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Show r . - - - I 1 Ti:e Married Life of Helen and Warren p T5 ATAPFT Originator of "Their Married it 2 y MAJDilL, Life." Author of "The Jour- It I HERBERT URNER SiS?'1"6 If HELEN'S PERSISTENT AND NEEDLESS WORRYING I I CLOUDS HER ENJOYMENT OF THEIR TRIP g rrttmTfr?rrrn7rt (Copyright, 1917, by the ilcClure Newspaper Syndicate.) With relaxing relax-ing weariness Helen lay between be-tween the cool smoothness ci the linen sheets, surveying sur-veying the luxurious luxuri-ous appointments of the room. The paneled walls, the gray-enameled gray-enameled furniture, furni-ture, the dull blue of the velvet ear- By eight o'clock Warren was dressed and ready to go down. "I'll get a shave and meet you in the breakfast room in twenty minutes. min-utes. Know where it is, don't you? To the left of the elevator." Apparently most of the guests took breakfast in their rooms, for when Helen entered the white and gold, marble-columned restaurant, only a few tables were occupied. "No, I'll not order," as the head 'waiter seated her. "I'm waiting for my husband." There was no club breakfast, but after a prolonged study of the menu Helen decided that the prices were not so high as she had expected. "Ordered yet?" Warren came in with brisk alertness and an armful of morning papers. "Well, let's "get things started here," as he picked up the breakfast cards. "Strawberries or grapefruit?" "I don't believe I care for fruit," economically. "Two orders of strawberries," ignoring ignor-ing her protest, "one tomato omelet, one broiled blue fish, toasted muffins and coffee. And push it along, will you?" to the solicitous waiter. "Dear, it's a quarter to nine. Why don't you telephone now while we're waiting? You said he got there before nine and sometimes stayed only long enough to open his mail. Oh, it would be dreadful to come all the way here and then miss him !" Glancing at his watch, Warren pushed back his chair with an irrita able: "Oh, all right, if it'll stop your stewing. But next time I'll keep my business arrangements to myself." The waiter was just serving the strawberries when Warren strode back and flung himself into his chair with a shrugging, careless : "Clawson won't be at the office today. to-day. He's out of town or going away this morning couldn't quite make out which." "Oh oh," in despairing dismay, her premonitions realized, "then you've had your trip all for nothing?" "Looks that way," covering his strawberries with the rich yellow cream. "Got to take some chances. Mighty fine berries best we've had this year. They've got the real flavor." fla-vor." Undisturbed by his disappointment, Warren dispatched his breakfast with hearty enjoyment, but Helen ate almost al-most nothing. Her worried anxiety over the' expenses of this profitless trip had taken her appetite. "If we hustle, we can make that ten o'clock train," announced Warren as they left the dining room. "Yon go on up and pack while I settle the bill." At ten minutes of ten they were in a taxi, covering the few blocks to the Broad street station. "How much was the room?" asked Helen apprehensively. "Five plunks no extras. There's one of your worries that missed fire. We want to remember that number 303, wasn't it? That's a star room for five dollars." Though Warren had the tickets, there was a slight delay in getting parlor-car seats. They made the train just as the gates were closing. "Twelve and fourteen? Yes, sah, second car ahead," the porter led the way with their suitcase. As they passed through, Warren was stopped by a distinguished gray-haired man, who rose and greeted him cordially. cor-dially. "Mr. Clawson, I want you to meet Mrs. Curtis." "This is quite a surprise, Mrs. Curtis," Cur-tis," with a hearty hand grip. "I was going to New York just to see your husband." In fluttering elation Helen settled herself with papers and magazines, while Warren and Mr. Clawson sought the smoker. Her first sensation was one of thrilled relief at this fortunate and unexpected turn, for in the long two hours to New York they would have a much better chance of conferring than at Mr. Clawson's office. The magazines liy unopened in her lap as she gazed out at the flying fields touched by the sunlight, now struggling strug-gling through the leaden clouds. Her exhilarated relief was waning into tfie realization of how much shs had missed. Their trip was over. She might have enjoyed every moment, for she loved these unexpected outings and a night at a big hotel. But she had spent the time in worrying in futile, fu-tile, unavailing worry. Would she never learn to put things aside? Must she worry over all the trivial details of the home and War-reu's War-reu's business, too? "I want some papers out of here ! Got the key?" Warren, his hat tilted back and a cigar in his mouth, was dragging out the suitcase. "Oh. dear, is it going to be all right?" fumbling for the key. "We're down to brass tacks already." al-ready." with a grin. "Got him just where I want him." Then as he found the papers and started back to the smoker. "You'll have to dig up something some-thing else to stew over this is going to be a ei"1-'" u ,TT t- pet and silken Mabel Uerber; Urnel bed quilts even for this ultrasmart Philadelphia hotel the furnishings were most expensive. On a low table between the twin beds stood a lace-shaded light, a tele-- tele-- phone and a brass plate with the electric call buttons, "Chambermaid," "Valet," "Waiter." "Dear, you don't have to phone down for service," as Warren, in pink-striped pajamas, came out of the bath. "Did you notice these buttons?" "I noticed those new-fangled f au-, au-, cets," irritably. "Don't know yet how the blamed things work." "Why, they just push back. Didn't we have those in that hotel in Montreal? Mon-treal? But we've never had a room like this." Then, anxiously : "Do you suppose he made a mistake about that rate? This must be more than five dollars a day." "That's what I asked for," with a shrug. "Don't know what he gave me. Well, we're pretty comfortable guess we can stand for the price. One night won't break us." "We'd be just as comfortable in a simpler room, and you know the restaurant res-taurant here will be high. I don't suppose they'll have a club breakfast." Then, after a moment's silence, "Oh, Warren, could he have thought you meant five dollars each?" "Now for heaven's sake don't start worrying about that. How do you want these windows?" Opening all three of the long French windows, Warren gulped a glass of ice water and thrust his watch and wallet under the pillow. "Hello, that's a new wheeze," noticing no-ticing a silk-taeseled rope that, hung against the wall between the beds. "What the deuce is that for?" "Oh, don't dear !',' as he started to pull it. "It may be for fire." But an experimental jerk flashed off all the lights except the one on the bedside table. "Huh, the next thing we'll be turning turn-ing on the bath in bed with a cute little lit-tle bell to tell when it's full." , In the now darkened room Helen lay gazing out at the cornice of a towering tow-ering building across the street. The hurried excitement of the unexpected trip had left her nervously sleepless. At noon Wnrren had phoned to ask If she wanted to go with him to Philadelphia. Phila-delphia. He was going over on the five o'clock train, in the hope of catching catch-ing Mr. Clawson at his office the first thing in the morning. Helen knew vaguely that Mr. Clawson Claw-son was a most elusive capitalist, very difficult to get at, but whom Warren had succeeded in Interesting in a paper pa-per mill controlled by one of his clients. "Dear, if you can't get him at his office," her voice vibrated the' black stillness, "won't you try to see him at his home?" No answer. Warren was sound asleep. With feminine pessimism, Helen anticipated an-ticipated every possible obstacle. Mr. Clawson might be ill, or out of town, or too busy to see anyone. But Warren War-ren had positively refused to write or wire, for an aversion to milking appointments ap-pointments was one of Mr. Clawson's many peculiarities. The expenses of a possibly fruitless trip loomed ominously before her. Their recent week-end at Atlantic City , had cost over seventy dollars, and now ovi'n a jlay and night in Philadelphia would run into extravagant figures, They had left a call for 7:30, and after a restless night Helen was awakened by the shrilling telephone. Pt was a dark, misty morning, with a sooty, smoky smell of "downtown" city streets in the nir. Closing the windows, she switched on the lights to dispel the gray gloom. A plunge in the quickly filled tub, and she was through with the bath before Warren was fairly awake. "Dear, do hurry! You say he's at his otlice before nine." "Well, I'm not going to break my neck," ynunlngly tousling his hair. Then a few moments later from the bathroom, "Where's my shaving brush?" "Isn't it there? I put all your shaving shav-ing tilings on that glass shelf." "No brush here." A flustered search through the suit case failed to reveal the brush. "Can't you shnve without It? I'm afraid I didn't put it in." "Huh," in disgusted comment, "I'll have to get. shaved downstairs." "Oil, that'll take so long," anxiously. anx-iously. "It's a quarter of eight now." "That's all right, I'll keep tab on the time. Here, how d'you get the ( watet out of this blooniiar basin?" |