The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-14

to self-contempt and chagrin. Desire and
optimism grasped their opportunity and
whispered their arguments. She was act
ing like schoolgirl. Probably, undoubt-
edly. the whole thing was the merest
lncldenC-a passing impulse, already re-
gretted by her husband and her friend
especially by her husband Helen's loyal
heart insisted As for Anne-something
cold and hard was taking the place Of
her first duty toward Anne-Anne was a
born hirt and was merely running true
to form. Probably they were both
ashamed Of themselves by this time.
Helen rose with a deep breath. She
had herself in hand again, convinced
2, that her reasoning was correct. She
would take bath and dress for dinner
but first she would unlock those two
| absurdly locked doors. What fool she
had been! John would be upstairs to
| dress In few minutes and would wan
der in and out of her room in various
Stages OF MS toilet, sometimes for as
slsCance, sometimes to tell her an Incl
dent OF the day, as was his comfortable
habit.
But John did not come up to dress.
Helen, whose reason was again firmly
seated on its throne, was almost dressed
herself before the explanation struck her.
ODD she had not thought Of it before
She stopped and stared into the mirror
she was facing, checking her hand on
It's way to her hair. John had not come
up to dress because John was already
? dressed for the evening. He must have
come home early, dressed in a rush, ano
hurried down to the living room. Why
D Because Anne, also dressed for the eve.
2 ming, would be waiting for him ther,
: and the two would be sure of an un
e disturbed forty minutes before Heller
< herself came down. No doubt theY haC
d seen her in the garden and had expected
d her to work there till the last possible
e moment, as she had way Of doing AnS
i Anne was dressed for the eveningl Heller
recalled now a detail Of the picture O
those tntertwined figures which she ha'
!, taken in without realizing it and Whicl
: returned to her with extraordinary vivid
lnesS-the detail Of Anne's bare shoul
= ders, and Of Anne's bare arms. claspe
- around Johns neck.
le Helen slowly put into her hair tn
le ornament she held, taking In withou
70 consciousness the vision Of her suddenl
8 whitening face confronting her in th
~ mirror. She finished dressing, her fr
II gers steady, her mind busy. It had bee
is prearranged affair then, that meetin
ly or, If not prearranged at least tacitl
ln understood. For now she remembers
IN that last night and the night befOl
or both John and Anne had been in Il
III living room when she got downstaiH
er She hadn't thought anything about
or for she had worked late in the garde
and had dressed in a rush. Probab
e. the first encounter had been accidents
nd F. Her thoughts scurried about III
u wild things in a trap, seeking their W,
as out Of the only possible conclusion.
ed When she was ready for dinner 81
ht sat down again and looked the situate
he straight in the face. She was cool nc
ng and surprisingly detached. She had
m, sense Of mental and physical numbne
Ter but she realized the Importance of cor
)or ing to some definite decision-of layii
he out a course of action, of keeping to
he Obviously the first thing to do was
lid discover what the exact condition WI
OF Her new theory that it was a matter
it at least several days standing might