San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-02
THE MAKING OF A HUSBAND
A SERIAL BY Ann Lisle
CHAPTER 80


F, telephone operator had giggled on in
forming me that he had gone out with
n lady," I recalled the break on the
line, as if someone had overheard her
and had determined to patch up the
damage she had done. And then jim S
suave secretary had given me a de-
tailed and circumstantial account Of
Jim's day, as If to guarantee the inno-
cence of his procedure.
"We're right back against the stone
wall we've always faced" / thought.
Its natural for Jim to philander-"
Jealous rage swept me. Ny ancient
foe had me fairly by the ears. And
then, just as / felt so deep in desolu-
ton that l hardly knew where to turn
or what to do, May Yalleau came
rushing into the house looking so dis
trausht that l 3 ergot myself in think
ing of her.
II cannot find Tarasov," she cried.
''He have gone. j have tell you that
I think if he see my little Arlette he
will think her the petite maman. l
do not think he is bad. But l think
he have the fantasia. Arlette she
probably go snow-shoe by the woods
today. Tarasov he see her. He think
she is our maman. In her white
sweater and the little tam she look to
him like angel perhaps. | do not
know how it is-but here, by my
heart. / know he have see her and that
he take her away-away for think she
is his Rosine."
May began to sob. Her terror and
sorrow, were no less devastating be-
cause they were like the fear OF an
animal. May shook with emotion.
She screamed and beat the air with
her hands. And ;hen at last she fell
still of utter exhaustion. But no words
of mine could comfort her. She was
sure Tarasov had kidnapped Arlette.
The situation proved too much for
me at last, and so | insisted that we
go over to The Hedgerow TO see if
there was any news of little Arlette.
OF course, it would have been possible
to telephone, but / had my fill of tele.
phones for the day. And besides /
was eager for some physical outlet for
the growing nervousness which i tried
to tell myself was due TO self-reproach
because j had been the one to make it
possible for Tarasov to take up his
dwelling so near us.
"Of course l knew perfectly well
that Tarasov would have camped out
near the Birches. whether or not l
agreed to it. And | was as conscious
that nv nervousness was due to Jeal-
ousy. But / didn't propose to ac-
knowledge these facts to myself as
long as l could in any way camou-
flage my emotions.
There was no news of Arlette, when
we arrived at the Hedgerow. Mrs.
Cruikshank was puttering around in
nervousness not unmixed with tri-
umph. 1t was evident that the old
lady liked to consider Nicholas Perry
dependent on her for his creature
comforts and that she did not like to
acknowledge that she needed any help
from Arlette's younger hands. But
jeanne was even more amazing in her
callousness than was the old lady. She
drew me aside and asked irritably:
what is all the fuss about? | for
one am glad that little sinking ghost
of an Arlette isn't around today. /
think she is a regular little-vampire.
I'm sure he's some. rich old man and
that the little hussy had a rendezvous
in town. She sets I'll the men by the
ears. Think of Jim's giving her a kit
ten like yours"
Jeanie's voice trailed off. Perhaps
she went on talking, but it was i'm
possible for me to attend to another
word she said. / found myself COLI
occurring, plying and suspecting in
whirl of emotions in which Jim,
Arlette. May, Tarasov and myself
seemed strangely mingled, and all the
rest of the puttering, theorizing folks
at the Hedgerow were nothing but
dim back ground to our vivid activi-
ties. .....
Words OF Jeanie's stray phrases
spun around in my mind.
"All the men by the ears.
Rendezvous in town. A kitten
like yours" And then to augment and
give them, more power to hurt came
the words Of Jim's telephone opera
tor.
He went away with some lady,"
Then there were crunching steps
onthe gravel outside, and a moment
later the side door was flung open as
by one long accustomed to enter ut
will. And a minute later Zeke
Schmidt strobe into the room.
"By me you all haff left the tele-
phones" he said. "Nun-wat ISIS it
that makes you all so CRAZY todayg'
Like n whirlwind the stolid May
projected herself at him and began
shricking out that Tarasov was here
and that Arlette hal gone snOwshoe-
ing in her white sweater that MACS
her look like the petite maman and
so Tarasov had stolensher.
"Tarasov holdings" guffawed Zeke
uproariously. "Dod little Arlette she
90 by town this morning. | see her
by der train. l mynself see her."
ITO Be Continued.)