Show Taming nn u M MJ Y H. H ti i By Kathleen Fox Copyright 1919 by the McClure Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper Syndicate i Continued from Saturday Saturday If bowed in assent And I 1 mean to keep it Maybe you will and maybe you ou wont won't he replied I sense a threat J in mn both his tone and his words I made no no answer to this When hen did this thing happen he then asked How long 1 I me men mean n have they been engaged A month or more I A month a whole month he said S regretfully If I had only known it Jt l r- r when it ft first started I might have been able to lo do something with Jack A year I am quite sure would not have hae been sufficient time for that I 1 argued He looks upon Betty as a prize He does now nov said Crittenden drYlY Hes He's more more lIl likely ey to find her heri i a a surprise He was wag too upset to toS S laugh laugh laugh-at at his own joke I 1 did him the honorOf honorOf honorOf honor Of course I can see that you helped it along he went on complainingly No doubt you put the idea Into her head to rope him in and then told him hima lot stuff her a of silly mushy about Much to my regret I enlightened him I cant can't claim much of ot the glory of bringing them to an understanding of each others other's virtues I 1 can only claim having introduced them 1 I li l- l believe be- be lieve I added that you had more to do with it than I. I i J I you I you are crazy Yes I I insisted while he glared You see Betty told Jack she would marry him the day you Invited them t to tp lunch with us downtown j CHAPTER 81 r N N Dangerously Far Apart J In Inthe the days that followed and beS be be- S crne weeks Crittenden and I grew 1 dangerously far apart The breach bein bej be- be j in us was so widened at last that I L began t to fear we might never close S I s iL-s My Iy Iy love for him had not waned In spite spite of the open enmity of our relations rear rela- rela r ns and and at length I 1 wondered if we e should lose our oar hold on the chance for happiness to which h we were entitled entitled entitled en- en titled I thought I 1 knew Crittenden and because cf this faith in my knowledge of him I cherished the hope that in inthe the end the b best t in him would triumph o over or r the worst that I 1 should have left J the normal Crittenden to love all the ther rest r st of our life together I had believed believed be be- in him regardless of ot what I knew about him I hoped even y yet t to tob b be able be-able able in to him some way someway Way help justify justify jus- jus that faith falth To have yielded an Inch however would mean the loss of what I 1 had gained and I was determined to fight on on to save my victories which I 1 Considered considered considered con Con- of as much value to him as to myself For after all an my motive I 1 Ican can rejoice was not entirely selfish For Tor it encompassed him I loved him I Yet I knew we could not go on Wo We were in an eddy I on the one side he heon heon heon on the other swirling around and always the same distance apart If we could gain gam the current once more I believed as strongly as I believed in my love for him that we could keep keepit it And together S Crittenden for the most part was morose It was rare that he brightened at all an though naturally his w was s an op optimistic optimistic optimistic op- op nature The changed relationship relationship relationship rela rela- was telling on him But I saw no way out out yet Jack and Betty were to be married in June We were a all invited to Daddy and Mother Hayes' Hayes house party for the fifteenth It was now the twentieth of or orMa Ma May and formal invitations to the wedding had reached us I 1 gave our invitation to Crittenden without comment comment com corn ment when he came in in He tossed it onto the library table after a glance glanc at it Huh he snorted Though not in sympathy at t all with I his opposition to Betty I smiled at his ejaculation and went up to him I 1 surprised him by putting my hands handson on his shoulders I 1 begged him to dismiss dismiss dismiss dis dis- dis- dis miss h his s objections to the wedding It ItS S was the first time in several weeks that I 1 had been able on my own account account account ac ac- ac- ac count to approach him with any affection affection affection tion whatever er But I 1 did it now very S bravely more bravely than I would have thought possible Crittenden dear I appealed dont let it worry you Why its it's their bed of roses you know and if they dont don't look out for the thorns they can blame no one but themselves You have ma made yourself unhappy over their engagement engagement engagement engage engage- ment long enough too enough too long I 1 wont won't have you unhappy about it another da day another minute He looked at me In n silence for a minute then smiled in a t funny little tittle way that told me I was winning Wonder Wonder Wonder Won Won- der of wonders wonders' He covered my hands with his big palms and patted them This made me very happy to find he was willing to reciprocate and I I. I too felt a little guilty that I 1 had not been so inclined on occasions he had been conciliatory But reckoning that in so doing I had labored hard for both of us I 1 had no regrets It is your extreme fondness for Jack and ard your unshakable belief In him I 1 went on that makes you jealous jealous jealous jeal jeal- ous for his future I appreciate that n Crittenden I know you OU have told me that Jack Langley seemed like a brother to you yon but ones one's brothers broth broth- ers era never ne do just what one wants them themI to do Why Jack would marry I Betty Harding if he had an army of ot otreal real brothers and every everyone one of ot them a Crittenden I 1 exclaimed Yes I 1 believe he would Crittenden Crittenden Crittenden Critten Critten- den said with half a smile Well what's the difference then I asked Oh that that that-that that girl irl Nothing else but Betty mattered He HeI I objected to her not to Jack Jaet marrying And it was silly of him to object of ot course But Crittenden I remonstrated if you will only try to see Bettys Betty's good points instead of charging her with I shortcomings you will find them They are there I insisted It isn't fair I to be so unjust to her I 1 still had my hands on his shoulders I and he still held my hands Oh Oh 1 Ill I'll not lose any sleep over I them he said I haven't ha yet et But I Itell tell you Bess he ended with conviction conviction convi c tion that girl hasn't a thimbleful of I character and 1 Ill I'll bet the time comes when I can prove It ft to your utmost I satisfaction CHAPTER 82 A A Cha Changed Condition And you wont won't worry any more about Jack and Betty I 1 persisted Oh I guess not Crittenden laughed dj hut but shaking his finger at me he added You just see fee i if I am not right in th the end about abut that girl Secretly I hoped hopel for Bettys Betty's sal sake e that Crittenden would be forced some day to acknowledge her w worth rth But ButS ButI I S said nothing so astonished d was I 1 at atthe atthe I the way our Interview had turned out 1 Clearly the way was paved for further fur thor ther and and I J 1 was wall ready to do domy domy domy I my share In making them Well We go to the weddIng of course Crittenden I said half inquiringly Oh certainly he said and buy them some some- sort of a present Now that's the wa way to talk I 1 cried and patted his shoulder with affection affection tion Crittenden looked a at t me as though studying something lie he had not seen before There Them was hope bope in his hi eyes if ifT T I wa was s not net mistaken and nd I 1 know he helas was las glad of th the c d cc that ml hod hold holda a R. R a promise of- of ofa ot a still greater change But he said ald nothing more though I waited waited for it smiling and presently John announced dinner We Ve dined under most auspicious cir cir- cir cir- Crittenden who had complained com com- I I of the food and its preparation preparation preparation tion on oI many occasions recently now I praised the dishes I determined de- de de 1 I at once to let Ellen Eilen know I 1 She had overheard him criticising her one day and I had had a hard time perI per- per her to stay I I was amiable toward him but am glad to recall that I was not effusive Neither was Crittenden who always had a contempt for effusiveness which he called gush which was a splendid thing for us both that evening when for the first time in many weeks we dined pleasantly together For 1 I recognized that now was the time when we might overdo the thing which if it left alone would adjust It Itself Itself itself It- It self in a manner much more complete and satisfying No doubt he too recognized recognized rec ree- it He lie would have said Lets not rush It Evidence that he agreed with me in thought was forthcoming soon after acter dinner when he suggested that we ask asle the Boyds to drive with us Chester told me today downtown that his hiscar car was ws up for repairs he explained and It is such a beautiful evening I 1 am sure they would enjoy it you like r Cb have them Yes indeed I answered and then c called Marjorie who accepted the In Invitation Invitation In- In with enthusiasm A few minutes minutes min mm- utes later we drew up to their house and sounded the horn to announce our arrival I opened the to get out and slip into the to sit with Marjorie Marjorie Marjorie Mar Mar- jorie thus yielding my mv seat beside to Chester But Crittenden put his hand on my arm Sit right where you ou are Bess he heI I said gently I want you ou here beside I II I me close me-close close beside me the he whispered as the Boyds joined us My face went hot when he said it but with pleasure We were getting on amazingly beautifully As Marjorie Marjorie Marjorie Mar Mar- MarI I jorie Boyd would have said We Ve were off Crittenden as usual driving rapidly He did not try to talk to me but gave his undivided at attention attention attention at- at to the handling of or the car I 1 never felt uneas uneasy with him driving He Hp always was careful Part of ot the time during the drive I 1 turned around in my seat and talked I to while white Chester leaned forward forward forward for for- ward to say something to Crittenden But most of the way I 1 sat beside Crit Close cose close beside him as he ha had hai J said just sat there and was glad th that t the he had said it My but you people are to tonight tonight tonight to- to night Marjorie railed What is it Bess she bantered have ha you and Crittenden had a most terrible quarrel and are now making up up Im I'm for you I if you are are Crittenden turned as red as a beet I as I 1 could see when we dashed past a aI aI I street lamp and his lower jaw thrust forward for an instant but a moment and it was over He grinned and turning his head swiftly made some jesting remark to her When we vve got home having dropped the Boyds on the way frittenden Crittenden saying never a word took me at once I into his arms and kissed me many times something he had not done for what seemed seem ages And I let him of course I wanted him to I loved him And then I felt that we had fought ourselves out of the swirling waters that eddied away from the current I that w we had reached the current and andI ha had reached it side by side aide I I Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow-In In Kentucky Again I |