Show I III ANoRA ANDRA THE JE 5 I Jane 5 5 By Phelps CHAPTER 19 I t tSandra ISandra S Sandra Removes SO Some Same I Pictures Never w was was anyone so so glad glad to finish fh ish a a. luncheon as I I Ivas was vas that day Themen The The Themen men who had Joined us us were ere were about I Everetts Everett's s age I coul couldn't nt fail fall to td see seethe seethe the look of pf surprise on on daces aceb when Everett Evertt had introduced d me 1 I wished I 1 didn't loot look so O awfully s young and that E Everett erett would allow me mc me to wear vi ear my ha hair r so that it wo would ld make maka me me look older But when they left us I forgot all these e things in m my returned anxiety as to what Everett would sa sa say and do about bout the pictures JC t r. tried to persuade myself that I Iwas was In the right and would insist that 1 1 had been I talked to myself all an the time I I. I was dressing for dinner and then when I waited wafted for tor him I never never had learned to hide my feelings but I had decided to say nothing until after ater dinner I had heard that men were more amenable amenable amenable amen amen- able when their stomachs were full fun To my my delight he s 's seemed med to be in particularly good spirits He again complimented me on my appearance and upon the theay wa way ay I had carried myself myself myself my my- self before his Wends friends Had it not been for tor my uneasiness It would have ha made me me meery very ery happy happ now I Iwas Iwas was only pleased leased it might make him less severe if It he should dIS lJ l U ot of what I had hall done dOlle Jt may p perhaps rh ps seem foolish to at attach attach at- at tach so au O much importance t to the he the re removal removal removal re- re moval o of the first Mrs Grahams Graham's pictures pic plc- tures turcs' but if nn anyone one who reads has ever been a 8 second Wife and had done the same or thing thing thing-or or has wanted to do it the they will appreciate how I feltI felt I 1 waited until we were inS haying coffee coffee coffee cof cof- fee In the library then I said In as Casual asual tone as I could master master- You forgot to tp take the pictures of your your wife first wife down Everett so soI soI I had Richard take them and put them nicely away in the attic I was sure you would be pleased to have It attended to without annoyance to you ou ou The last words fairly tumbled over o each other so 50 fearful was I that ho would Interrupt before I could finish I had been watching him closely as asI asI asI I talked and was frightened when hen I I saw saw how dreadfully white u uy ue- ue came He was livid With an awful effort he seemed to pull himself to together together together to- to gether as he asked in a voice that took awa away what little courage I had left You did what 7 r t I I had pictures had her pictures the put put ut in the in-the the attiC attic This there was no tumbling tumbling tum tum- bling bUng of words I cO could ld sc scarcity scarcely rc JY the reply from my lips The stern look had l learned arned to dread came came Iri IrlEy Everett rett's s face only It was more stern stem than ever I had hail seen it before f. f r I I absolutely forbid 3 you rou ou to touch anything anything anything any any- thing In this house without house my permission lon ion Aft Where the conya cour r. r f a ame rame from I do donot donot donot not know know but asked I Am Ant I r not m ess a of the house housed Dont Don't I have an anything th thing ri to say say No o he thu thundered ft d You do not He touched the Gen bell Go into the attic and ard get those pictures you took lap Up there t today bring them do down and n and han hang th them m where they were before Yes Tes sir u Richard never raised Ills eyes eyes' to tom tom tome m me e yet I had caught a look ook upon his face fac something very like pity It made me wild Even his hs servants pItied pitied me I dared say nothing more Ills JIls set face tace his hla severe tone had caused my courage to ooze from me Att After a moments moment's hesitation n during which my oyes eves filled tilled with te tears tear EI and I began to tremble at what he might still say BaY I I. I stumbled from froni the the room Not only did Id he fail to attempt to stop me but I could tell teU b bj by the look on his face he ho did not know I had left him lIe Ire Is thinking of her I thought bitterly and when halt half an hour afterwards afterwards after after- wards I crawled quietly part way down the stairs he was in the tho drawing drawing- room looking up at her picture which such a alook alook look as I never had lad seen on his face race I I crouched there shivering and watched him I through the op open n door Finally his head dropped upon his arms anns which were folded on the mantel mantel man man- tel as he gazed up at the lovely face of the woman J r Leola ola and he groaned so despairingly that I quickly ran back to my room ashamed and afraid to spy upon his misery I was not so ashamed the next neat morning however for the minute he left the house I rushed to his leis bu bureau bureau bureau bu- bu reau drawers and found that he had taken awa away the photographs CHAPTER 20 Everett Everott Tells Tells' Sandra of Leola Another proof of guilt I thought asI realized the pictures were missing miss miss- ing Why It Jt was like a fiction story I was sur sure I never ne had hall miss miss-I read one quite like lIk It There ran through my mind even then that If I had to leave Everett T r would be ashamed to togo togo I go home ashamed to face tace all the boys and girls who had known me I all m my my life lite What an awful thing fo for tor forme r I me Only 17 and my life Ute ruined i Then such anguish wen went through me that I nearly fainted Dinner time came at t last and with it came Everett He looked tired I and talked but little tittle I thought dinner dinner dinner din din- ner would never never end At last we were seated in the library before the fire with our coffee offee I moved my chair challi so that I could look at him and I then when we Ivere ere alone I asked I without preamble Who Wi ho o Is the lovely loveld w woman whose I Ip p pictures picture i are i ip r your bureau drawers Everett My l voice trembled a little In spite of all alt I could doHe do He ga gate e e a perceptible stait start I What pictures pictures' And what were I you you doing In my things things' i 1 Mother brother always tidies dads dad's chiffonier chit chit- f so I th thought I would do the same for you you I answered his last I question first so so that I might gain time to steady m my moice voice oice a a. little lithe The pictures pictures' res' res were of a beautiful woman On On the back bal of or one it said From Front Leola to Everett What an odd oddI n name name me Leola I repeated I S Something very lile a a groan broke roke from Everett I Aswell As well now as some sonie other time I he said in a 3 low voice but I realized K- K W q to himself that he had not meant me to to hear I said 1 nothing but waited ery e nerve In n with excitement I jm my mr body bod I Sit over there He pointed to a I chair where he could uld look atme at me but I If where it would be he Impossible for meto me met metto f to to see fife pc him fare j Reluctantly I obeyed I 1 I T f r meant to tell ten you jou OU before betor It Is 15 your your your- right to know But you vou were I so so young rou ng that I waited a while hoping you might become accustomed tomed to me me and so better able to understand what I 1 I r am go going ng to to tell you OU ou waited so long that t I 1 thought the he had changed his mind and stirred uneasily I was all with the wonder r. r the something akin to fear of what wa was coming the hp stor story my husband husban was about to tell me He took from his pocket the two pictures I had mentioned He looked at them then opened a drawer in in a 8 little table tabie at hi hie elbow and laid them I IY in rn it Y Yes Leola is an unusual na name name e i and she was eras va an unusual woman She Sh Shwas i iwas married when I Iwas was my wife We I Iwas was 30 she was 26 I r was Jealous She was WM imprudent and nd would brook broo no restraint We quarreled constantly constantly constantly con con- con con- Yet Yet Yet-I I loved her his v voice trailed off oft dreamily for a a. moment ns as l if he had tor forgotten otten me and she loved me But she wa was strong willed his voice cold and allY again and so BO was I I. I Our fierce lovemaking was Interrupted by bv fiercer quarrels quarrels- always because of some Indiscretion I i of qt hers here and because of ot my jealousy w which she he aroused I was rich sho she sheI Society I e Was vas as a brilliant woman laughed at he her r Indiscretions Indiscretion calling them eccentricities S She e knew this and it made her careless careless careless-careless careless of or I herself and of or me me A Again al h ne he waited what whit seemed an I I I unconscionable time before he went wenton breathless forgetting forget forget- on while I waited I t tint ting it was my husband who was wag talking thinking only of ot the story he be was telling meOne meOne meOne me One day she met a a. man who seemed to attract her more even een than others had done I accused her and she only laughed My Dry impression was confirmed confirm d when one day I found I I him making ml love loyo to her She was laughing sure of or her fascinations and careless that she hurt him as shei she I i 1 was Indifferent to my anguish That night we quarreled worse vorse than than ever I before We both said cruc cruel bitter things things things-I T shall shah never cease to hear them yet et I J know knots now I knew then I that Leola was good and true In my my heart I never doubted her her herTo To be bo con continued |