San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-01
The Making Of
a Husband
4 mn Lisle s N e 10
Phase of Jim and
4 Anne's Marital
| Adventure
BY ANN Isle
Chapter ~.
BY ANN Isle

In tne morning aIter Jim anu L
fided to stay at the Birches
nth longer May Valleau came to
me for the second time. Her visit
9 not surprise me. / had an idea
st Jim had arranged it somehow,
u her first words carried out my
dpression.
IZeke Schmidt he say I should
he to you," she said, standing in
kitchen door and drawing shy
ures with the toe of one awkward
t'Why is Mr.. Schmidt running my
Hairsf i asked with a sarcasm ]
ew would be mercifully wasted on
girl.
file runs everything by u.s." May
tleau said simply, and with resig.
zion that was more pathetic than
listlcss surliness on the occasion
4 her last visit.
% could feel the personality of the
tion master in the odd way the girl
$ speaking with his Dutch accent
fhen than her odd patois.
f'How did Zeke Schmidt come to
NJ you I'd like to see you"
III think maybe sometime you
hinge the mind" the girl said simply.
For me / need the money-for me
ID maybe Arlette. She work too hard
A Nick Perry. She do much more
Han he tell her-much more than he
nts her. She needs it better. ! make
pney. Who knows? We go away.
4 always / ask Zeke il he knows
ISthing for me. And he tells me this
,rning ] should come over by you.
q here ] am"
f'And quite in time" / said briskly,
Rndering il Jim had learned to
ow that Zeke was town crier and
ttator for the village around the
Mist colony and even Of the colony
itlf, and had managed to have May
Eke TO me via Zeke. I'D like to have
M come every morning for three
ms, and for the whole day on Mon
tco& and Fridays-that is, if you do
". Aork satisfactorily" Il
GHo good by you" the girl said
Gidly.3
AT that she almost pushed me out
the kitchen, and for the rest of the
forming / sat at my desk writing,
Bnscious Of though undisturbed BY
be girls slow yet efficient movements
round the house. When she called
|e to lunch 1 was astonished TO find
nat Il was / O'Clock.
"But ! only told you to stay
hree hours" l protested.
IL stay four" she said. ITS by
Ie just the same. For me / want
be dollar every day and how long
stay doesn't matter. If maybe i
bake very good you give me eight
pillars a week. That's by me good"
"I'll give you ten" / said want
hg 10 make it fifteen and held back
N the realization that May Valleou
Eould disapprove Of this no more
han would any sane better judgment.
All through lunch May Valleau
alked to me. And she gave me n
cries Of odd little vignettes Of the
olks among whom my lot was cast
DR. the time being. j saw her shy
tile sister Arlette elusively beautiful,
owing beautiful things, willing to
rash dishes and make beds and take
rders from cranky old Mrs. Cruik-
hank, Nicholas Perry's housekeeper,
only she might be where beauty
Tas. saw the girl holding diff
ult poses for hours, so she might ut
asst feel that she was part OF the
eauty the artist created. felt this,
hough all May Vallcau said was:
"Arlette. she crazy about things
hat shine and look pretty. She works
Ike a dog. She likes it by him. She
kes him, too, mebbe. But most OF
ii she likes what looks nice and
ounds nice. And she so little, can
AIRY her round and not know that
. isn't little puppy or lamb ! hold.
he don't talk much. She makes
retty noises in the throat. She afraid
folks-only not Nick Perry. She
J funny"
May Valleau touched her fore.
cad and sighed. But l wondered II
were she or her little sister who
-as q bit funny" And in the midst
my wondering n new quirk OF eE-
,tence came to startle me. There
'as the whir of a motor, n carol OF
and in another moment
eanie came caracoling into the room
,r all the world like high-spirited
ony. At her coming May Valleau
.cnt into her shell and was again the
urly, taciturn girl who had visited
le few days ago. i
"Glad to see me?" challenged
eanie. "Surprised-or what? I'm
ere for n few hours. I'm here TO
axe you over to sec the Perry pic |
ires. It's all right. Were invited.
sn't that CREATE"
Her gaiety was startling. She |
aid more attention to May than to
stray dog, as she leaned forward |
nd asked intently:
"Say Anne, you didn't say any
hing TO Jim about night before last,
Id you? You didn't mention Mr.. |
erry's being here for tea--or coming
gain in the morning-or anythingp"
Il didn't get a chance" / said
lmely and with an air that refused
, be detached.
But May Vnlleau flung her apron
YER her head and fled from the room
i'm n strangled cry:
"Thnt Nick Perry! That-old
Iick!'
And felt sinister sense that
re neighbor who had wandered into
" home so oddly was going to be
n important person in our lives. But
by? What could Nick Perry mean
, Jim and ma?
ITO Be ContinuedD