Evening star., 1926-12-06
THE SPIDER WOMAN
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR.

happy. He knew he could. She was
so wistfully young, and that night she
had been so adorable. She had come
into his arms like a trusting child.
He kept remembering the words she
had spoken.
The way she had said, You'll come
back?" And then, You do care, just
q little"
But it. would be wise not to go
back to Denver. before he had seen
Helena, Helena was his wife,. He
owed her consideration, and now
that he thought back he realized that
from the beginning of their ma rriage
he had shown her very little. There
had been times when he had felt that
she suspected the truth. After all,
she was a clever woman, and he had
been very Indifferent. He wondered
II she would. be very much cut up
over the break. He hoped not. He
couldn't bear to hurt her.
+ And so he wrote to Nina and told
her that his plans had changed.
"I'l have to go back to New York
before / see you again. but ia return
to Denver just as soon as can. Don't
forget me, will you? And thank you
again for all the marvellous times l
had"
He hoped she understood from his
letter that he loved her. Somehow
he hated to put it in words. To say,
II love you," sounded so inane. But
Of course she did know. He had made
it plain enough that night he had held
her in his arms.
He reached New York with his senses
curiously blunted, and with a certain
dread of telling Helena the truth. In
the taxi going up to the apartment he
realized that it was not going to be
easy, and he tried to plan what he
would say and how he would lead up
to 1t. OF course, she knew that he had
been planning to see Nina. She might
make it easy for him. But suppose
she didn't! He had never found it
very easy to talk about anything per-
sonal. Oh, WELL he would have to take
a chance. No matter what happened.
he was going through with this. He
wanted his freedom and he intended
to have it.
AS he neared home, it occurred to
him that Helena might easily have
consoled herself with some one else
during his absence. That would make
it easy. Mark Sands had been i'm
pressed by her and had shown her
some attention. But on the other
hand, writer's and artists and mu-
sicians were always unstable. They
might admire some one, but their in
tentions were seldom serious.
He reached the apartment, paid his
taxi bill and went upstairs. Instead
of opening the door with his latch key
as he would have ordinarily, he rang
the bell.
Minnie opened the door, smiling
broadly. 1t was about o'clock in the
evening.
as Mrs. Henderson home. Minnie?"
he asked, dropping his bags in the
hall.
Minnie was instantly loquacious.
mo, sir, she amt, and it's a shame,
too. You just missed her. She's gone
out to a dinner party. I'll take those
bags for you, Mr.. Henderson, and
would you like something to eat. Mrs.
Henderson expected to eat at home
and ordered dinner, so that everything
is ready. She just changed her mind
after she got a telephone call a little
after g."
John went into the bedroom. It
didn't look as if it had been used since
his departure, which seemed strange.
Tnrhaps Helena had been staying with
.,;ttalie or her mother. At least, that
was a logical explanation, but for all
that he couldn't help wondering.
Copyright. 1926D -
Continued in TOmOrrow's Starr