San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-11

The Making Of
a Husband
Ann LisLe' s N e ~
Phase of Jim and
Anne's Marital
Adventure
NV aN-~, vvev-
Chapter IS.
By ANN Isle

consideration and attention were
doubly sweet because each new lovely
thing he was doing for me came as q
surprise. So when he escorted me 10
table set for six at lunch time.
had q little pang of disappointment.
"A couple of charming fellows are
in town for the day on their way TO
the west coast Jim said carelessly.
And so it seemed wise to include not
only them, but their partner and his
wife in our party"
His tone hurt. The casual note was
so unexpected. / clenched my lands
under the table. bit my lips for a Sec
ond and then smiled gaily as / said /:
I'm sure l shall enjoy meeting any
of your friends"
I'm sure you will enjoy these
friends" jim answered dryly. "Look
over your right shoulder"
1 looked and approaching in solemn
file on tiptoe ] saw Neal, Bartly
Tompkins and Pat.
so you couldn't get Jeanie to
comet" / heard Jim say in chagrin,
but i was already gripping my broth
or Meals hand and lifting my face for
his kiss, so about the last thing there
was room for in my heart was tic
problem Of Jeanne, which seems so
often to demand attention nowadays.
But moment later. after had greet
ed Neal and b. T., Pat echoed blank
ly:
Jeanne said she'd drive over and
come with you, Anne. Where is she p
"Jeaniei" j said blankly, staring at
the festive luncheon table set for six,
and glancing from Pat to Jim helpless
ly, oh, what shame, she didn't know
j was coming to town early this morn
ing and l suppose she drove over to
The Birches to get me and bring me
TO town and then got discouraged
md didn't want to take the long trip
by herself.
"She would telephone if she wasn't
coming" Pat urged.
Pat hurried from the table as he
spoke. Jim looked amused, Neal an
noyed and i felt almost frightened at
the contrast of my own notions with
Pats actions. But b. T. picked up
his grapefruit spoon and dug deep
into the fruit before him as he said
quiMically:
Nothing like a knowledge of the
kinks of human nature to make a man
too blooming protective toward a
grown woman who knows her way
about very well indeed. / guess Pat
hasn't quite got over the pangs and
reminders of a guilty conscience. Well,
it wont hurt him to worry over
Jeanie a little"
"Dou't you go putting ideas into
my wife's head" admonished Neal.
Don't you give any need to-" re-
turned B. T.
He can't very well as long as he
travels around in double harness with
you whenever he's away from his
Mary" laughed Jim so pleasantly that
B. Il. roared:
"Onto me, amt you, Jim? Smart,
don't you think-the way 1 pin our
Neal to my coat-tails."
"And barring Mary and maybe tie
ing my sister Babbsie, you're the best
company man could ask. Uncle
Bart" Neal said with the boyish
sweetness which endears him to all
who know him. But il l needed
watching to keep me thinking of Mary
all the time, I'd want a ball and chain
on my ankle, not a bully good pal like
you to train with"
b. 7. put his hand with one Of his
rare gestures of tenderness and laid
its big bairiness over Meals hand.
Then he said gruffly:
Heres the finest boy that ever lived
And he's married to the sweetest girl
I've ever known. And, judging by
our baby, Carol, little Phoebe Harri-
son Hyland must have been a rare
soul. Well, Jim, you've got another of
the top-notch girls. See that you play
fair with her. And don't take too
much onto yourself trying to run that
high-strung jeanne and our dramatic
Pat. Never was a Dalton yet who |
wouldn't bear watching. know Pats
father before him. I'm in partnership |
with Pat, and trust him, but / amt |
saying / didn't feel better when we
dragged you into the firm, feet first, |
james. I'll rest easier out on the |
Coast, knowing there amt any Dal-
ton-Sturges Company running opposi |
ton to us. But I'll rest still easier
knowing our own firm has somebody |
beside Pat looking after it."
Pats all right" protested Neal.
"He'd be fine if he didn't have such |
a handsome shock Of gray hair and
such artistic hands to run through
it." 3. It. answered grimly. THAT
gesture takes the ladies'"
Don't judge him by one bad per-
Torrance" Jim urged.
"Pm judging by twO-that ] know
Of" b. T. said CURLY. "And if il
was anyone that had your sisters in
terests at heart and the right to speak
my mind to her, I'd be telling her that
she has nothing to lose by acting up a
little herself"
"You don't really mean that, SIR"
laughed Neal.
Il mean it fine" insisted d. r.
I'm an old man and an Old-fashiOned
citizen. But I've got an eye to effects
and SO has our fine Pat. And I'm
Snowman enough to know that if q
high-spirited filly like Jeanne acted
up and got little attention and ap-
plause, she'd have her Pat staying
around to see what it was oil about.
There's some men like that. They
amt born dogs in the manger. You
tell jeanne from me, Lady Anne, that
she ought to prance around real pretty
and kind Of get few folks watching.
Tell her to act up.
ut would be all right as long as
he didn't mean it, / said. But as I
looked up and saw Pat coming buck
10 the table with face like n thun-
der cloud, ] wondered il Jcanie was
playing the very game Il. r. had
suggcsted-and II she was only act.
ing
FHH- = /