearly
smiled. He passed her, ingulfing her
dime in his passing.
Mimi settled back into her seat.
back into IA vapor of gloom. with
Fifth avenue, pinnacled and battle
mented against a daffodil sunset, un-
rolling itself before her.
Mimi was remembering that when
she had left the apartment-that
mornng-she had intended to be back
by 5 O'Clock. in order to have her hus-
bands dinner smoking upon the plate
when his key turned in the lock. 1t
was much nearer than 5. and Kirk s
dinner, what there was of it. yet
repoSed in the icebox. Yesterdays
roast to be revamped into a stew.
Timed pears for salad. Cold pota-
toes for frying.
Kirk was inextricably involved in
Mimi's mind. most days, with things
like that-Kirk. who only three
years before had stood for all there
was in life of beauty and delight.
Kirk, who had whispered to her
before the altar, MY golden girl
here's a golden ring for you" Kirk,
who now snapped at her GROSSLY be-
tween bits of his insufficiently but
tered toast. Gosh. it isn't much to
-Sk Of woman-a decent cup of
coffee n the morning, before man
gets off to work.
II it wasn't the coffee. it was a hole
in bis sock-or a tie he couldn't find.
or Mimi slept too late or work too
early. Their mornings were petty
battletields, futile sparrings-that or
Sllky. stupid silences.
Mimi had been thrilled to the core,
three years ago. at the thought of
an apartment of her own-her own
and Kinks. But somehow the man
with whom she was now living in
that apartment wasn't the man who
had taken her there one heavenly
night in October-and kissed her in
every room of it by way OF present
ing the keys of the city.
She wondered sometimes if Kirk s
chicf-the head of the firm of archi-
tcctS with whom he worked-found
him as changed as she did. Probably
not. Kirk had had a raise each year.
Probably his work went on exactly
the same. 1t was only at home, very
likely, that he was different.
If any one had told Mimi. three
years before, that the idylic thing
which >She and Kirk called love-the
exquisite. palpitant. glowing dream
in which they had come together and
sworn eternal faith-if any one had
told her that it could degenerate into
the bloodless warfare of her present
eyistence-Mimi would have laughed.
She laughed now. in a way. sitting
up on top of the bus, watching the
traffic stream either side of the traf-
fir
twitched. but her eyes were stormy.
She had been away from the apart
mcnt all day-who wouldn't, after
that mornings scene.
Kirk had been insufferable, sar-
castle over trif1es, caustic because the
top of the dressing table had bit Of
powder on it. Women he had sug-
gcsted, didn't know the meaning of
order, system. ordinary decent tidi-
ness. He hadn't looked to see that
the dresser drawers were in a state
of mcticulous neatness. Mimi had
spent half the day before arranging 6
them. 1t hadn't left her time to clean
the top of the darned thing. She
didn't SUPPLEMENTARY. She wasn't
going to crawl for any bad-tempeted,
short-sighted idiot.
So she flung herself out Of the place
before II, in her old blue-twill frock,
in horrid old laSt-year's hat, with
out even stopping to cry. Had lunched
downtown in a fine, cold fury of lone
illness, gone to a silly, sloppy movie,
still alone, suffered every wall OF the
over-sweet violins. like a touch on a
raw nerve-and here she was going
back home again-if you liked to call
1t that!-no happier, no calmer, no
more reconciled than when she had
slammed the door Of the living room
behind her that morning.
She knew how it would be. Kirk
would come in tired and grouchy.
Dinner wouldn't be ready. Or she
wouldn't have anything he liked.
She'd say something catty. He'd re-
tort with nervous sneer. Marriage
was that what people made of it? And
there were fools who didn't believe
in divorce.
Divorce-a blind alarm fiuttercd in
Minis breast, as if some one had
shown her the Steel-blue eye of a
gun or the steel-gray streak of a
knife. Even the word had power to
terrify her. OF course, whatever was
the matter with her and Kirk, it
wasn't quite that sort Of thing yet
!: j; = =
CHE came out of a mist OF revul-
~ sion, staring at the hand Of the
man in front of her, rather nice
hand gray-gloved and long fingered,
lying along the back of the seat, just
touching the gray crepe shoulder fit
ting so confidently against his own.
Not the usual bus-phila
rather too we'll turned out for that.
The small gray hat above the gray
crepe shoulder trailed a slight but
knowing feather. covered a wave of
check adorably flushed. at the mo-
mcnt, by something her companion
was saying. The sort of thing to
make another woman in everyday
blue feel fearfully shabby. Mimi felt
it--resentfully. Leaning forward.
she took stock of the man in a swift
glance. Nice eyes. nice mouth, nice
chin. 4 correct tic. proper collar.
Rather radiantly correct. Proper,
with 4 sort of beautiful scrupulous-
ness.
His voice carried to Mimts caves
dropping ears. a deep voice with a
carcssinG infection.
rs it-everything you thought it'd
be, dear?'
More said the gray girl. "oh,
my dear--more!"
"NewIyweds!" thought Mimi in a
sudden flare of understanding and
smiled scornful little smile OF her
own. But she listened, contemptuous
or not.
"Remember?" the man was saying
We always planned to do it just
this way. Riding up the avenue
about sunset, together. You will ad.
nit now dreams do come true!'
Isn't 1t heavenly" sighed the
gray girl.
Her low words were harder tc
catch. Mimi had to strain for them
See that Spanish shawl in the
window down there?