Show a Woman ctt By Ruth Rufh Agnes Abeling Abeling- JOHN AMES DISAPPEARS 1 I i I sat for tor a long time looking out of or Mrs Ames' Ames bedroom window in si si- si lence I could see In her a reflection of ot myself myself myself my my- self and what had once been my theory Marriage with no very definite definite nite aim no particular pl idea of tl the e bigness of it and what it could mean and love and I was glad then that I had not married Tom in the beginning when I l' was engaged to him but now that he seemed to be slipping g away I felt an art fear rear It was something J physical which fairly gripped me and held me trembling There is only one way for a woman II Helga and that is the square way I Mrs Irs Ames continued She cant can't cheat the world or her friends or her husband the husband the only person a woman ever cheats Is herself And Ive I've been doing that There are so many things that might be different now I might have had something that would mean permanent permanent permanent per per- manent happiness Instead of the void It isn't too toe late to have those things now I murmured hardly darIng darIng daring dar dar- ing to speak because the thought of what I might miss and the void in my myOwn myown myown own life was vas too pig big lg r I had learn learned th that t twe we can or only y sympathize understand and feel for others as we can apply their experiences experiences experiences to our own lives and lives and so I Iwas Iwas Iwas was constantly applying Lila Ames' Ames situation to myself and I 1 could understand under under- stand I There is this one thing that I am I glad for though Mrs Ames said suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly I can truthfully say that I 1 II never really loved Phil I dont don't know what it was that held me to him for forso forso forso so long long but but it wasn't love loe And Helga her voice was low I think he never loved loed me I should be glad of that and in a way I am for tor his wife's sake sake but but It hurts a woman's womans womans woman's wom worn ans an's vanity I guess to find that a aman aman aman man whom she had supposed was Inlove in inlove love with her was vas merely spending his I time It would be comforting to o a lot of women who feel that their husbands I Ire are re faithless as ns Phil seemed to be to l know ow that they were were not r really ally in inlove inlove love with the woman they were gIving giving giving ing their att attention to to but simply implY lured somehow It is lure more often otten than love which draws a married marri d man maw to some woman who is not his wife wite And of ot course that is not complimentary I 1 have never seen Philip Ames Ames' wife I said She is beautiful was Lilas Lila's only response response I 1 have always felt elt that I should like to know something o of her her her-be- be because cause she never to be where Philip Is and is-and and If she is beautiful surely he should have been proud to have her with him She is lovely to lo look k at 01 but but but- But what 1 I V ventured determined to k W 9 t ln about b t u the e woman womanS woman'S wom-n. wom j. j S 'S Jj CJ r whose husband had been flitting from I flower to flower flowe- I She ha has a past a-past past Lila spoke very slowly I But he married her I Insisted I Yes Yes but but she was foolish enough to tell him said Mrs Ames A knock sounded on the door Come Comein in Lila's Lilas voice had in it all of the old lilt and joyousness Grace stood In the doorway She looked frightened Mrs Ames SAmes breathlessly is Mr I Ames out of town town did did you know Do I know what In alarm Hes HesI I in town lown so far as I know I And was was lie here last night n ncr ner- r- r I Certainly What are you ou trying to get at Lila LUa had had started toward the girl i I His bed wasn't occupied last night The words seem seemed d to paralyze Lila I Ames She stood as if tr transfixed For Forgetting Mrs Ames forgetting Grace I 1 rushed toward John Ames' Ames j I I room I Surely enough the bed had not been I occupied It was evident that he had hadn hadI hadnot n not t slept at the night before and he had sent no word I Lila came In She leaned against the bed and began to cry softly I Iwas i was reminded of that other night I when John Ames sorrowed while I I- I I feeling like a thief watched thief watched him and then gazed out Into the night with him Perhaps I suggested you ou had better try to get his office Wont you please Lilas voice was unsteady She followed me downstairs and listened while I talked to her husbands husband's hus bus bands band's s secretary er tary and learned that Mr Ames had not been there that day and had bad left no word He Isn't there she moaned moaned as 1 I turned from the phone I 1 was beginning to feel eel the bigness of the world an and the helplessness of two women alone in It I didn't know what to do Phil was the only man whom I knew we could get In touch I I II with and with and It would n not t d do to to renew things with him I Tom I had no hope of locating he be I had so effectually barricaded himself Have you found out anything It It was Grace who had followed us No NoL NoA I answered The There e is one person you can dep depend depend de de- de- de p pend nd upon to help she said looking at me in such a way that I could not fail faU to get her meaning Grace GraceI I felt as I if I was choking and grasped her hands bands as she sho came tome to tom tome m. m me I 1 cant can't cant I I cant can't find him Have you tried Y Yes es smiled and then said casU easily Ill get him for you She stepped to the telephone and anti called Toms Tom's office In a moment I she was talking with him Wo We want to 10 its it's see you you Its Important Import import- ant I heard beard her say and then We j could como come right now lie Ho said to come right to his his' office of of- fl fi fice e e. e Grace said sald hanging up Lila LUa Of-I Of started up nervously Who who Vho who were you talking to 1 j Tom Bradford she demanded Yes said Grace I Lets hurry hurry call call the car car Lila Llla was already rushing out of ot the room I I stood still sUIl I couldn't move I IWas Iwas was piqued almost angry because I Grace Graco had been able to get et in touch with the man I had found myself in inlove inlove I love with while h he had effectually evad evaded d me in spite o of all o of my ef e- ef- ef forts forti Arent you going Grace was speak speaking ng I didn't t answer It so small to Inject my little personal troubles just then but I couldn't find the words to answer with or ot the urge t to move I I l 1 couldn't get him It him it didn't seem eem I like my voice when finally I found the words I Pont t be a little fool Grace Grace I grasped my m hand and was pulling ng me I along w To be continued CoP Copyright right 1921 N N. 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