Show Margaret Garretts Garrett's or t a. a B By JANE PHELPS CHAPTER A Childish Confidante John seems to think not that that is unless the Germans should be guilty of some overt act It Is lu lucky ky he can depend on Bob to look business business business busi busi- ness while he is away The western end of it has never run smoothly until now h he tells me Elinor never avoided speaking of Bob She used his name as naturally as if ho he w were re still with me me I 1 think she wanted to lo comfort me And strangely it did I 1 never questioned ned her never myself spoke of Bob to her but I 1 was glad when she talked of or him It brought him nearer in a way But if I 1 talked to no one else of Robert I 1 often talked to Donald I I. I had taken or rather had tried to take I Bobs Bob's place as story teller feller But often orten I we would dispense with the other stories while 1 I told of Bob Donald I never tired of ot listening or of asking I questions anent his daddy When will he be back to us er he asked frequently l Diy ly y answer was always alwa's the same When his business will let et him darling He Het wants to see see his his little littleson littleson littleson son as much as you want to see him And to see you too and Geordie Yes and Georgie Geordie And he would often orten in insist insist insist in- in until I had satisfied him by repeating And when he would go on talking satisfied that I 1 had not been left out I found after the first sharp ache had turned into a 0 dull ever present pain that my year had not been wasted even though I had failed in holding Bob My My reading and studying studying studying study study- ing now gave me more pleasure than anything save only my rny two boys Our little club still kept up its French lessons and were doing some really advanced reading I had formed th the habit of reading the books Bob Dob liked histories of art travel and science as asell well ell as the new worth while novels novels novels nov nov- els and the standard magazines It is astonishing even when one is very unhappy how much real pleasure one can get from books They often brought forgetfulness too when my nerves were at the breaking point So T I say my year was not a failure after atter all I said something of ot the sort to Elsie one day and she replied I knew if It you failed to accomplish your purpose that the effort eort would not be lost Wise Elsie My Dry life settled into a a. sort of ot a dull dun routine I neither sought society nor shut myself away from Crom it I went about much as usual and tried al always always always al- al ways to show a smiling face Mace to the world and to my darling boys bos Donald Donald Donald Don Don- ald was quick to notice and I 1 must not shadow his young life Yet oftentimes in spite of all I 1 would have dark days das when I r could not realize that the sun would ever shine for tor me again when they were made darker by the knowledge that had I been what I should have been II to Bob never would I have been made I to suffer as I was doing There were long never ending nights when wIlen I sobbed and struggled for calm when I I felt that to die would be happiness to drag out my life lite misery untold I IThen I Then when morning came and I heard the baby voices calling me i would flay myself for my thoughts I and for their baby sakes take tako up I again the burden of ot my loveless life I that used to be annoyed sorry that I was older than Bob now was often otten thankful that because I was I would have fewer years to live and andI I suffer I Oh could we only look a little way waya a ahead head and seeing know how to plan our lives lives' But we work so in the dark The future hidden the present our only thought I had heard no news from Bob save the occasional mention of his name by Elinor Charlotte Keating was no longer in New York and I supposed of course that she was with him 1 Only Elsie knew what my reason for separating from Bob had been only she knew that Charlotte Keating had anything to do with it Another book of hers had lately come out and Elsie brought it over overto overto overto to me It was very different from fromI her first book more entertaining perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps although not as powerful It I did d not cause a as ay much of a furore as did the first one and the critics were not as enthusiastic in their praise In thinking of Bob I sometimes I wondered it if he were still sUll living up to I I his ideals of right and wrong Then I r 1 knew new that he was Even though it was hard for him Mm to wait until the time set by the court passed he hp would not be false to his theories theoris They were rooted and grounded in his very being Strangely I got comfort from the thought I I But now the time was drawing to a close Another month or two and he would I be free to marry the woman he loved One morning I found a letter by my plate A letter from him My hands trembled so I could scarcely open It He had He-had had written Dear Margaret I 1 shall be in New York on Tuesday for a few tew hours Plea Please e let Annie bring the boys over to the Waldorf Then followed the directions as to time etc And he finished With Vilh good wishes for your happiness Bob A AThe The next da day was wat Tuesday I immediately Immediately immediately Im im- mediately called Elsie and asked her if it she would meet Annie and go to the hotel with her making the excuse that I 1 hated to trust her with the caro care of or both children Really neally I wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to hear from Bob And Elsie would satisfy my curiosity Of course Ill I'll meet them Tell Annie to stay right in the waiting room until I come for them To be continued |