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Show p -xrl IliL W'-HUSBANDiNDI -Jr Uvne Phelps rn CHAPTER CXI. Muriel Pranklyn's Attltuie. When wa are young we think and Peak In terms of positives and negatives. nega-tives. Muriel Frahklyn was very high spirited and occasionally became very Indignant over tha way I was neglected. She nver called It that, but that was what she mant. "It's.a perfect shame the way you alt here alone just because sir. Hammond thinks his businena needs him!" she sputtered "l wouldn dt UV- he dared. positively "Why. Leonard Hrooka says you have refuaed to mutor with him unless he took me along. lont he a silly I Mr. Hammond wouldn't care." "No. I don't think he would," t replied. "Of couree, he wouldn't! He knows Leonard la little mora than a boy," shs snswered, totally misunderstanding my reply. "He Is older then I am." "Oh. you know a ma a Is always ages younger than a woman. I wonder why?" "I haven't forgot tn, Muriel, that I caueed comment by going out with Hums Mayson, and I don't propose to do It agln." -But that was different!" Why different? Clifford not only waa willing, but urged me to go; yet It caueed goaalp." "Hums May eon was an older, more attractive at-tractive man. It Isn't at.aU the earns thing." LEONARD BROOKS A FAVORITE. "1 believe you are In love with Leon- 1a moment" hesitation, Leonard did also I left them to tell Kate we were to have gueai for dinner, an to nave Mandy help her. Then I remained In ths 1 riming room a few momenta, ostensibly to help arrange the table, but really to adjuat myself. In spite of all I could do, the question, "Why did Clifford ask H rooks to dinner?" aneerted Itself. Waa he planning to go out and so did It for I a purpose, or had he really meant to be kind? When I returned to the living I! room the iuMoii wan still up nmwcrt"! At dinner Clifford was all that could be desired. His manner to leonnid , prf The little- Tondeac-enaion he I showed waa not more than a man of i' his age would naturally show a younr man dining with htm. Then he laughed and joked with Muriel, whom he now j rrally liked much to my delight. Kdith 1 w:ts allowed to sit up hecaune "Auntie Muriel" t-fKed for her, and altogether we I wer a very merry little party. I After dinner we returned to the II-1 II-1 brttry for coffee and Kdtth went to bed. 1 sleepily hai'iy over her treat. Just as I Kale passed the coffee the telephone rang and Clifford went out into the (tail to answer It. CONFIRMED ftUSPICIONt. I wondered tf the call was for him. 1 Soon I knew that It was from the sera pi of conversation that floated In at the 1 open door. Home ons he knew well evidently evi-dently wna talking to him. 1 henrd Clifford Clif-ford liiuirh merrily and aay that "perhaps "per-haps I will run down after a while." Tren, again he laughed and said: "Oh, about half an hour!" and bung up tha receiver. When he rejoined us he made no reference ref-erence to his telephone call, but sipped his coffee and took up the conversation with ieonard where he hud left It. After a little Muriel proposed that I sing the new song Leonard had brought me, to Clifford. "I shsll have to leave you In a few moments," Clifford replied to her suggestion. sug-gestion. H have oni business to attend at-tend to T find, although I had expected to remain at home this evening. If you will ting st once, Mildred, 1 can wait for that," and he led the way to the piano. Fo I waa right after all, I thought bitter! bit-ter! and he had avked Muriel and l eonLrd to stsy because he expected to go out. lYobably he had arranged to be culled on the telephone, and when he found them there thought It a good way to pacify me. ao asked them to dinner. Hut I let nothing of this appear In my manner, and sang aa well as I could. Clifford complimented me, then bads our guests a cordial goodnight. A LTTTLsS-CONVERSATION. . After Clifford left I wss terribly distrait dis-trait for a while. As long as he wss at lome my pride kept roe from letting him know I resented his leaving our guasta yes to my amazement I found thai It was because he left after asking Leonard Hrooka t? dinner that I rebelled, instead of because he had left me again. Leon-ard Leon-ard had accepted his excuses very graciously gra-ciously which added to my resentment. "What shall we do to amuse thla forlorn for-lorn wife?" Muriel askel, recalling me to a sense of my duties as hostess. "Sliall we have more music, or shsll we play three-handed bridge, or Just talk?" "Whatever the majority choose," I replied. re-plied. "What ahall it be, Muriel?" , "I am Indolent tonight. A Uttls conversation con-versation la about sll I care for. How do you feel, Leonard? Rather do some-ihim;' some-ihim;' ... a. "No, If I msy smoke, I would rather talk." "rimoke, by all means, I told him, and Muriel added: Then tell us about your Fouth American Ameri-can trtp. That waa hefore you knew I him, Mll-'red. and he had some time, I ; aesure you." 1 Joined In the request and until the 'clock struck 11 and Muriel declared they -must go, he entertained me. When I went to bed at 12. . Clifford ' had not COme IP. , mm Temorrow Broken Resolutions, 1 Oopyrlghtyorge1atthcw Adsms. ard youraelfr' I Isughed. "I confeaa I have a penchant for the hoy," she returned, laughing also, "hut I ' m not mu leal, a nd the t means that I'm of no real account " "That makes me think. Muriel, Leonard Leon-ard said he was going to bring ins some new music today. You aee I play with him. If 1 do ob)ect to going motoring un-leaa un-leaa you or some other woman goes also.- I "What a wonderful musician jie Is' Muriel responded. "I don't know of an.iona who piavs with su-h feeling. He aings so well, too. It's strange he never has married. Isn't It TV "Oh. he has plenty of time. According to you he's only a boy yet. and boys don t marry not very often, nowaday nowa-day a" Leonard was St. He had told me his age the la at time he called. I thought 2 It quite old enough to marry, but did not say so to Muriel. He had been a little peeved because I had refuaed to motor with him unices some one ele Went along llut 1 hatl been quite firm In my rfual and he had said nothing more. He evidently, however, how-ever, had complained 40 Muriel, proo-ahly proo-ahly hoping to enlft her eympathy ao she would accomftany us. LEONARD ROO Kg APaftlVCG. "Do your ears burn M urlel asked. , aa Leonard Hrooke came In. a roll of I muale un.ler his arm. 1 "No; why? Hav yog been gossiping about me he saked, as he greeted ua "lixtred we have!" kUiriel declared: you haven't a -shred of character left. "That e too bad 1 hadn't any to lose, i he laughed, as he unrolled the music "Here s the song I spoke sbout, MY a. Hammond. Will yon try It?" yh. do. Mildred! I'd kve to hear a little good music, even if Leonard does aay I am no critic." "Very well. I'll do mv beat. Muriel, but I have never seen tht eong before, so you M excuaa all mistakes " I "Do ou ever make any mlstskesT Leonard esked In a low voice as he pUced the mualc an the piano. "1 have never known of any." Before I commenced to sing I thought, "what nice things I-eonard i'wiji su-a It Is eie wonder I Ilka him." but what 1 aald was: 'Attention to bttslneea, please? We nave ( aa audience. CHAPTER CXII. Clifford came home before w were through practicing, and to my sttrpnee he Invited both Leonard and Muriel to stay to dinner. Burton was away so . Murlei immediately aeoepted. and, after j |
