Show w tir By JANE i s CH CHAPTER PTER 59 t tA A Dubious Reception r rAll All AU that day I 1 considered ered what w was s best to do about telling Bob I 1 had followed followed followed fol fol- lowed him to Chicago Unless I 1 decided decided de de- de d not to there was no need to mention it to mother and Della Delia I hated to take a servant into my confidence confidence confidence con con- unless it was n necessary yet jet et in some way I 1 hated to h have ve Bob know I 1 had mado made that footless Journey to Chicago Finally I decided that I would wait walt until he returned I 1 would see him before anyone else and I would be by what he said and did Elsie came In during the day and I 1 told her the whole miserable experience and ask asked d her advice What would you do do I queried after atter I 1 had told tola her my story Id never let a man know I 1 had made mado a fool of m myself self If it I could help It she answered then whatever possessed you to do such athing a athing athing thing I dont don't believe bellevo I would have e dared start off ort alone that way You see I never dreamed that Bob wouldn't be in Chicago and in the hotel I replied It was awful Elsie perfectly awful Why I 1 never had been In a big hotel in my life before unless someone was with me That clerk looked so sorry for me it made me ashamed Elsie l laughed merrily but before she left I 1 had cautioned Della Delia at the same time making her a present of a dress of ot mine she had admired I then telephoned telephoned telephoned tele tele- phoned mother and asked her and father fa father father fa- fa ther to say nothing to Bob of my mv ChIcago Chicago Chicago Chi ChI- cago trip in search of ot him Mother I promised although I knew by her yoke voice that she was puzzled at the re request re- re quest qu That night I 1 slept soundly In spite of ot my anxiety I was completely worn gut The following day I 1 spent getting ready for Bob I made a loaf loat of ot his favorite cake and a a. jar of ot old fash molasses cookies He claimed I no one made them as good as as I did I put the children to bed early then dressed myself to watt walt for hir him When he came I was so glad to see him so o glad to feel his arms around mo me that I 1 forgot everything save my happiness In having him at home borne again until he asked Any messages for me m-e or anything anything any any- I thing Nothing that amounts to anything any any- thing John Kendall wants you to call caU him uP up Without a word he rushed to the telephone I 1 tried to stop him to tell him It was of ot no importance that I Iwas was not through talking to him but buthe buthe buthe he had the number and w was s talking before I could make him understand Hello old man he called then Not ot on your jour life Im I'm never too tired you and I have a lot to tell teU you jou Ou anyway Come right over You dont don't mean that you jou OU have havo asked John Kendall to come over here t I 1 J asked ked The first night you Y are homeT home hom I tI surely did ask him And mighty grad glad I shall be to see him too But Bob I 1 love you jou ou and y u must realize that I 1 dont don't want to share you jou with him and I clung closely to his hisami ami al amiI I saw w a look of annoyance cross ross his I face tace but he answered gently You will see plenty of or me Margaret Mar Mar- garet I attended to some business for forJohn John and naturally he is la anxious to hear about It It ItI noticed I I 1 noticed a queer dull flush lush creep over o his face as he talked and I wondered wondered wondered won won- dered why the simple fact tact that he had attended to business for John Kendall should bring that flush to his face But I 1 was more interested in myself 1 Just then than I was in John so eo I said nothing of or what I observed only added Surely you are glad I love you Bob Think how terrible it would be beit if it I didn't Yes Margaret yes he replied as ashe ashe ashe he reached into his pocket and took out some papers There dear that I will do for the present as I again kissed him and assured him of my af affection af- af I I felt the tears coming but tried to hide them from him I needn't have tried hs ha hadn't noticed he was so busy looking for some paper he wanted want want- ed Then the bell rang and Della Delia ad admitted admitted admitted ad- ad John Kendall Always I 1 had been Jealous of Bobs Bob's dearest friend but never so much so as that night After he had greeted me they excused themselves and went into the library They did not close the door and although the hangIngs hangings hangings hang hang- ings were heavy I could hear a great deal of their conversation Simply wonderful I heard Bob say with enthusiasms enthusiasm Then What couldn't a man accomplish h with such an inspiration Tut Bob I wouldn't have hae asked you to attend to the thing for me had hadI i iI I known it would affect you like that What would Mrs Garrett say say Oh Margaret l Bob replied she cares nothing nothing- for the things that Interest in interest interest In- In terest me I scarcely think she would deign to be interested in anything or anyone I cared for tor To my surprise Bob spoke more bitterly than ever I 1 had heard beard him Ills voice showed regret and something something something some some- thing more A dissatisfaction tion with something We Ve must take her in hand John returned I 1 am surprised that Elsie Barton hasn't convinced her of ot our worth long before this this She Is fond of ot Els Elsie but she Cares nothing for any of ot the rest of ot you She SheI s seems ms to think you jou ou will lead me I astray and again I I not noted d the touch of ot bitterness in his voice I CH CHAPTER LX An Interruption As I lIst listened ned I was at first Indignant indignant indig Indig- nant that Bob should discuss m me me- me what he considered my faults with faults with anyone Then I 1 thought perhaps if he be makes males John Kendall understand nd how much I disapprove of ot all that takes him away from me It would make it easier for me th the coming winter win win- ter Then they spoke again What did you jou ou think of the story John asked Now that I know what you think of ot the writer I am curious as to the real business ss side of ot the affair Crude but promising Bob had r replied re replied re- re plied Then as he launched into the subject dissecting the as was his fashion I went ent w ent into the tIle dining room and prepared a a. little supper sipper I 1 Idid Idid did not care to entertain John I Kendall Ken Iven- n- n dall but ut I did want Bob to have something and couldn't very well avoid askin asking John also There seems so little In one ones one's s life without congenial companionship Perhaps that Is one reason I never have married John was saying when I returned to the living room after atter giving Della Delia her orders I r know my friends but who can know whether addition to toone's toone's toone's a woman will prove pro an ones one's happiness ss or the reverse erse Marriage Mar Mar- Marriage Is so often otten a a. matter of propinquity propinquity only They meet i et t the they wire desiro each other they marry The hey end end- rather the outcome outcome misery misery for life lite Oh Ob you are a confirmed bachelor Bob Rob said rather ruefully T I thought then censured myself for tor allowing such an idea to enter my head There Thero are things in the world orld than being a a. bachelor Honestly Bob I dont don't know a man whom I really envy envy envy-a a married man I mean That may sound hard but there are so many uncongenial marriages that it a makes me shy of ot the entire proposition tion Bob made some inaudible reply andi and andI I stepped to th th door and asked them out to the supper Della Delia had told told-me told m o was ready Both Bob and John seemed seemed to enjoy it immensely and as as' as they lingered long over it J 1 excused s d myself myself my my- self and left them th-em alone As At usual their conversation had not interested me and I I 1 was thankful when a few moments afterward I heard the front door and I 1 was again alone with Bob r Who Vho was the the writer you sa saw saV V for forJohn forJohn forJohn John Kendall lendall I asked and once more I that dull flush creep creep slowly over Bobs Bob's neck and face before he answered A A friend of Johns John's whom he thought promising so wanted my advice It is strange that a publisher an editor even should want the advice of ofa ofa ofa a real estate man I have said nothing to you jou Margaret Margaret Margaret Mar Mar- garet because you are so SQ determined to dislike John but I have an Interest interest interest inter Inter- est in his publishing house and from now on I rather imagine I shall be as keen to discover r new nw writers welters as he heis heis Is is Robert Garrett you jou dont don't mean to tell me that you have gone Into business business business busi busi- ness with a man I dislike and who is In every way war disagreeable to me me I have a small Interest in his busine business busi- busi ne ness nes s yes I shall not allow you td spend your time with him because of your jour our foolish foolish foolish fool fool- ish action You are married to me and I shall insist that you spend your time with me me r s sI I shall spend my time as as as seems best to me Bob Bbb returned quietly You have objected to my friends my ray most innocent pleasures ever since our marriage I have begged you jou ou to share both friends and pleasures but you have refused Now I 1 shall do doas as seems best without reference to you jou but if you feel that jou yop can be a compan compan- companion companI I ion as well as a wife I shall shan be more than pleased However However However- If being a a. companion n means becoming becoming becoming be be- coming one of ot that Bohemian set you are so fond of ot otI I interrupted I never shall become a companion Very well But I 1 shall shan not nut allow you to spoil my life offend my friends because of ot a foolish notion I never have asked you to know anyone save men and women whom you or anyone anyone any any- I one should be proud to know If you jou ou are too small to appreciate them I am not not You forget Bob Dob that it is because I love you so much that I have no thought or c care care re for others Then those artists and bookish people borm bore bor borem I. I m me i 1 want your society not theirs Very well Margaret l we we Wont Won't discuss discuss dis dis- I c cuss ss it further and he turned to to his paper Suddenly I remembered that when I had asked him about the new writer he had seen he had not told me if it it were a man ora or oT a a woman So Sa SoI SaI I inquired Was Vas it a man or a oman a you saw for John Kendall KendallA A woman Why For Tor the third time lime that aay I no noticed no no- tired that flush lush I aa pis face Co Could ld It be bo possible No she was simply a writer a Had It been anyone else I might but but have but not a writer r. r Yet long after Bob went to sleep I lay thinking of what he had told me me anent his having ing small small int Interest fest I with John Kendall and th that t. t he he had spent t the tho time I was sitting alone alono in inthe inthe inthe the the- Chicago station talking to this woman writer Womanlike I wondered wondered won wondered won won- dered how she looked If It she were were pretty etc But unlike most women I 1 n never never ver thought of being je jealous louS of her I To be continued J |