Evening star., 1934-01-09

The blushing bride.
IL The minute the words were
out of his mouth he was sorry.
Charity's face grew redder with en-
barrassment She tried to smile back
at him. Doug looked out the window
and told her with show of sympathy:
I'm sorry these last few days have
been so tough on you. You can just
play around out home and do as you
like. I'll get out of your way this eve
ming and you can have the place to
yourself to get acquainted"
Charity felt vast relief. She smiled
a little worn smile that tried to thank
him. They had ridden along IN silence
for several minutes when Doug touched
her arm
There we are now" he said. Right
ahead. That's the old homestead. Dad
and mother named it Templehaven."
Charity opened her eyes and saw
stretched for what seemed like miles
the most beautiful estate she had ever
seen. Winding drives, shaded by great
trees. which spread their young green
taking beauty. And beyond it all
great white colonial house, which made
her want to weep when she saw it wait
ing for her at the end of the road.
Doug saw her emotion and wondered
Ut 1t. Charity got out OF the car, the
tears stinging her eyes. Inside Doug
turned to her ard smiled self-con-
sciously.
I'll get into my evening clothes-and
beat it, he said You make yourself
at home Mrs. Muggins, the house
keeper, will look after you. I'll call
back"
He disappeared. Charity sat down on
little bench in astonishment.
Could it be possible that Doug was
going out on a party-on their wedding
eve? Yanner Vandergrif lived over on
the next estate. He was going to her!
Charity tried to recover her scattered
wits and face the situation calmly.
What could she do about it if Doug
proposed to go = right m ruot On With 9anns1 amer
Suddenly Charity found herself grow
ing angrier than she had ever been in
her life. She had been tricked
Charity almost forgot her unhappi-
ness for q little while in the thrill OF
becoming acquainted with Temple
haven.
Mrs Muggins almost collapsed with
surprise when Doug Temple knocked on
the door of her cottage and told her
to make my wife comfortable and see
she 1ldO everything Sic ilScOS N11 ..
Muggins hadn't even known the Temple
heir was married.
Then. when she was confronted in
the hall by a pale, quiet girl whom
she recognized from visit to the trust
company one day as her late employers
secretary, the housekeeper was still
more at a loss to understand the
strange happenings But Mrs Mug
gins was too we'll trained to show any
NV
Mrs. Muggins served delicious din
ner to Charity on the side veranda. 1t
was a lovely warm Spring evening.
Doug had dressed hurriedly and driven
away from his bride with blithe wave
of his hand.
Charity selected Doug's mothers
boudoir as her haven. 1t was in ivory
and blue, exactly as Mrs. Temple had
left it. and so quiet and peaceful that
Charity felt she could lie down on the
old canopied bed and sleep her life
away
But there were too many things to
explore So for an hour after dinner
Charity poked through the house. find
ing one room more beautiful than an
other. There were enough lovely old
things to see to keep her busy for a
week. Charity was glad. 1t would be
pleasant diversion. And judging from
her wedding eve, Doug was going to !
leave the job Of amusing herself in her
own hands.
It gave her relief in sense to know
nothing was expected of her. But she
burned with humiliation as her mind
dwelled on the state of affairs from
another angle How could she have
been so gullible as to give Doug Tenn
pie credit for having come to his senses
and been imbued with sincere desire
to carry out his fathers dying wish?
She felt certain he meant to 60 on
with Yanner Vandergriff.
Fortunately Charity was so tired that
she went to bed to sleep like babe,
IN spite of her bitter thoughts.
1t was 10 o'clock the next morning
when she awakened. She sat up with
a shock when she saw the clock. Shed
never slept SO late in her life! But
when she started to bound out of bed
she remembered there was nothing to
do-and sank back on the pillows again.
Charity loved business. But she was
so weary of the battle OF life at the mo-
ment that she sighed and stretched
3uxuriously.
In few minutes she sat up again
and was surprised to see her dressing
gown and slippers on a chair beside
her. The things must have arrived at
night and Mrs. Muggins had come in
and put them beside her. Then she
looked over where the door of her closet
stood open and saw her wardrobe had
been hung up. And she'd slept through
it all!
On the dressing table were her new
comb and brush. powder puff and the
inevitable can of rice powder. Mrs.
Muggins must have been nonplllsSed as