The Bozeman courier., 1926-06-25
PEANUT

and a farewell tomorrow. Peanut had
found that out. Already, as she talked,
two brave little flags Of color were flying
In her cheeks.
But I win work again soon. That Bob
by Ross-he helped me so much. You have
sent him away for lOng3"
"Quite a while, Peanut. He went to New
York with a picture and then he was going
to visit his mother down south some
where, and on the way back he was to find
me three or four locations. / say, have you
had your dinner2"
Peanut giggled. "But yes-a wonder
young duekling stuffed with chestnuts,
champagne and strawberry parfait with
two dozen little cakes all covered with
, pink-sugar, But-Only in my mind"
Murray O'Brien tucked her hand under
his arm. "COme along with me-" he said.
Wen have a real feast"
At exactly the same moment, in a lofty
drawing room, Marguerite O'Brien was
saying to her hostess: any dear, I'm so
| sorry about Murray. But you know l
can never count on him. He simply didn't
appear, so I know he's working"
! The hostess patted her hand just a lit
tie absent mindedly. She was a rather
absent minded old dOWager anyway, and
giving a dinner party for forty people alb
sOrbed all her faculties, even with her
staff OF expert servants. She wasn't real
/ IL thinking about Murray O'Brien at all.
/ She was wondering whether she had served
| sWeetbread entree the last time she had
] a.
VI, That's perfectly all right, dear: One
can't expect reliability from a genius"
Elise Lord, pOndering in the window seat
among the scented baby pillows, might
have understood much if she could have
known these things, but she did not. When
! Marguerite turned to her suddenly and
| said, you know this girl2 What is she
like ?" Elise could only answer, Cute, very
little, very French. No class, but probably
capable Of one Of those dOOrmat devOtiOns
we so rarely see nowadays"
i "YOu never spected-anything
"NO," said Elise, honesty, Il don't think
anyone did"
'You don't imagine it could be serious
Dangerous, as you put itF'
Certainly nOtV
4 Marguerite smiled bitterly. "NO? And
yet my husband wishes me to get di
vOrce. I wasn't going to tell you that
butt must tell some one"
Elise sat upright, scattering the baby
pillows like flower petals all about her
"a divOrce?" she repeated blankly. "Mur
ray wants you to get divorce"
$50 that he may be free to marry
Peanut o, it's too ridiculous"
81 don't believe it." said Elise Lore
Marguerite O'Brien made a gesture to
? ward the letter lying open on the LOui
XIV desk. HE has written to ask me
He didn't dare say it to my face. o
I've sensed there was something wrong
But I didn't dream. And then to writ
: me-like that. Men are such towards
: Why didn't he play fair2 If. he found h
loved someone else, why didn't he tel
because I don't imagine he thought i
was serious. A good many men cheat, m,
; know anything about it. There's some
I thing-I don't quite understand this, Mar
! got VIII yOu-get a divOrce?"
Marguerite O'Brien sat very still, grow
, ing whittier and whittier. At last she SAID
: very slowly and distinctly, "Never. Nevel
I not for any reason in the world" a lon
o gasping breath shook her, and she sal
- again, violently, "never!
The afternoon was warm and lazy. GreG
clouds of golden butterflies flOated abOU
like autumn leaves blown by merr
q wind. A little figure in q cherry red dres
and an impudent black velvet tam-a shan
o ter came hesitatingly up the walk, bt
: tween he neatly trimmed box hedges an
= the eXuuisitely Towering rose trees. tn
= little French heels made a click-click o
: the cement-like the click Of a telegrap
While She waited for some one to answt
her ring, she buttOned and unbOttOned II
4 neat bright gloves. Peanut loved brigl
d cOiOrs and she had the courage Of ht
: | convictions. But black gloves for in
, pOrtant occasions were part Of her edl
n cation and code.
= In the morning room, bright with chin
and banked boxes of cylamens, lOOkn
down over the slObing lawns to sunke
4 gardens below, she sat quietly, trying
y control the Quivering Of her mouth. III
\ black eyes, that looked enormous in h
white face passed over the bowls Of gOl
fish. the canaries twittering in their pain
AZ ed cages, all the bright furnishings Of Il
~ room, without seeing them all.
But her ears heard instantly the hg
footsteps, and she rose as Mrs. O'Bri'
came into the room. After one look
the tall beauty in white Organdy ana
" cool white garden hat. Peanut felt n
D. measurably insignificant and hopeless. tn
Il great lady and she was Only-a peanut
Mrs. O'Brien smiled graciOusly. She h'
never heard Of MademOiselle Jeanne MAJ
Josephine POulain, but she had started
. charitable mission, and Mrs. O'Brien W
, particularly fond of French charities.
> "YOu wanted to see me?" she said. y
[ sit down. 1t is warm, for this time
year. I'm sorry you had to walk from
, car. What can I do for your"
The girl did not sit down. Instead S
> looked straight into the shining gray ey
, and said, quietly, Madam, / am Peanut
. Mrs O'Brien's glOved fingers closed
\ the handle of the parasOl she carried. I
slender stem snapped.
''Yes?" she said, coldly. "Then I
Is sure you can have no business with I
is Forgive my saying so, but it is unpardC
- able of you to come here. I suppose y
1s do not know any better. You will excl
n. me? I will send the butler to show ,
lf- Peanut made one pleading gesture "
q her hands. "Please-dO not go, madaI
OF she said. "I-I beg, for all our SAX
ng that you will hear me for moment
fh have perhaps the right to hate me. Bu
there is something I must tell you"
~ Marguerite O'Brien looked over her he
by quite as though she were not there. 1t '
not hard to look over Peanuts head.
-, am sure you have nothing to say that
Ou interest me-" she said. you must und
re- stand, my girl, that so far as 1 am c
lse cerned, you do not exist. I have gi
sic my final answer to my husband. If !
-S care to make yourself a-a convenience
OF him, that is not my affair"
: Madam" said Peanut, in a very sn
of voice, Il am going to have a baby"
~ That broke the ice Of Margue
" O'Briens face at last. The blood rus
OF to it in a painful wave. "What2"
de- cried, as though she did not know "
IN she was saying.
Never, since she was a child, had N
yet guerite been the slave of an emotion
er, drove her as a wild sea drives a little b
am But she was now. 'YOu vile ereatu
- she cried, beating upon the table with
sue wreck Of the parasOl she still held in
BILE -.
=. to DEAF HEAR INSTANT
the
are amazing AnVOMCAOu brings A1A-AAoul