The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-12-30
CHAPTER fl. DICKY BACK AGAIN

A'SAAA6 WNohs OANhy P1OOetoAy AiAANo es you tremendously" said Civ to Santa. I'm not dog -in-the manager. If he's on your conscience and there's anything we can d, for him. you won't arouse any jeal ousy. You're through with him In a sense you were through witt him before you started. And then he came to my help when he him self was ship wrecked"
 Whats your idea, Clive-tha We ought to get rid of him more gradually"
 Something like that"
 So that was how it happened when Dicky called a few nights later, that he was admitted. Give had brought home work from the office-genuinely brought home the work this time
 Following the precedent he had previously established, he with drew to the library. A wife had the privilege of entertaining her friends, especially when she con- tributed to the housekeeping. He flattered himself that he was handling the situation modernly
 Finding no obstacles placed in his way Dicky dropped in more and more frequently He entered as If he were bestowing a favor and seated himself in the best chair. blonde and immovable. To a humorist his vanity would have been amusing He glanced around at familiar pictures on the walls and surveyed the furnishings with an air of possession. Then he waited with restrained impatience for Give to vanish, as though he and not Give, was master
 Give consoled himself by think ing, "Al I have to do is to kick him out"
 The moment he had left his wife with her ex-husband, they would lapse into French.
 Such good practice" Santa ex- plained.
 She kept no secrets. Was clear as daylight. Gave Give a synopsis in bed of what had occurred each evening.
 You don't need to-" he advised her.
 But it helps me to correct my impressions. Dicky's so glib-al- ways was. He'd swear he hadn't been near jam when it was smear ed all over his face"
 What does he lie about?"
 You and me. The noble in- fluence we are. How he's given up drink and women to be worthy of us"
 Hell drive me to drink. Good night old girl, have to be up in the morning"
 Often she talked Give to sleep.
 Are you listening?"
 Her slim arm protecting him she would lie awake, pondering how complicating it was to have been married twice What it had amounted to was that you were responsible for two husbands.
 To have two husbands buzzing about you was exciting. It kept you expectant and emotional the way you were as a flapper. It made you feel that you were still competed for. The danger was that you might offend your present husband in trying to save your for mer.
 And Dicky required saving. AL though he sighed over his wasted years, she was convinced that he still dabbled in the muddy pool of Broadway.
 Give, having flung wide the windows of his wife's repressions wished he hadn't. Dicky's lapses reformations evasions, hogged two- thirds of their conversation. San ta had turned their love-nest into a rescue home. Why did a woman when she had divorced a man, feel impelled to become a mother te him?
 At the close of a sample day oi rest during which Give had sought sanctuary ill his stuffy little library he protested. Having listened fol the intruder's departure, he stepped into the hall to confront his wife