| Show li r JI x some way I wa wu never neer quite certain I IX tain as to the details Mrs Met alfe discovered d that her husband was paying desperate de assiduous a and wicked court to her ber neighbor Mrs Atkinson There is not much louch doubt I 1 however that the whole affair sprang SP 1 from t these four ads acts j First that Mr Mr Metcalfe When prop property erty erly groomed and aud tossed made a r re remarkably i impressive showing despite the fact that be had ud first fir t years ago and had bad a daughter at a suburban boarding school who I v as UI beginning to talk of Vassar j Second cond that Mrs Atkinson on was wu a 1 widow young and undeniably fair among the daughters of oC women w n knew ne 1 it and was mot averse to befog b told i so I by the sons eons of men Third that the last photograph of F Mrs Metcalfe showed her to be a wo man of much calmness of oC expression and solidity of form and aDd that picture taken fifteen years ago come next Euter I Fourth that Mr Vr Metcalfe had Juul to td I i paw paa Mrs Irs Atkinsons abode every day r on hie h way ta ca and it had bad at by c and I ward ani by calculation UnU Mrs Ira 1 wu otten about plain base bufe to fe upon It V I not DOt you I ho know anything more of the t e ways 8 or of folk than is fa taught in geography to 10 hear hf ar that the affair a I on n grew into quite a monument of gayety In some oene way I repeat by tuition by neighborly kIndness or by personal observation ob I fn rs Metcalfe became measurably ft of the Pro of the flirtation and held many a quiet communion toil lh be elf f thereupon She fully rully real h d the tb enticing qualities of the wid ow and her ber own sedate maturity but li be could not quite understand the Joy nh i of Mr Metcalfe He a 11 she knew of ot good yet moderate figure ft re and excellent bearing and had well poised head bead and regular tea fea tures tUre possessed as aa she had noticed a I politeness to women and I could be exceedingly entertaining when he was in good health and tem temper per J But and nd this was the heart of Mrs Me mystification her hus husband husband band was a man with Uh the dis disabilities disabilities abilities of his Ms aae and was much ac accustomed accuStomed to the sundry which his years celled called for It was wasa a pose a role she could not under understand I stand It occurred to her in one wild burst of irreverence that she could almost almo as soon think of her father in such Don masquerade But as u her manner was the only evidence she gave of her meditative campaign was an solicitude of ot Mr welfare until the cul evidence f dence of his bis marital de deflection put an unbearable point to the goad Mr management of the domestic exchequer assumed an ex exasperating and his accustomed accustomed tomed promptitude at the evening meal hour was rent into fragments So it happened that when one night Mr Metcalfe did not appear at dinner and Mrs Metcalfe fitting In the dark bay window of ot the front parlor saw a hack stop atoo at Mrs Atkinsons lodging pJ and her errant spouse hand that charming woman out dismiss the driver er and come e home In a swaying struggle gle with the she de determined te ed him with uxorial kI s ignoring the winey whiff with which he be greeted ted her ac accepted accepted his Inanely I h original excuse of pressing ng business b with a pitying smile m nd still determined to act actA actA A week thereafter there fter while Mr rr and Mrs were at breakfast she looked lY at him and said saidI I made the acquaintance of a charming wom n yesterday dear dearAh dearA Ah A h he hf i aid I d and a pd who was that 1 She waited mercifully until he had again taken ken up the paper and then sad Mrs Atkinson She Is a 3 widow and andone andone one of ot the most JOOSt intelligent and devout lute little creatures I ever met She noticed p of course that tb t he shak ily lifted Kited tile OUt fence of paper per in front of him and she noticed too the deep pink that glowed rosily through the I thin hair of at his crown where it showed stove abee the paper But the lymphatic suavity of her face gave no evidence of all this thIa and she went along Yes Tea I took a wonderful liking ing to I her and I think the liking Is reciprocal ro cat cal I dont know that I was ever so quickly attracted to any woman ani anlIn in order to bind the bargain of affection I have invited her to come here to dine Mr Ir paper rattled like a asail sail sall aback a ack but when he had quieted it and Mrs Metcalfe had risen from the table as though the incident were closed he ventured to tolay lay the sheet down and took look at his wife She was waa examining the t e dust du t on the sideboard with the housewifely interest that he I knew so 80 well Reassured Rea yet puzzled he reached the comforting yet per pel perplexing conclusion that the acquaint acquaintance ance anca was really and truly accidental and so managed mana sed to give his wife his usual goodbye kiss killS without blinking and to say a banal something of being glad she had bad so 80 pleasantly extended her acquaintance He would not have lave felt so moderate moderately ly comfortable if he had seen the queer smite smile with which Mrs Met Metcalfe Metcalfe calfe followed him down the steps or had he known of the desperate diplo diplomacy macy she had bad employed e in in insisting i on Mrs Atkinson becoming her guest gues Now that it is all over oyer this much can be disclosed Mrs Metcalfe had told toti her pastor Dr Sparks of Mrs Atkinsons exist existence existence ence as a sheep without any apparent flock or shepherd and had ad added th that if he had no objection abjection she would ac accompany accompany I company him on a tentative pastoral roundup calU aad adopt the maverick They had accordingly paid the visit VISh had taken the widow dow by Christian storm a with the fU countenance of the them minister Mrs Metcalfe had ex exhibited the e most maternal interest n Mrs A and in deep solicitude as asto asto to her and early bereave bereavement ment had insisted on faking Caking her Into I her sheltering arms tJ I IThe The same haunting suspicion that i had undermined Mr break breakfast breakfast fast appetite had at t shaken Mrs Atkinsons equanimity ty but the same exquisite and aDd sweet ingenuousness tb had d steadied eclied the husbands tremulous soul threw the widow off her guard gu and m T r teA of wondering ft W If settled s then and there for reasons which Mrs fully appreciated that the widows progress from the bosom to that of the family should Mould be immedi immediate Immediate ate for delays are dangerous and mes messenger messenger boys are easily summoned So Mrs Atkinson Atkinsons feeble protests were broken down and it Was decisively arranged that she and Dr Sparks were to dine at the the very next afternoon And so determined d was Mrs lIr Metcalfe that her diplomacy should not n t go aglee and that there should be no 10 fluttering away from her hovering ng that she supplemented the dinner arrangement by one for foi an early af after afternoon ter noon carriage can and a drive in the park It was In pursuance of ot the same care careful ful plans plane too that Mrs Metcalfe re fe had hadnot not informed her husband mem memorable memorable breakfast that the addi additions additions to the th dining were to be made that very afternoon There was was therefore no time for preliminary preparation on his part and when he came home he bore with him the facial lines of ot weariness and the of hair that more and more marked the close of each succeeding days work at atthe the office Mrs Irs Metcalfe had seen coming co up the steps and with a sweet sweetly ly intoned excuse to her visitor ambled into the hall haU hallIm Im so glad dear youre Joure home in time she said with a the i smack of was plainly au in inthe the parlor No place like home replied the th 0 Metcalfe M e returning r I the kIM with tt equally unoriginal campaign to display dl play playa a fervent domesticity until the present sheals had been floated over oel Linking her arm in his she drew whim him unsuspecting into the parlor and in that sweetly connubial attitude he found himself face to face with Mrs Atkinson There was a curious half demure half defiant look on her ber pretty face on Ms his there a 8 badly badty concealed foolishness n H WhIle on Kirs rs there was nothing noth nothing I ing except a gentle centle mild placid interest m in the situation I Mrs Atkinson on said Mrs Metcalfe In her quiet voice this is my husband my old man as I can call him and my dear this Is my new round found friend of whom I spoke to you this morning I have already told her that I am r prepared to take mother motherly o oto r iO ly interest in her re and I want you dear to extend a 8 fatherly care over her er welfare wel welfare fare Anything that I oan do began Mr Metcalfe fatuously when Mrs Atkin Atkinson son extended her bel hand band with th a charming smile and said d she felt po positively Ith ely over ove overwhelmed whelmed at Joint kindness Now then Arthur said Metcalfe redeeming r her wifely grip en Ms hils arm am run away awa upstairs and dress for dinner Dr Sparks w l be here also Then as he turned to go she added in ina ina a stage whisper You win will our pepsin tablets t on your shaving stand nd near deo r and as ashe he went hazily out into the hall he overheard her hel confiding to Airs the t e health bulletin that he had for years vears been A martyr to some chronic obscure but obstinate form fonn of indigestion tion Uon In thinking bi it all a ove afterwards e be had h a nebulous recollection tI of fi having I tumbled upstairs upa Irs but he retained ned a vision of how he had said Aid stone ugly words w s as he saw the reflection n I of his drawn and perturbed face in the mirror and had scattered the accursed pepsin tablet to the four winds af f the bath room When hen he had repaired the ravages of the days dey work and had bad got t himself into dress deus parade form he went down downstairs stairs and nd to bits great glet relief rell that Dr Sparks S ks had bad arrived He H hud bad very passably his hiB by the time they sat down to dinner and was beginning to plan how 00 lie could hur hurriedly hurriedly exchange notes with the window on the situation when his cairn voice fell upon pon him like a douche I We Va are people she was saying and always al ys make a point of I ring grace ee before meals Mrs Atkinson bowed bow and Mrs Irs Met Iet smiled interrogatively at Dr Sharks Brother Metcalfe said the pastor will you or shall I Invoke If you said Mr Metcalfe pos positively l shivering g Ha threw a at atthe t the widow as all the pastor was offering the 1 invocation t but she was gazing ga ng Intently a at her pJ te The phrase e Brother Metcalfe may I have somewhat surprised you said Mrs Mes Metcalfe s soon as 8 the oysters t were in order out Arthur tH has been a deacon In InDr Dr Spar Its church ever n nce we were twenty veara ago go goYes Yes Indeed cheerily cb ly assented 88 Dr Dx Sparks and he a better r t T M wy Pre Pree cher h Adi rather hysterically Tee y 68 said sMa Dr Sparks for it hap happened h p paned one Sabbath that I was taken 8 ser seriously Iou ly sick and in tn order not to dismiss the congregation Brother Metcalfe a vol volunteered to deliver r r a sermon o he it itan an aR address and I was informed by my Wife she was then with us m my dear madam that my pulpit were in Whet wb t was the subject Mr Ir Metcalfe e asked Mrs oM Atkinson Atkin n with charming in m interest terest Oh forgotten fOl Otte all this foolish talk refers to man years ago he re replied plied with an approach ch to testiness Indeed then I very dis distinctly even If It was years ago said Mrs It Ir was on the sub subject Be Beaura aure your sin will find you out And a very ver instructive in homily k was wasI I understand said Md Dr Sparks I oaR wen well Imagine It said Mrs At kilE n bowing to Mr Metcalfe with a primness tt 1 set Ms his teeth on n edge How be got through that dinner Arthur Metcalfe never nevel quite knew It was over ove I at last and there being no wine over OVet which the gentlemen n might linger while the ladle retired to the drawing room all n four went there thET together in tie Ute fashion in lu which they had to dinner As they entered ente the y I there was a orous peal of the bell and as the servant opened the p r door every one heard beard a fresh clear Dont j tell me Bridget all II fin n ned dinner because I r m t starved ed Then Bridget was heard saying Miss thin they have bave t Metcalfe joyously joyo exclaimed Wh I declare theres tf Mildred Ana in a moving envelope of f rest air and aM swirl of skirts Mildred sailed into bite Ike room She was only n 11 years yea old but wa almost almo t a and nearly amply pI proportioned as her who as IMS been said was wa constructed upon Unas ef She waa quite as tall as her ewt wt father so that th when she threw r o her father ho he seemed to have bave u ua a sudden Budden process of obscuration sort t 4 of personal collapse You dear old dad exclaimed the ex a young creature you ou ex KP to see me home bome tonight did But Dr Francis told me Ii oIl that if I wanted to I could begin my lit weekly visit this evening eve and so ef er course I did t I Hub This meant another t hug and when r ll Metcalfe I emerged from second o ru he showed that it had been vigorously ap It plied Mildred my dear aWI akl Mrs calfe solicitously rescuing her b this is my friend our tripod friend Mrs Krs son em There isn t much difference la Ia r rages ages I imagine and an a your father t he have decided to take a parental ID in her why you will wUl follow in a 8 way I am sure Bure Mildred swung around for fer a swoop an anthe the widow but being of Ute the appealing diminutive order Mrs Atkinson executed k but graceful flank movement and aDd with a quick grasp grup and release of 01 one of or Mildreds I outstretched bed hands bandit her ber berte te Then with wi a bandle snake of Dr Sparks hand Mildred turned again to Air Mr Metcalfe Bridget tens tells me you youve ve all aU had dinner but youve got to go IrO in and bear mo me company Come along yoU vou dear old dad and with a joint extension and compre movement she caught up poor ge geIB Mr and swept W him h into O the din Ing IB room When UhE returned r turned into the t parlor Mrs Irs Metcalfe and Dr Sparks were dominos and only the faint odor of hell trope was left to tell of Hie e widows pr prence p ence and vanishing Why where s that dear little Mrs At kinson cried Mildred She was not feeling well dear sabi w Mrs Metcalfe and asked to be excused So Dr Sparks kindly saw her ha hIM see her ner again though h dear as she lives only five doors down d wn the street But M Mildred dred nor mother Mr Mildreds father ever saw AW Mrs again for to the messenger m boy tny whom Uto one sent t to the inquiries which the made there came the sane response MItI Atkinson moved away and left without giving Irine any Indication of her new teW address Copyright 1591 1 by W B It Hearst |
