Evening star., 1927-12-28
The cAmazing Chance
By Patricia Wentworth

YOU poor thing" :,
"WeN, don't know. At first l
thouSht | was; and then | wasn't
SO sure. I'd like to settle down anu
he comfortable. But there's always
the chance that I'd get bored. Henry
being one of the respectable ones.
"Why, what do you think Of his
| telling me not 10 call him Henry
! any more till we were sure | was a
| widow?
".Mr. Cowdray till the cable
comes were his last words; and
| began to think myself whether
could do. with a man that was as
! proper as all tnat.
What cable?" asked Evelyn.
"Oh, I'll say that for Henry, that
| he dosn't spare expense. He cabled
straight away to Albert's brother 10
know if Albert was alive. 1t gives
one very certain feeling waiting
to know whether you're a widow or
not
"It must he horrid.'
But. of course, dear. there's al
WAYS cheerful side-and I'm not
goinS 10 NOPE whichever way It
turns out.
/ IF Albert's living. we'll. he's living:
and maybe Id like Ontario well
enough. And il he isn't living | can
just take Henry and settle down like
meant To-"
Evelyn had been struggling TO
order her thoughts. Talking to Feari
Palliser or. rather. being talked to by
Pearl Palliser. was like trying to
walk on n feather bed: there was so
little foothold and such vast billow-
ing masses of words.
But If You really were married to
Mr.. Iaycock-" she began.
Miss Palliser nodded triumphantly.
Her hat had slipped over the other
ear and hung there unregardei while
its enormous ornament winked in
the freight.
II knew you'd get there. 1t just
knocked you off your balance at
first like 1t did me- But knew you'd
tumble TO i, when you'd time to
get your breath so to speak.
IF / wasn't married To Ted Ed
wards, then I was married to Albert
I.aycock; and that knocks out Jim
Field and Jack Laydon-knocks EN-
right off the map.
For whether Albert's alive or not
at this moment. he was alive and
doing well in 1916. a year after !
married Jack. and a good bit more
than a year after | married jim
Field: for | met a cousin OF his in
the street and she told me SO. And
/ told her"-here Miss Palliser be-
came vehement-''that ii was a scan
4al and a shame. il he was, for he
ought 10 be out in the war like the
other poor boys. or at the very least
in a hospital with an arm or leg
off She didn't like it. and we had
words-a nasty, hony cat of a
woman with a what.have-youg got in.
the-larder kind Of an eye. something
like this. dear"
Miss Palliser sat bolt upright. fold
ed her hands on her knees, drew In
her plump cheeks. pinched in her
nose and pursed her lips. She GER
tainly produced. vivid, II momen-
tary. impression of a sharp-nosed
female with a gimlet eye.
1t was momentary because she
broke suddenly into a rich. deep
gurgle of laughter.
We'll, well: it takes all sorts 10
make a world, even IL there's some OF
the sorts you feel you could do with
cut and welcome. All, dear, now that
reminds me that Nosey Abbott Eel.
low---you said he wasn't a friend OF
yours-he's been bothering me again.
and can see he means to 60 on. He's
that sort"
Evelyn nodded appreciatively.
Yes. he is."
We'll. dear, sooner or later he'll
bother me into doing what he wants.
You'll see. it's this way-Im one OF
those that can't keep on saying no,
It's always gone against me, and l
don't suppose shall get the better Of
II now.
II can start off right; and said
to him the very first time he came.
Look here, you MIR. Abbott. or what
ever your name is. it's not bit OF
good your coming here and worrying
me, because ! don't know who he
In. and IL / did. I'm not going TO
say. And anyhow l don't see it's
any business of yours. And ! won''
sign any papers not IL you were the
King" There. couldn't have put 1t
any palmer than that. could II"
Evelyn laughed.
mo. you couldn't
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