The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-11

N N husbands office at tile stroke
Nv of ~ She had come down al
his request TO take lunch
with him. He was out. There were
only the office boy, Tommy, and the
sensible little typiSt. Miss Devee. In
sight. And Miss Devoe was Just ready
to 20 out and gel her lunch
Mildred SAT down in her husbands
chair before his desk TO wait She took
her powder compact from hei bag and
freshened w hei face q bit After a
year OF married life she still took Just
as much pains for John as If he were
her lover And he fOi her They had
made tender little pact to that eff.
feet. John was busy man. Real es-
tale. And no car He walked miles
every day declaring il kept him lit.
Al this moment Mildred knew he was
off somewhere trying TO close deal
He'd he back soon Mildred smiled al
the disorder of his desk, evidence of
busy morning. flCI fingers itched
orderly little soul, to pun things TO
rights But she didn't quite dare She
noted the blOtter needed changing
| Upon the blotter lay a, letter. family
| pink smelling OF perfume. written in
woman handwriting. Before she
knew what she was doing she had
read the few daintily scrubbed lines !:
"near lack: | don't like D. 10 is
| better. See what yOu thing about l6 u
| suits me- I'm sure We'll both agree on
80. Yours.
! "MAISIE"
! Mildred felt a whirline sense of mis-
hap. Her heart beat thick ana slow
| Masie! She knew nobody by that
name. One happened upon the name
| in books, and the woman who bore
1t was always blond and frivolous
! There mad been a MaiSie in the last
| picture she saw. "Fetter Free" OF
course lois of people wrote TO Jack
! lots of women who wished either to
buy or sell property. Nothing unusual
about that. But. this letter was dis
tinct variation In code. lie must he
familiar with the code, for il meant
nothing to Mildred I'm sure well
|
| Jack" She had never called him any,
thing nut John Doubt suspicion. I'm
rest surged together in Midred's hon
est heart.
! Rising. she went to the window and
J stood with her back To the room, .3nZ-
ing down into the street, trying to get
! command of herself. She heard the
| door open Jack had come She turned
! and faced him. lie looked warm,
| flushed with the haste he had made
but altogether splendid. His straw hat
was in his hand His dark hair had
| just been trimmed.
"liow long you been waiting?" he
demanded.
"Not long"
Come on" Mildred crossed the room
In the street she had to step quickly
to keep up with his stride. They en-
tered restaurant noted for its de.
| licious seafOod waiter conducted
them TO a table and took their order.
WHATS the matter?' John looked
critically at Mildred.
Nothing. Why?"
81 thought you looked as if some
thing didn't please you"
1.-The ideal" Mildred smiled. Her
impulse was TO ask him about the
pink letter But it would look too
| much AS, If she'd been shopping. A
mans business was his affair. If he
chose to tell his wife anything she
could listen. But not ask questions.
Mildred had learned this lesson from
| the way her father behaved toward
| her mother. Mans kingdom was his
office. Woman's kingdom the home.
No confliction of responsibilities If
state of married bliss was to be main.
| tanned.
Instead of asking u question that
would have ended all suspense at
| least. Mildred gaZed around the crowd
ed place, sorting out blends from bru.
nettes. John used to say. God made
brunetteS. The silyersmith made
bonds" She WINGED at the memory.
Lunch over, she went back to the
office with him She wanted to see
what happened when he SAT down at
his desk. Nothing happened. He took
| up the pink letter. glanced at it and
| thrust it aside with several others.
| The phone rang and he unlocked the
receiver.
you've changed your mind? That's
| all right-fifteen? That's just as you
| think. I'd say rty-tw0-forty-twO
| Yes Goodby. WHAT'S that?" A short
laugh. Sure. GoOdby!''
If il hadn't been fo1 more of that
mysterious code Mildred might have
acted differently. AS it was she jumped
ny and ran out of the office without