OCR Text |
Show My Husband and I By Jane Phelp , - CHAPTER CLXV. Morton Loverlnf Declares MlmMlf. The very ncit day Morton Lrverlni searched me out aa I wandered around the grounds. I had Just received a lot-tor lot-tor from Muriel which had upset mo to oortaln eatent and I wanted to bo alone. "lonard la a 1 moot desperate," she had written, "sometimes I am frightened at :ho idea of whnt ho may do. JJon't atay too long. He II surely show up down there If you do " Unsettled, unhappy as I was, I felt a thrill of )oy that, soma ono cared enough fr mo to bo "deeierate," aa fdiirtel put it: although I was frightened at tho same. J time. M.M last 1 have found you alone." Mr. Ievt Ing greeted me, "I began to think f novor should bo no fortunate. Although I . ran t blame your family," ho finished rat hoe gritiUy-r , . . IS aw latti you hava found me. what .. I do for youj" I asked gayly. hop tng that ho had not noticed my preoc cupnttun, and that ho was going to talk of Klale. "Mrs. Hammond, Mildred! I hava hoard that you are not happy, your own actions ac-tions confirm It. Many things you have snld have only too plainly told mo so. Could you cars for mo 7" ho asked gently then, aa I marie a gesture of repulse, too aetonlehed to speak, ho wont on: "If you are not happy, and can car for mo, I will try to make up to you for all you have hilaetd of course, after you get your divorce." AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION. IMvorce! everyone seemed determined that I obtain a divorce. Had Morton 1-ovorlng not looked so tragic. I should Hgr TanirAM!. Aw irtmrt ntmrrmptriny moat chilling manner and eiproesed my surprise that ho should so far forget himself him-self and what was duo me. "I am very disappointed In yon ' I fln-I fln-I tehed. I now realise how childish ft must I have sounded, how Inane. "Forgive me-"he Btked hombty. "trot" "I certainly have given you no reason to believe you could talk to mo llk this, I fool insulted" then ho looked so contrite, con-trite, that I added: "And when tbtre are ao matiy attractive young lad lea about I can't Imagine why you should have elected to think yourself In love with mo. Flense forget what you have said; 1 shall." I declared aa I thought of Klsie and remembered that If I drove him away it might mean a heartache for her. "What are you two talking about?" Elate' a voire effectually prevented further speech. "You art aa solemn aa owls. If you weren't married, Mildred, I should gueaa that Mr. Loyerlrg had propoaed to you and that you had refused him!" oho daringly throw out. i "H ell, I am married, so rnu would hare gueaeed wrong," I replied flushing. "fortunate for tho rest of the glrla, 1 Isn't It. Mr. levering?" Klsie laughed. I "If you mean that Mrs. Hammond ta i a very attractive woman I shall have to agree with you," ho returned, recovering himself "1 was oent to ask you to make up double In tennla If you can tear yourself your-self away, please come!" and Elate started on ahead. I motioned and ho followed fol-lowed without a word. What ailed Klsie? Had aba suspected Mr. levering was In love with mo? It waan't a btt like her to speak as she had. Then I forgot to worry about her in thinking of myself. Why men other than my hushAnd cared for mo I did not then, I do not now, pretend to explain. I was accompllahed. "'v'e't ofall'the men" Vita whom I had been Intimately thrown In contract, my husband seemed tho only ' one whom I could not please. I do not ' mean to any 'that they all avowed they loved me; heaven forbid' but they made I me feel that I meant something bee idea I a lay fljrure to them. Hut Clifford s lark of appreciation had mail mo very humble, very prone to underestimate my own at tract ions. CHAPTER CLXVI Kioto's manoer tho next mom Ins: worried wor-ried me excessively. Kor, although she attended to her duties, her truest a, aa ueual, oho a (rave and taciturn. I was determined that later when I could have her to myself, I would ask her what tho matter was. About 11 o'clock my opportunity cajn. "Kiale, what ever made you apeak aa you did before Mr. Lever Ins; yesterday? You embarraaaed mo terribly." ' If he hadn't boon maklne; love to you, you wouldn't have fluahed up the way you did, ueither would he hava looked; o eon. srimis!" she devlared. "Not see hero, Klale." I returned In ft joklns; vnere, determined not to take offense, of-fense, nor to let her know how near she had come to the truth, "I believe you're jeHloua! and of an old married woman. I should think you would he ashamed of yourself. Why, Mr. leverlna; la a very nit man, dear, and would ma ke a tine brother-in-law; but ono husband hi really all I can mnnaa-e." "Hut you lold me that you weren't hanpv with Clifford. ' "And because of that you jumped to tho conclusion that I was In love with , Mr. I-evertno;. You make mo Tory sorry J I confided lit you." j "t h, f w;ive mo. Mildred: I scarcely i knew what I said yesterday. I waa Jaal oua when I found you toejether." MILDRED COMFORT ELSIE. I "There, dear, wo won't talk about It any more. You are all tired out and ner-voua. ner-voua. I think It will he a ejood thine; when Kona s weddtns; la over. Mother lofks very frail. Now you muen't allow yourself to show bud temper. Klale. 1 hardly know you when you aay unpleasant unpleas-ant things. And. Klale, don't care too much for Morton Levering until you know ho cares for you. He a little more attentive atten-tive to tho others and perhapa he'll Warn to appreciate my little stster." "I will, Mildred. Hut I'm afraid It la too late. I care so much"' and ry laugh-liuf laugh-liuf Klsie burst Into a perfect torrent of tears I lot nor have aeo cry out, then held her bathe her face atd made her He down oa my bed. while I took her place downstair. "tm dax?" I thought. why caa't tho right people fall In love with each other'" ( "1 have been looking all over for you and Klale." mother said, "we have been . talking about Zona'a wedding, and have about decided she shall be married soon." "How soon?" I asked, and Curtain answered: an-swered: "In two weeks? Isn't It bully?" "1 o behave and save m v blushes. Curtain." Cur-tain." Zona laughed. "Ml Wired will think you aro more of a ktd than you are." Hih. bo kids, both of you. Just as long as you can!" I re)otned. "But I thought yew weren't to bo auuriod for several months yet." Mother anaworod. "I am not very well. Mildred and I fool analewa to see Zona settled." With a sinking heart I realised that another feared she might not live long: or that al e feared an lUneae which might cause tho marriage to bo delayed. Khe was eery fond of Curtain, and often aald how willingly a be waa true ting Zona to him. WI11 you write Clifford of tho change in our plans. Mildred1" mother naked when tho rest had left ua. "Yeo. but I doubt if ho cornea" "Hefore you send the letter wtO add a word. Perhaps If he roaUaeo that I am fealty anatou for him to coma ho will Liako more of aa effort. Ho to tho only tknn of tho house now, row know. aho lad with a sad am lie. Then, ''What he a i-4r-.m of Klele?" ieShf la lying down, fthe has a alight headache aa4 I persuaded her to reel. ' J replied. "rthe doeo not eeem Tory wert of Into." mother mused, "she see mo hasty and aervoua, I shall bo glad for her anao when wo aro Hvtng more quietly again. Iiear mother, nhe aiwaya thought of everyone nave horse If. Tootorrow A Letter io Clifford. " |