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Show I MARRIED .LIFE OF HFLEII MO 1111 Helen Entangled in a Martial Dilemma Gives Reluctant But Efficient Aid peered, a small Chang purse In her hsnd. "I didn't miss It until I got on the esr." Then turning to her husband. "I'm glad I had to come back now we can go home together." "Not Just yet!" ominously. "I hap-pened hap-pened to know you haven't been here at all." V "Why. Harvey, what do you mean?" "I had my suspicions when I called up Mra. CuTtls. And Just now I saw ths trick you tried to put, over." "The trick V "I saw you In that mirror. Tou Just went Inside that door and took It out of your bag." Trapped, Mrs. Oraham atared at him defiantly, her face flaming red. "Well, what of It? What re yoi going go-ing to do about It?" "I i want to know where you were and whom you wer with!" "And If J don't choose to tell you?" "I think you will." sternly. ''Well, It's all your own fault" she biased. "It's because you'r so strict and narrow and old-faahloned! Anything Any-thing that's new or that you don't understand, un-derstand, you denounce. Tou know what a scene you mad last tlms I went to a spirit meeting. So I decided de-cided this time you shouldn't know." "A spirit meeting!' Harriet, la that truer atepplng toward her. "You've told ao many falsehoods, how do you expect me to believe you?" "I don't csr whether you believe me or not. The Wilsons were there. Call them up If you want to and here's the program." "flood heavens. If you wanted to go to this thing." staring at tha leaflet. "Ay didn't you say so?" -ecauss you made such a row last time I determined you shouldn't know. You'r so prejudiced! You get rabid when anybody mentlona spiritualism. spirit-ualism. You know I believe In It yet you forbid me to go to th meetings." with soms no-account he-flapper, and you- " "I don't know anything of the kind!" flamed Helen. "All I know la what's In that letter. Bhe says It's all right that she'll explain." "Explain? She'll do that all right. More lies! Poor old Oraham. fine aa they make 'em and she's gallivanting around with soms young whipper-snapper. whipper-snapper. That comes from reading those damned storlea." Snatching up the unoffedlng maga-slne, maga-slne, he alammed it down with a violence viol-ence that sent Pussy Purr-Mew flying from her perch on th wlndowsllt. "Just what I aald! Ths man's out hustling for a living whll the woman sits home with not a blamed thing to do except get Into mischief. Now, 1 won't have you mixed up In this! Underetand? If shs writes or calls up, you turn her down hard! Bay you'll have nothing to do with It" "But, dear, suppose HE calls up again T panic-stricken st th thought. "I'll talk to him," grimly. "You'll not have a chance to concoct any more Ilea. Wanted her headache powder pow-der In soda!" with a snort "Hsr II wasn't plaualbl enough so you had to drees It up." Flushed and unhappy, Helen searched search-ed her work basket for a button for Warren's pajamas. It seemed most unfair that she should be ao mercilessly merci-lessly denounced for trying to help a friend. Having finished all the mending, she had just taken up the deeplsed maga-Una maga-Una when from ths front door came a peremptory peal. It was sfter ten! Too lata for any chance callers. The next moment Nora ushered In Mr. Orshara. "Good evening. Mrs. Curtis!" as Helen In panicky dismay .hurried to greet him. "I thought I'd come by and take Mrs. Oraham home." "Oh, I'm I'm so sorry, tremulously. "She's Just left." "Bhe didn't cell me up?" "Dear Mrs. Curtis: "I'm going to ask a -favor. "Mr. Oraham la In Albany. and I don't expect him back until midnight But In oas h cornea on an earlier train. 1'v left a note saying I'm spending spend-ing the evening with you. "Now If he SHOULD call up, pleas say I'm there. If h want to speak to me make soms excue. Bay I've gong to the drug atore for a headache powder If you can't think of anything better. "Don't worry It'a all right I'll explain ex-plain when 1 see you.- . ' H. O." With an Indignant flush Helen thrust the letter bark Into the envelope that bore a special delivery, stamp. Harris! Har-ris! Oraham had no right to ask this! "Anything wrong T demanded Warren, War-ren, glancing over hla paper. "No. Just a not from ths seamstress. She can't coma tomorrow." The lie rams glibly, but It fanned her resentment toward Mr. Oraham. If ahe told Warren th truth, he would forbid her having anything to dc with auch deception. The letter aald It was "all right." No doubt It waa Mr. Oraham had always seemed devoted to her husband, hus-band, who waa much older and Intensely In-tensely Jealoua Yet why should she wish to deceive him now? With disquieting thoughts of possible entanglementa Helen returned to her mending. Interrupted by th special delivery de-livery letter. "Thais a rotten magaxlnel" Warren War-ren threw down a shyly covered monthly. "Nothing but triangle and sex stuff! You'd think there weren't any decent married couplee." "I wonder why there's such a demand de-mand for thos stories V Helen rescued a ball of darning cotton from Pussy Purr-Mew's propelling psws. "Lot of ldl women eat 'em up. While their husbands rustle for the dough they sit at home, sopping up that slush and aching for an affair." "We'll talk that over when w get home." Radiating relief he drew her hand through hia arm. Then with an embarraased laugh. "I think w owe an apology to the Curtlses." That's all right." shrugged Warren. "Glad you cleared th atmosphere." When the door closed after them Helen whirled about with an exultant "Now. It wss all right! It wasn't what you thought at all. It's Just as she says he's so strict hs drives her to these deceptions." "Huh. looks fishy. That program shs flashed on him was a little too pat." "You think she wasn't there? Why she said he could call up ths Wilsons." Wil-sons." "That doesn't prove anything. Bhe may have fixed tbem. too. She's a natural born trickster. Ths way she faked finding that purse!" "I know, yet it waa rather clever." "Clever? Call that clever, do you?" jabbing a cleaning wire through his pip. "You'd both rather U than tell the truth." "But Warren. I hadn't any choir. I couldn't give her away, could 1?" "Maybe not but you wer too darned glib about it. Now. don't let her rope you In on any more of her escapades. Tou steer clear of her mlxupe. Th way you two concocted thos excuses without turning a hair! Slippery as eels both of you. Huh," with a disgusted snort "1 wouldn't bellev any women under oath!" Copyright 1:. by Mabel HerAert Harper. Next . week Aa Eleventh Hat,. Telephone Cal , a . "No. she thought she said she'd go on home." stammered Helen. "How long has she beea gone?" "Why why Just a few moments," conscious of her crimsoning fae. "Then I'v Just missed her? Well. I'd better go right on berk. Oh. how are yo Curlier" as Warren now emerged from the library. Tense with anxiety, Helen stood helplessly by while the men exchanged ex-changed greetings. Would Warren blurt out the truth? He was capable of anything. To him any form of deception waa Ilk a red rag to a bull. Again th hell! Helen caught her breath. If It should be Mrs. Graham! With a murmured exeus shs flew to th door. Through the gold silk panel loomed a alender figure under a broad drooping hat "He'a her now." whispered Helen breathlessly, as she opened th door. "What'v you told him V "That you'd Just gone .home." "That's all right leave It to me!" Ignoring Helen's excited protests. Mrs. Graham awept by into the front room. "Why Harvey, how nice of gou to come after me." kissing him. "Have a good day In Albany? I started bom but had to com back for my pocketbook." "Tour pocketbook ? . ' "I must'v left It In th bedrom. Just a moment I'll see." Dumbfounded st this daring subterfuge. subter-fuge. Helen waited with growing apprehension, ap-prehension, la a moment ah reap- Helen winced, c'ttrloue that he ehould speak of this now. Had her own vagu fears charged th air and unconsciously aroused this tirade? Waa It only another proof of thought traneferenc? Kb had Just mated and neatly rolled roll-ed up the last pair of tan socka when the telephone rang. Befor ah could Interpose Warren had the receiver off th hook. "Hello! . . . Mra Who? . . . What number d'you want? . . . Tea . . . Mrs. Graham? Why no. she Isn't " Frantically signalling him to silence, Helen cnatched th receiver. "Oh. le thla Mr. Graham?. This Is Mra Curtia Mra Graham pust went to th drug store for a headache powder. pow-der. Bhe wanted to take it in soda . . . Ye. I'll Kelt her. . . . Yes, soon aa she comes back." "What In biases r you up to?" exploded ex-ploded Warren. -Dear. I HAD to do It that letter was from her! I said th seamstress because I I knew ah wouldn't want you to know." "Know what? What'r you getting salxed up In? What's ahe trying to put over?" "Bh aald she'd explain when aha saw me. I'm sure It's all right" "Let me see that letter!" Helen hesitated, then reluctantly handed him the letter. Hie mouth grimly set Warren scanned scan-ned the hurriedly written note. "And you'd help her hoodwink Oraham! Ora-ham! You know ahe'a out to dinner |
