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Show I BONE DRY M my husband and J?' jQne Phelps - 1(,V 1 ! CHAPTER CLXXVII. Muriel Seas Clifford. I hsd wiIUpii Muriel thai Owrd- iticHtlj-. "And Kdith Hdor hrr. "Not mich a difficult thtn to do." hf ImiffhtKl. "Be careful or omeon . w li I fciaJ hor." s , At th tim I thnimht nothing of his f mtRht dfpoM, nevr occurred to m. I Mfi(t all dy lonj fur pure happmnn; j althouxh at time a nns of disup-.JjojrUniTit disup-.JjojrUniTit aill lingered. 1 Tomorrow Clifford la .11. I written nif that Clifford looked ill, hut had not utijuented 'that he write ma concernlriK him. However, a few daya after writing- her, I received an ' answer to my letter In whlt-h nha told me that ahe had met Clifford In the atreet and that Lola had not exaggerated when the tut id he looked III. Hut thnt he had said he waa fee Inn all right. I.eomird ftrooke iiad written again, saying he waa going Vvent on a buni-nea buni-nea trip and, unlexa I positively for bade It, he was going to stop over and see me. I don't know yet what I lmpuls made me reply that I should be gtad to aee htm. nor can ' 1 forget the fever of Impatience with which I awaited his coming. The morning he waw to arrive I could not keep stlH. I walked from room to romn or stationed myseir at the window only to do something else the next moment. His train gut In about noon, but by 10 o'clock I was dressed and waiting. It nemed that I time never paased so slowly. And then, after all my wstrhing and waiting. wait-ing. I did not see him until Mandy had oened the dor and ushered him in. A GREETING. "Dear." he sawl as I hurnd to him, "how well you are looking j "I em well." I answered, a sudden I const mint, almost a bashfulness, com J tng over me. j W went Into my tiny living room and closed the door. At last we wer ! alone. I don't know what 1 expected j but when he quietly kissed me. then held me off to look at me. a feeling of disappointment surged over me and. instead of- throwing myself Into his ' arms, aa I wua first tempted to do, 1 drew myself away and chtded him: "You know, we were to be very pla tonic until I had my divorce." "Yes. I know. And aren't weT Leonard Leon-ard replied aa he released my hands. He had been holding them all the time. Just then Mandy told us lum-henn was ready and we went into the (lining room. I Miring the nie.tl i chatted and (Hiighed: talked f Muriel and our friend in ilendale: l,onaid admired my temporary homo snd complimented ! me on my looks. What more could I a woman extiect? Yet all the Urn I J wua conscious that I missed something j tn ho manner; that I was disappointed, j though In what way. or for why. 1 (couldn't have t'td. LEONARD MEETS MI",S NEWTON. JuM as we finished luncheon. Mlaa Newton and Kdtth ('ami downstair, at tired fur their walk. Kdith waa delighted de-lighted to aee Ieonnrd: he always had i been a f.ivorite of hera. "Is you going to live mith us?" ahe akd as he picked her up in his arms. "No. dear, but I'm comuig to you again when f come t;tck. ' 'tThMl's nice." aha responded. Then I presented Ieonard to Miss Newton. 1 noticed that as he bowed he looked admiringly at Kdtth's nuraa. and I didn't blames him. . ihe was dreaaed moat becomingly In a sun of dark blue, a tuque to match, nnder Which her wavy brown hair broke away In ring-let a on forehead and neck. Her eve were bright and she looked happy I and eontentt-d. . I "What a charming looking person ' I You arw fortunate to have so refined ! a girl to rare fr Kdtth. ' Leonard anid aa they left us. I 1 "Indeed 1 ami' I antwered earth asaaa- 4 words, but afterward they recurred to ! . me. CHAPTER CLXXVIII. 1 To my surprisa Leonard proposed 1 that we go to a theatre In the eve-ning. eve-ning. We had driven all the after noon, and I supposed of course he i would wish to remain alone with me. j To play and sing perhaps; but at least to be by ourselves. I agreed Immediately, however, and we telephoned tor seats. We dined at my home, then after the theatre had slipper at a fashionable grill. It was too late to ask htm In when we 1 again reached home, ao I aaid Rood night at the door, and also goodbye. He waa leaving on a very early train in the morning, but would stop on his return trip and spend another day ; with me. I For some reason 1 felt discontented. , I laid It to the fact that his coming; had disturbed ma to a certain extent 1 j Not even to myself d.d 1 own that I j j wan disappointed, thnt I had felt less; enthusiasm at seeing him, and that 1 he had shown leas than I expected. ' flm I waa rettlena. uncertain In my j thoughts and actions. i MILDRED BLAMES HERSELF. ! Then after a day or two I again be- I came my normal self and exonerated ! Ionard from all blame because of my disappointment. H scarcely could have j been different. I thought both of ua I were under a certain strain; both try- j tng to appear merely friends when we knew that we loved each other. Ho 1 onca more looked forward to his re- I turn visit with pleasurable anttcipa- I tiona. I I alone had been different I alone j to blame for the restrictions which I ; had compelled Leonard to put upon himself, his actions. He waa very ' temperamental, and I had real tied j from the beginning of our acquaintance acquaint-ance that I must, to a certain extent hold myself aloof. I had dana so, and then blamed him for lack of enthusiasm. en-thusiasm. I made many plans for the day of i his return, and happily awaited his : coming. I amiled at my foolish fancy that his ardor had cooled; and re- fleeted that I wan btmlng htm for a ' condition I myelf had created. I' i wouldn't be quite m re nerved, quite so stand-offish when I next saw him. I decided with a blush. Mra. Kalrchild had seen ua the afternoon aft-ernoon we drove about Reno, and made eome laughing remark anent the' "handsome mn" I was "With. I felt tempted to tell her all about him but did not; I simply said that he was a friend from home. Yet I felt a thrill of pride which lasted all day because of her remarks. Ieonard was hand- some; he waa clever, he loved me. IN RENO AGAIN. "Ton are lEotng tn remain longer j thia time, aren't you, Leonard," I asked upon hi return. "If you wish It." he replied. "I can arrange my affairs ao that I can stay . three or four days. Purlng this time we rode, we eang and played, we read, and we talked. He urged me to marry him aa soon aa I obtained my divorce, he was kindness kind-ness and thoughtfulnesa Itself, yet at times I tmartned there waa something missing In his voice when urging me to come to him; a spontaneity lacking. lack-ing. Yet when he left he took my promise to marry him aa soon as my divorce could be made valid. After thia a peace which I hd not known for yeara came to me. It was settled. My future waa secured. f Would he happv with the man who lovevi me. and whom I lored In return. t That man proposes, and a dlvtne j' |