Evening star., 1926-12-05

| without ever touching a corner" But
she was puzzled.
When Miss Barrett left the office,
Dane took out his watch. 1t was past
10. Myra had said that she would be
out only an hour. Leaving liberal
margin for Myra's method of reckon.
ing time, he figured that would bring
her home by 1890. He had taken her
statement as a suggestion that he
should be home to meet her; that was
how she had intended that it should
be taken. He remembered how often
he had hurried there to provide the
interested ear into which she could
pour her comments on the days in
terest. Tonight she would be waiting.
The thought struck him as something
extraordinarily pleasant.
! X X \ X
| FROM that evening Dane Oliphant
spent few hours in solitary ease
by his own fireside. When Myra went
out, he went out also. At first she
rallied him gaily on his growing in
fatuation for the business, but as the
weeks passed and he was more and
more often absent, she ceased to men,
ton it. She had pretended laugh
ing disbelief at his continued state
ment that he was going to the office.
But she did not mention it now, and
her very silence seemed to have a
significance.
1t was Ann. however, who put a
name to her suspicious, if such they
could be called, or, rather, AIMS hus-
band. He was a heavy lump of a
man, AIMS husband, who spent whole
evenings behind his paper, apparently
deaf to their chatter. This evening,
to cast a devastating bomb into
Myra's composed and comfortably or
dered life.
why can't you let old Dane romp
around bit," he demanded, picking
up clue from some stray fragments
of conversation. He's never had a
chance to kick up his heels. He's got
rather an attractive secretary, 1 hear
probably taking her out to supper.
1t isn't going to cost him so much
it isn't going to do him any harm"
If you think that's being clever,
Bob" Myra interrupted him sharply,
'or If you think you know anything
about Dane, or If you think 1 believe
your nasty insinuations, you are mis-
| taken"
"All the same" Ane broke in with
suppressed eagerness, as Bob Warner,
with some mumbled words, had re.
| tired again behind his paper. Bob
does get an idea now and then, and 1
| think this may be one of the times"
Don't be silly, Ann" Myras voice
| Why, it's preposterous!''
"Of course, my dear, if you think
! so-but I would look around"
well, 1 won't. l won't spy on any
body, even If 1 did believe it, ande
DON'T
We'll, 1 don't mind spying a little"
Ann retorted pleasantly.
There are times when you make
me positively sick, Ann, and this is
one of them. I'm going home"
Good night, dear" Ann called after
! her. Then, as the Parthian shot,
| I'll let you know what I hear
The living room was empty when
Myra entered. So he hadn't come in.
| She had little twinge of pain at the
thought. But. strangely enough, her
| anger was not against her husband,
but against Ann. 1t was still smolder-
ing when Olipha mt came into the room,
half an hour later.
Sorry to be SO late, old girl" he
said
Myra looked up at his smiling face.
There was an unusual eagerness in
her voice. Lets plan something to
do tomorrow night"
You can take your plan bs ac-
cepted," he announced cheerfully
1t was o'clock the next afternoon
that he called her. Sorry about to-
night, dear" he said. Some things
have just come up that have to look
after at once. I won't be able to get
home till quite late
But we were going out together"
There was almost catch in Myra's
voice, but he did not hear it, She
would never let him suspect that she
was hurt.
Sorry, dear. l can't make it to-
night. You run over to AIMS; that's
good GIRL" and he had rung off.
Myra did not go to AIMS. She could
not stand AIMS gloating commisera-
tions. She sat alone, save for Felix's,
wet muzzle on her knee. whats the
good of having a husband. anyway"
she demanded. You only have what's
left after" she hesitated for a
word, but went on defiantly-"after
business is through with him." Felix
wagged his tail.
She did not sleep we'll that night.
She heard Dane come in and tiptoe
lightly past her door, and she lay
awake long after, searching for some
explanation, but she could find none.
She was waiting in the breakfast
room when he appeared the next
morning, fresh and cheerful, and hum
ming pleasantly. His face lighted at
the sight of her. He crossed the room
and put his hands on her shoulders.
and stood looking down at her, a smile
touching the corners of his lips. "If
any one were to tell me that you were
| more than 21," he said, II wouldn't
believe It," And he stopped and kissed
her.
Myra seated herself at the table with,
sudden feeling of strangeness. SO
| there weren't going to be any expla-
| nations. She was almost glad but
little, nagging questions kept coming
to her mind, ard she could only watch
his cheerful unconcern with a sense of
| wonder.
GIVE seen her." Ann Warner an
nounced cheerfully, when she met
Myra, a day or SO later.
Myra flushed little. "Seen whom?"
she asked.
: "why, Grace Barrett. Danes Sec
retary. She's tall and slight-dresses
rather we'll. She's not exactly pretty,
but she knows how to carry herself.
She's much the sort of girl that men
go wild over
Myra laughed. LAS though I didn't
know Dane" she said. las though I
didn't know that If wagged my little
finger. he would come to me-"
You think so. dear, but would he?
Dane Is all business and this woman
knows that part of life. Do you think
that doesn't give her an advantage
| over you? Do you think if you
wagged all your fingers. and kept on
| wagging them. that You could take
! him away from his business? And she
has his interests there'@
Fog all that Nyga lanshsd openly at