Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-11-04
By Margaret Banning

Rubbish" said Sally; you don't mind
Anne Barrett"
"Anne2 You're crazy. Her plays going
On tonight"
That's VIA told her. But she says
she's seen enough Of it."
quite enough" said Anne definitely
from the doorway.
Miles said nothing. His mind seemed
to stop.
'You don't mind Anne" repeated Sal
ly. Hes such a fussy old thing. Anne.
Hates my having company"
81 knew you'd look like that In the
doorway" said Miles to Anne irrelevantly
and let his mind pause again. drifting
on the present.
1t was later. after dinner, when hi nae
a dozen lovely pictures OF her and when
Sally had gone upstairs for her good
night to the children, that he had Ammo
were alone. Then he didn't know what he
wanted to say and was afraid to say any
thing. This was only respite. and he
knew It. Perhaps she'd quarreled with
Dave. Perhaps he'd chucked her. 1t
didn't matter tonight. though"
You're thinner, Anne"
"Ive been working hard"
rs the play going to go all right?"
I'm sure it Will. The part suits Dave
to perfection"
mo doubt" said Miles coldly. II hardly
see how you can stay away from its sue
cess"
Anne turned to him in her honest.
direct way.
Why do we beat about the bush,
Miles?" she asked. Il may as well tell
you / took your advice. l went away to
write the whole thing out Of my system.
But / couldn't. i wrote 1t in. I stayed
up In Maine where 10 one knew me and
tried to walk and sleep and write 1t out
And / couldn't. There were times-so
many times-when the sea looked tempt
ing. I've written bou girls on the
verge, but I never knew how they felt
that crazy mixture Of revenge n de-
/ sire to excite remorse and grasp after
peace know about it now"
Shit stopped. and Miles, shivering In
spite of the fire, thought OF the verses
that had been ringing in his head.
when lovely woman stoops to folly"
They hadn't been SO far wrong.
Whatever happens" he began tritely,
you mustn't think"
mo, / won't. l haven't finished. /
couldn't stay away from that first night
though I knew how degrading 1t was to
go. But, strangely, that was the night /
began to see. The dreadful lack of peace
| between those two was so obvious. And
you remember I went off with Dave that
night. He was furious about the plays
failure and he blamed it or Gwynnel
That was how he turned-yellow. / was
almost sorry for her until next day,
when she called me up and did the same
thing; only she blamed the mess on him.
And they both wanted me to do plays
for them!"
THE insolence Of that hussyl"
"It's not insolence. She doesn't Know
such a shade of feeling exists. That's
the strange thing. / touched up her
play. I knew what she wanted. The
melodrama, the mystery-the exaggerated
splendor Of the Croesus-you remember
that day we saw her there2 Well, any
way, / fixed her up that way"
And Dave. too?"
Yes. / wrote for him. too. / did write
the thing that was in me out, then, for
/ wrote Dave into 1t. / saw him clearly
after he turned yellow. I wrote him as
he is-weak, susceptible. and utterly
charming. He fits the part to perfec-
ton. He can play it for years. Wait
and see.'
WELL" said Miles, walking restlessly
about the tall room, fury eating him, III
he grateful now? Does he see now thai
you've made him?"
mot particularly. He's just about for
gotten who wrote the play already. Al
he says, he touched 1T up a good deal
asked me to marry him, Miles. Yo.
know, I've been wondering If, after all
his first wife may not have had a griev
ance."
She said it speculatively. but withou
feeling.
And have you married himp" asked
Miles roughly. rs that it?"
"Oh, no" said Ann and lifted her fn'
clear eyes to Miles. II never will"
He found himself hopping a wet brow
Look here. Anne, why did you come t,
Westchester?"
ITO see Sally and the kids" Ann halt
ed, and across the face that could no
act came a different look.
II wasn't quite sure why I came unit
you arrived tonight, Miles. I know now.
He knelt down beside her and laid hi
; tired head OF her arm.
"Oh, you lovely, lovely" He stopped
: hating himself for hat ~unconsciou
' quoting of Dawes old phrase.
, @ right ahead" said Anne. "Dav
> never knew what the words meant"
Copyright: 1927: BY Margaret Banning
. Guards Lease ArmOry
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