Evening star., 1925-11-22

| that the whole world had stopped. The
| sunshine on the corn fields we were
| whirling past seemed queer and
| brassy.
| While ! resolutely talked fast about
| other things, inside ! was arguing
with myself. trying to choke back
| that cold. sweeping fear. | told my
| self that Mrs. Long was a gossip and
q trouble maker. reminded myself that.
| just because Will had'once taken her
| daughter to a dance, she had thought
| he was interested in Jessie, and she
| had never really liked his marrying
| me. These things were true. OF course;
| but it was just as true that, while
| Mrs. Long always put the worst side
| front. l had never heard of her lying
Why had VIII written me nothing
of it when he was writing to me
practically every day? Why-sudden-
| ly | remembered one letter 1t had
| Come just as l was planning to start
| back with Dulcie. He had urged
| me not TO come home yet. as long
| as | was having such a good time and
| it would leave kathie alone. He was
getting along all right, he said, and
was not TO worry about him but
stay on. as 1t might be quite a while
again. l had thought 1t was sweet
of him. but now-perhaps he hadn't
wanted me to come home!
And all the time | was talking
| lightly OF this and that to Mrs. Long.
| think once I even laughed. II is
amazing the bluff YOU can put up II
you have to-.
Curiosity-not the pleasant almost
friendly curiosity that makes You like
to hear all the latest gossip bitter.
fris shtened curiosity was enawins at
nj. I
out of my window they're walking
past together saw them at the
movies Wednesday night" And yet
could not ask Mrs. Long any more
couldn't ask Dulcie or Mrs. Frank
kirsted. ! couldn't. suddenly realized
with a queer chill OF fright, even ask
mother.
Mother couldn't help me- nor father.
nor kathie. This was the real thing
back of all the fun of being called
Mrs. Horton, of being married wom-
an. II meant that in everything that
really counted in the world VIII and
were playing the game alone to-
gether. If VIII failed me. ] should
have TO play it all alone. For the
first time in my life | felt really
crown-up: not the CAV dignified
| grown-up | had always hoped to be;
this being grown.up was responsible,
lonely, bleak business.
A s We passed the freight sheds. rur.
ing into Montrose. ! remembered
pa ssing them on the way out. Dulcie
and I had been comparing notes about
our husbands faults. getting a certain
chummy sort of fun out of sympathiZ-
ing with each other. Were there things
that Dulcie had to settle for herself.
too? Problems that she couldn't
discuss with anybody. ever? And I
had thought Wits tactlessness was a
real trouble. The Mrs. William Hor-
ton who had ridden out of Montrose
complaining comfortably to DuIcie
seemed young and green and care free
to me. now.
Will met me at the station and seem
ed so glad to see me that for a mo-
ment l forgot all about Mrs. Longs
words. Then while Will was over see
ing about getting Sam to deliver my
trunk and | was going out to our
sedan Dulcie came out of the post
office.
Hello. Dot she called. Welcome
to our city. I'm in a mad rush, but
III run in later tc see you" And
then, just AS she was hurrying off,
ITS good thing you came back to
keep an eagle eye on Will She
laughed and sang from that out.of-
date old song, "A red d.headed woman Is
making a wreck out Of me-
The nail that Mrs. Long had started
to drive into my very heart went
in hard then with crash. Dulcie
Is f1irt and all that, but she isn't
anything Mrs. Long said; but Dulcie
knew 1t. too.
And / coulnd't ask VIII about It.
Two or three times during that desc
late evening l tried to, but I couldn't
IL there was nothing to II I didn't
want to make him think I was silly
and Jealous. And If there was any.
thing to it. IL VIII had really got tired
OF me or interested in another girl
well. / just couldn't bear to learn It.
Every time l started to say something.
the fear Of what l might find choked
back the words.
1t was a desolate evening. Every
thing should have been lovely. viii
had had America in TO clean I'D the
house, and she had got supper for us.
and he had bunch of pink roses
on the library table and a pound box
Of French chocolates. and everything.
But once the poison of suspicion is in
your veins. what are roses and French
chocolates? And Will acting so sIad
to see me and carrying on so-could
II be, the sick fear struck me. that
he was stilling a guilty conscience?
l played up as well as | could, act
ing gay and cheerful and glad to get
nome. And underneath, every minute,
g! was feeling more and more that
dead. misera BILE feeling I kent wait
ing for Will to say something about
Miss Allen himself. At first I thought
| was afraid he would, but as the
evening dragged on l knew that I was
more AFRAID he wouldn't and he didn't.
AFTER a while, we went out on the
porch. 1t was so sweet and uuie,
after the train trip: you could smell
the honeysuckle from the back of the
house and hear our little clock tick
ing family in the living ROOM All the
heavenly, honey dearness of IL was
sadder than could bear. And to think
that the last time l had been on that
porch l had been furious at VIII about
what the Curtises might think, AS
though it really mattered what the
Curtises thought, what all Montrose,
what all the world thoueht--if only
everything were all right with viii
and me,
Will sat down in the big wicker
chair and pulled me over onto his lap.
That was just too much. I couldn't
stand 1t any longer. ] couldn't help
it If he did think | was silly and
, Jealous. couldn't stand it any
longer.
VIII blurted. what is it they're
All teasing you about-about Mrs.
Prices sister,"
"oh. that Will just laughed.
That's one of the bunch's jokes"
"a joke?"
M hm. 1t got started that night l
| took her into the city to the theater
Coming home on the train. Roger and
Dulcie and the Mertons and Rich and