The Bozeman courier., 1927-10-14

such early birds" Helen said. It might |
be well, perhaps, to let them realize that !
she had noticed that.
eve haven't a garden to work in, or
babies to put to bed" Anne said. She
spoke as usual, indOlently, and with cas- |
ual eyes on her friends face, but John
did not look up. He stared out of the
window, his face flushed, his manner
slightly self-conscious.
1.-THE only time realize that Johns a
mere man, after all, is when meals are a
few minutes late" Helen laughed. "Go
on, dear, take Anne in, and Wen feed
you"
John smiled. rather stifly. still not
meeting his wife's eyes. John was not a
| good dissembler. At the table he bright
ened, as If in support Of Helen's diagno-
sis of his need of food, and eXerted him.
self to talk. Helen supported him, and
| Anne let them take on the conversa-
tional burden. She herself said nothing,
| but listened and ate abstractedly, lit
| tie smile on her lips, an odd gleam in
her brown eyes. Helen looked at the
smile and her heart caught. Thus Anne
usually smiled and cleaned at the be-
ginning of new affair. Helen had seen
the look often, around her lips and in
her eyes. Anne had indulged in many
of these affairs. Helen heard her own
voice harden suddenly as she talked.
John must have noticed the hardening,
for he shot keen look at her. After
!, an open air concert. That would give
! her time to think. An evening at home
/ would have been uncomfortable.
; At the concert Helen put John be-
/ tween her friend and herself, and for
the rest of the evening, though his
; shoulder and arm touched hers, she was
/ clone, and she knew it.
: Perhaps the music threw Anne and
, John of their guard. Certainly both
} ceased to be conscious of her. John, who
, ! af faUOrifn
, ages always turned to Helen to be sure
= that she was swept by them as he him
S self was, had turned to Anne for that
= assurance and received it. Anne loved
= music and understood 1T, and this music
e by a visiting orchestra from big city
was surprisingly good. Anne had the
: effect Of being in a blissful, waking
Y dream. The little smile still fingered OF
4 her lips. The elfSh gleam in her darl
eyes had given place to the soft bril-
> lance seen in the eyes Of a happy child
n Helen Ross went to her room tina
n night accepting the seriousness Of th
Ie situation and the fight that must b
v made. Anne was in love again, or imag
re ined she was. Ross was intribued, fas
d cinated, frightened, yet responsive, anc
?? to an amazing degree, reckless. IL wa
a the last quality that frightened his wife
re How much this episode meant to hir
l. she did not know. He was not an cas-
y, person to read. But he had the breath
I'd denly confronted by danger and thrillin
lie to it. That being so, the fight was OF
I'd Anne's passion might burn for weel
,n or a month, or a year. Whatever II
of duration, it would blaze hercely at hrs
al and then die. Johns might be differ
ch ent. To Helen, Anne simply did nc
de- count. She was no longer rival Hele
IL feared and hated. She was no longer th
ed friend Helen loved. She hardly SCENE
to be a woman at all. She had becon
merely a menace to John Rosa dead
he thing to be removed from his path, le
ut it destroy him. The method Of remov
lly was all Helen thought OF that night.
he foggy dawn laid we6 fingers on her wiz
n dow panes while she stiu considered
en- The next morning. at the breakfa
ng table, she made a casual suggestion. 'Ii
eiy an ideal fishing day." she told her h1
'eo band. why don't you and Anne tai
ore a lunch with you and go up to Rushil
me brook and catch some trout? I've got
lrs. go to town and SPEND the morning in
IL, dentists chair"
len John turned q radiant face to thI
oiy guest. For the instant he was whOl
cai. of his guard. If his wife had suspect
Ike nothing up till that instant she wou
Fay have read the truth in the look he ga
her friend