Show nd II By Jane Phelps P CHAPTER 19 An Unexpected Invitation ion It was after 5 o'clock when I r left I Helen I 1 was very tired but her dInner dinner din dIn- I ner promised to be a great success I had scarcely started to prepare our I own dinner before I heard Helens Helen's rap on the door Walter Valter just telephoned and asked me to Invite you and Tom He wants him to meet one of ot the men who Is coming to dinner You'll Youn come wont won't you vou she finished Why Why I I Please dont don't stand on ceremony I Sue I 1 know Its It's late to ask you but I 1 never dreamed Walter would want anyone except the two men He told me they wanted to talk business Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps it would be a help to Tom In a business way If It you will come That decided me If It anything I 1 could do would help Tom In business help him to make more money why I was more than willing to do it I 1 had hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- tearing fearing Helen thought she must invite us because I had assisted her with the dinner I ril come of ot course I 1 told her shall be delighted to Will VIlI it be necessary necessary essary for Tom to dress I 1 asked I 1 always laid out his evening clothes when he was going to wear them My no Walters Walter's friends will wear I their business clothes Theres There's one thing I am sure of Sue she laughed as she hurried out of ot the door and that thatIs you will get a good dinner I laughed l too as I 1 answered You dont don't expect me to eat my own cooking do you I 1 can have that at I home I AN AGREEABLE SURPRISE Tom was quite excited when I 1 told him we were asked to Walter Thur- Thur ston's business dinner Put on your white dress Sue he said to me Ive a notion Ive I've met one of ot the men Thurston has invited But Tom Tom Tom- TomI I started to object then caught myself If It Tom wanted me to wear the best dress I 1 had to a simple little informal dinner he would surely appreciate that I could not wear it to dressy Mr Ir and Mrs 1 Randall Mr Horne Home and Mr Crandell Walter presented the two men and then I saw aw the one he called Mr Ir Horne Home looked surprised as he shook hands with Tom I Why Tom Randall he exclaimed This is indeed a surprise How are you and where have you kept yourself yourself your your- self I Im very well and I 1 have kept myself my my- self so busy that I have neglected the club Tom answered I thought with witha a little embarrassment before he said I Mr Horne Home is a great friend of ot sister Hazels Hazel's and a member of ot the club I used to frequent You must stop In occasionally even I if It you have a greater attraction at home Mr l Horne Home tactfully replied It isn't wise even for happily married men to give up all their old friends is isit it Mrs Mr Randall he smilingly asked me meNo No I 1 think men should keep up th their ir friendships as wen well as women I 1 returned blushing furiously at being appealed to My answer however was I simply a quotation from a married me lIfe article I had read in a Sunday paper I To tell the truth I like most women country women especially thought a aman's amans mans man's club all right for bachelors but totally unnecessary for married men I Shall we go out to dinner Helen discus discus- asked so preventing further sion J I offered her his Mr Horne Home gallantly arm while Mr Crandell took me I Walter Valter you take Tom m in Helen Heln called over her shoulder and so laughIng laugh laugn- unreservedly we ing and chatting quickly found our places extremely fortunate for for- I consider myself Mrs 1 Randall said Everett maid Helen had Crandell after the hired for tor the occasion had served the soup I supposed this was to be sImply simply sim sIm- ply a mans man's affair think I 1 shall be beIn bein Im In glad you dont don't as I took a in the way I 1 replied cursory view of ot the man He was of ot medium height I 1 had together He noticed as we walked out set dark eyes and was rather heavy hall hair a florid complexion about 35 years old and very prosperous looking Mr Horne Home who just then was remInIscing reminiscing with Tom was a different type Tall slender fine features with brown hair and eyes But I 1 decided that Mr 1 it would be to tomy Crandell was the man I my our my-our our interest to cultivate CHAPTER 20 Business Combined With Pleasure The dinner which Helen and I had Both prepared was a great success gentlemen complimented Helen on her superior cooking and her choice of ot viands A lone bachelor like mee myself appreciates ap ap- such a dinner Mr Crandell Crandell Cran Cran- dell said by way of ot apology as he pressed his plate for tor a second helping of ot fried chicken One doesn't have to be a bachelor to appreciate this dinner Mr Horne Home added my wife will be quite jealous when I praise your cooking Mrs Thurston he finished I was afraid that Helen might say sayI I 1 had helped with the dinner but she smilingly accepted their compliments without so much as a look In my direction After Atter dinner the men adjourned to Walters Walter's den and Helen and I 1 helped clear away We Ve could hear the mens men's voices s sometimes loud in argument at other times in a steady Mr Crandell talking Helen said He always talks very ey quietly lIes He's the one who has the money but but- butI I 1 like Mr Horne Home the I best Just then the men appeared and Walter Valter asked me to play I Do Mrs Randall RandaU Mr Horne Home added after our dry business talk it will be very welcome I 1 looked toward Mr Crandell as I 1 moved toward the piano but he said nothing I 1 had hoped he would also say something anent my playing I will play lay Helens Helen's accompaniment ment if It she will sing I told them and really while I 1 had studied music I r played very little and was entirely out of ot practice Helen readily acquiesced and we spent a very enjoyable halt half hour when Mr Home said he must go QUESTIONS Tom and I lingered a few tew minutes after they left Tom praised Helens Helen's dinner and smiled when she said I had helped I thought I 1 recognized your fried Cried chicken Sue he said when we were at last at home Do tell me about the business I cried never mind about the chicken Oh it is rather complicated as yet Nothing decided nut But what was it What kind of ot business I mean I insisted No N W. W w Sue please dont don't worry me I I about it More than likely it wont won't mean a thing to me although it was mighty decent of ot Thurston to think I of ot me at all Tom said and by the way he said it I knew that whatever the business was he was inclined in Its favor Who Vho is that Mr Crandell 1 next queried Why Mr Crandell of ot course Tom returned laughing Dont be facetious Tom I meant what do you know about him Nothing only that he Is supposed to be a very rich man he replied rather impatiently Do look him up tomorrow and be sure I returned then tearing fearing I 1 had shown too much Interest I 1 added You ought to know all about him if I you expect to have business dealings with him All AU right Suppose we go to bed now and let other things go until tomorrow WAKING DREAMS I Tom tell fell asleep almost immediately but I 1 lay building air castles for a along along I long tim time Suppose this Mr Crandell were very rich and Tom went Into tr business with him it would mean mean mean-I I thought in my ignorance of ot business that Tom would be rich too perhaps very soon I was very proud of ot the tact fact that my husband was a college man and I supposed that tact fact made him invaluable invaluable I I able In a business way rot ot I is worth Just that a man he produces Tom that So I figured to tny asset much of an an older man a man would be |