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Show My HUSBAND AND 1 i -1 i i CHAPTER CLXV. ' Zena and Curtail) Arrive. Zona and Curtain had arrived, and now that the houa waa ao full, tba lima for tha weddlna; ao naar, I had nn time to think of myself or mf own atfiure. Vet occasionally there would iiiwivp ovfr mo a wave of Uiankful-!nss Uiankful-!nss that Ik. in (iris would ba happily murrlrd befurs anything I might do could affect their future. I fait auddenly out of It all. Lonely Lone-ly Zonae .inherent aplrlta; Kl.ie'e quiet happiness seemed to abut rne out from them In a way. Zona and Curtain wera lileally happy. Even Clifford spoke of It. It shone In their facta, and tlniced everything they did. And they wera to live In the old home. 1 That had been decided alnce they jrame. l:lsle would not ba hark for a I lona time, and probably would aettle In New York. As for ma, why I aald not hln. Just kept still when Clifford I told them, that his business would ievr permit. Mm to live south. The two weeks nTTleu round so qulrklv that It waa with a start that I woke up and realized that It waa the day of the wedding The last day Klale would apend with me peril per-il pa forever. I Jumped up and dl eased haatHy. 1 only to find breakfast nearly over when 1 reached the dining room. "Ijkiy bones!" Zona cul.ed hastily as I went In and took my place, which Kleie had vacated upon my entrance. "I'm glad you slept," Klale aaid gently, "you must be so tired." - "Auntie Klale going to be -married ( today.'' Kdlih piped up after I was seatel. WED-.NGS ARE ALWAYS SAD. I "Yea, dear." I replied. "Areu't you glad she asked, "I i am " . "Of course I'm glad." I answered, the tears perilously near. "Weddings are always sad. 1 think." Klule sold as rlllh left us. "I al-wava al-wava feel like crying funny that 1 don't feel that way a bit about my own." y- - I "Mildred and I will do ait tha weep. Ing neceasary for yours, you won t I have to cry." Zona Joked, her evea aua-j aua-j plrloualy moist. "Come. lrla. doa't get weepy!" Cur-I Cur-I tain Interposed. "If It's got to be, why let's make the best of It." I "Aren't you horrid V Klsie spoke jand aimed a roll at him. It hit him 'suuarely on the mouth, at which we all laughed heartily, and tha situation which threatened to grow tense waa relieved. Keaily Ve all felt very badly to have Klale go abroad just at this lime. We probably fancied dangers which would not ezlat; but the bare fact of the horrible war waging over there, and that Morton a business would take him Into the war sons, had frightened us. ELSIE IS MARRIED. Aa Mala had requeated. there were no gueata at the wedding. Cliffords relatives were to far away, ao it was a purely family affair. Curtain's father and mother being tha only ones beside ourselves. Klale. looked charm-las charm-las la has Saab nauaiisej anil, and Morton aeemed ao proud and happy that I felt of a audden that she had chosen wisely, and would have ail the happiness I had mlaaed. "You aee I waa determined to be In the family, Mildred." Morton said as we congratulated him. "A pretty good family to tie up to!" I Curtain declared, pinching Zona'a cheek. I said nothing, though 1 realized that Morton wiahed to put me at my ease, but later. Just before they left, 1 aaid quietly to him: I. "I understand. Morton. It waa a sort of a midaummer madness which I have forgotten." They left amid a shower of rice and good wishes, and then a day after Zona and Curtain alo started ,on their western trip. Ufa again reaumed for me Its old way, and my own troubles i loomed large before me. j , CHAPTER CLXVI. j -I Just had to run over and tell you I how I appreciated you Jnvltlng me to dinner the other night tola Gardner told me when I Joined her In the living liv-ing room. "I should have come before, be-fore, but I knew you were lawfully busy with the wedding and a house full of company." "Yea, 1 have been busy," I replied, "but I am very glad to see you. and delighted If my little informal dinner waa a success as far a your plana were concerned." "I hope you didn't think It waa horrid hor-rid In me to beg an invitation, but men are queer creatures, you know, and Just the fact of meeting me here at dinner would, 1 knew, carry weight." "That's nice of you." I amiled. "Well, I have some news for you, I felt you should know It the very first otib Hal ssked me to marry nun that night on the way home! and wa are to be married next sprlnit. "Oh I am so glad!" I aald. not quite truthfully. Why must 1 always 3 thai little jealou. am very happy, and I feel tnat a"mr..n.rey";oyBh.d'H;.''notJ;..i,t.d y'o fast year I should perhap. never have met him. then we cou Id not I have had the correspondence which haa led up to our engagement. .,-. i "Toil r Have been torreaponuma asked, astonished. .... h.re 'Why. yea; ever alnce e hre a year ago. So you see our n7 merit Is n..t quit, the whirlwind affair it appeara." MILDRED QUESTIONS LOLA. We talked of varloua things for a time: then after Kate had bmght the tea thing, and we were eo.lly alppmg our tea. I ssld carelessly: "How long haa Mabel Horton been a widow?" . . "Hut she's not: a real widow I mean. Mr. Morton's not dead " "Oh I thought she wa. a widow, j "No. the laat I heard Alt Horton was very much alive." . "Why was she divorced?" Mrs. flardner looked nt me very qberlv I thought, hesllutad a moment, then said: ' "I'm aura I don't know! I may nave heard, but If I have I've forgotten. r knew at once that ahe did know, and that she also did not want to tell me. Whv, I wondered? "How long ago was It?" I questioned, losth to drop the subject. j "About seven year". I think." "That waa before I met Clifford." 1 don't know why I should have aald that, but I noticed at once that It had an effect on Mrs. Gardner. She IIIUMHI. longed uneasy, and Inimtdi j alely changed the subject. A SUSPICION. I aald nothing more anent the .subject; .sub-ject; aaked no more questlona. but f waa convinced that In some way Clifford Clif-ford had been Intereated In Mnbel Hor-ton's Hor-ton's divorce. I would ask him. ne might refuse to tell me. and If he did I would take other means to find out what I was now determined to know. "You'll tell Mr. Hammond about Hal and me, won't you?" Mrs. Oard-ner Oard-ner said at parting, "but please ask him not to mention It. When I send out the cards I want It to he a complete com-plete surprise." "I'll do both," I told her. "And I hope you will be very happy." "I am mire I shall. We are neither of us children, you know." After she left I thought over wbst she said about Mabel Horton. To me there was something sinister In the met that no one had ever told me ahe was a divorced woman. Kvldently It was no secret In Glendale; why nad no one mentioned It to me, not even MjlHel? -V i Tomorrow Mildred Questlona Clifford (Copyright by John Matthew Ariama.) |