The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-21
Her BELOVED THREE


ately after breakfast, resolutely closing
her eyes to the look Of strain her nus
bands face and eyes were taking on
Anne, having breakfasted in her room,
was herself again and had gatly an
nounced her Willingness to look after the
sufferer. 1t was clear to Helen that Anne
rather fancied herself in the new role,
and welcomed the opportunity Of wip1ng
out the memory Of yesterdays fasco.
But when Helen returned at nVe
O'Clock that afternoon she found Anne
swinging idly in porch hammock, and
John in bed in his own room.
THANK God, you're backP was his
greeting.
"She tried to-" John was pathetically
loyal. But she has never had headaches
herself, so it's simply impossible for her
to realize what they are. After she had
put on one or two ice packs she expected
me to be cured and she talked, Till
wanted to throw things at her. OF course,
she meant awfully WELL" he quickly
added. "She simply didn't understand.
She thought I needed to be amused and
by Jove"-he groaned at the memory
'she even expected me to amuse her. L
suppose she thought my headache was
only an excuse to loaf at home" he Went
on with touching uncOnSctouSneSS OF
the Importance of this admission. Helen's
| lips twitched again. Men were such chill
dren! She began to wonder why She
had ever let herself be unhappy over Cnls
one. Yet, also like children, they would
get into mischief If they were noC
watched and prevented.
you're lot better now, aren't you?"
she asked. You always are, in the eve
ming"
"oh, yes. It's practically over. I'll be
down to dinner"
That's good. I've telephoned Bert to
come in for dinner and bridge. We won't
"All right" John spoke with such
alacrity that Helen's lips twitched again.
1t was clear that he welcomed the pres
i ence of a newcomer to help wipe out
the memory of a second humiliating day
1t had occurred to him that for some
reason he and Anne were not getting on
well together.
i Herbert Mason, Johns classmate and
chum at New Haven, would have been
a satisfactory addition to any party. To-
night he was welcomed with special en-
thusiasm by each Of his three compan-
ions. He was big, outstanding, hand
4 some chap with grin like that OF a
friendly bulldog, and he played an eX-
cellent game of bridge. So did Miss
Ward and she and he defeated this host
and hostess so badly that the former
pleaded his headache as an excuse TC
drop the game In favor OF taiK or music i5o
Helen, announcing that she had ne
:, elected him all day, took him TO the
divan and propped him up with pillows
while the rest Of the program moved
along it's inevitable course. Anne ware
would hirt with any man at sight anc
: she was already attracted by Mason
whom she had met frequently during he
visit. Moreover, tonight she was VIC
2 tim of wounded vanity and p1que anC
I the conjugal tableau on the d1van eX
1 cessively annoyed her. Though she wa
conscious Of the unwisdom OF such &C
la xryoc he
2 guard, she ended, as John Ross mentall,
J, put it, by bringing out her whole pal
z of tricks for the beneht OF his friend
They were good tricks, but tamllla
3 ones. John had seen them all during
the last fortnight when they were uSe'
Q on him. he watched Miss Ward rathe
! somberly at first, his eyes cold, the cnar
q acteristlc little ridge between them
Q Then, suddenly he turned to Helen VIII
a chuckle. 3,
: so that's the way they always do l.
those women" he said In her ear.
: thought they'd have more variety.
: Thought they changed their method
u with different men. But she's the same
see, with every one" And again n
was blissfully unconscious OF the adnlls
sion he had made.
g "Come and sit down." she began, draw
ing her to a bench under an apple Ire'
Il want to talk TO you." And as the
sat side by side, sne added, WlChoI
Ie preparaJion: You win! I'm going away
u Really! Before your vlslC is oVerF
u Its over, and well you know It's over
y Anne mOcKed ughCIy. i SnoulonC nav
- come" she went on more seriously
% YOU feel that too deeply, helen, pleas
10 remember tnat held on Tor three years
u You mean" For the nrst time heIe
le turned and met her eyes.
- Il mean exactly what 1 say. I've mel
Y of for three years. L was aGJracCeo /
a John the nrst day met MN. Kne
~ ~ exactly what would happen II we sa
AZ much of each other"
AZ but this was too much Tor JonnS VII
- She Stinened.
y, Don't you think you're making
~ great deal of a trlne?" she asked coldI
- L think you'd t1nd that you could sCi
" on with us indefinitely and quite sa1eIy
Anne laugned. II suppose l coui
"a sne admIUJed. Il reaIlzed as soon as yS
u started JhaJ I'd be no maJcn Tor yo
. You knew me too well, and you're
10 10 your own ground, and you nght WlGno
In mercy. You'd snow John every Wea
uS ness 1 have before you got through; al
"a -, while It's barely possible might make
Nv beCLer showing when 1 got my secol
Ae wind it really isn't worth the trouble
Sne yawned. You see, my dear HeleI
10 10 she cOnJInued, Il don't want your Jon
- anyway. 6eS not my CypS-dhu Che
Iy are too many other men in the wor
ay As a matter Of fact" she Indifferent
9 eu ended, Il never want any Of them We
~ long"
a. a. Il wonder if you know" Helen Re-
said slowly, lust how horrible you are
.1s Anne, who had been digging hole
I-o ,-o the grass with the tip OF her paras
ho turned and looked at her. 81 suppC
M that means goodby," she suggested wit
t11, out resentment.
,cs mot necessarily. I have no fear
a. you," Helen hastened to say. "You coul
. MT get John in a thousand years, no
ever much you wanted him. A reme
he made last night showed me that
the time, even when you thought y
had him on your hook, he was mer
studying you as a new type. You see,
had never met your sort before, thou
. he had so often heard Of it. You gS
: him his one chance to see a vamp
- action, and being a normal man he &c
Z it, But he wouldn't have gone very IA
8 Anne rose. That's as it may be-" {
remarked conversationally Neither J
3, nor will ever know, my dear Helen. =