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Show WYAGE I ! KATHLEEM j Nosmss I ; Copyright, Kathleen Norrla. ; ; , WNTJ Service. E CHAPTER XXV Continued 24 "And we cook here, and garden here, and fool around here," Joe stated, beginning to serve the ham enthusiastically, as Tony, flushed and lnnghlng, went around to her own place. "And perhaps angels In heaven have something on us for happiness, but we doubt It. I talked Tony Into It Just after we had word from you, but for various reasons we kept it quiet. They wanted her to finish up her work on the paper, and break some one else in." "I can't still quite see the reason for the secrecy with us," Caroline observed nlpplngly, after a somewhat some-what forced flurry of explanations and congratulations, and the evening eve-ning was over, and the Bellamys were going. "And something tells me that I'll never be Intimate with my sister-in-law," Tony observed, In reference to this parting shot, when they were gone. "Something tells me that neither one enjoyed the evening," Joe said, happy with his pipe, his fireside, his wife, his peaceful Sunday evening. "Tony, did you and he have It out?" "While I was getting dinner, yes. In a way we did. And In a way I felt terribly sorry for him, Joe. Sou're so wise and you're so good, and you know everything, and every ev-ery one adores you, and you're wonderful," won-derful," Tony said simply. "But poor old Larry's still the big wooden Injun, handsome and clever and adored by the girls. He Just can't believe that life is being mean to him." "Sit here on this thing." She took the familiar red leather hassock at his knee; her eyes were fixed on his, her dark hair rumpled a little into a babyish aureole about her face. Joe put down his pipe, and they locked hands. "Do you really love me, Tony?" "Joe, so much that I can't pull out a weed or pick up a shell without with-out needing you to praise me and see me and talk to me about it." "There wasn't the least twinge tonight?" "Nothing but pity for the poor fool girl who fell in love with a painted totem pole." "Larry isn't a totem pole, you know." "To me he Is. I looked at him and I looked at you, Joe. You are so wise and quiet and good " She stopped. "Go on, wench. Your discourse displeases me no whit" "Yes, but you know what I mean. You're no big that you can afford to be little, and fool around here making mak-ing fires and playing with me. But Larry did you notice that he spoke of his valet, Joe? He would have a valet! "However," Tony added in satisfaction, satis-faction, "I think he saw how happy we are; I think he did. Anyway, h fli'l." 3oe' lntigh sne loved 3D, and St was rather rare broke out. "They did, unless they've suddenly sud-denly gone stone blind. You were rubbing it In all over the place! I never saw you look so pretty or heard you laugh so much. You let 'em have It right in the eye." "Oh, Joe, I didn't!" Tony protested. pro-tested. "Oh, Tony, you did !" "I didn't mean to," Tony apologized, apolo-gized, looking up penitently into his eyes. But her face was radiant. radi-ant. "The truth Is, darling," siie said, "that I had rather been dreading dread-ing meeting Larry. I wasn't exactly conscious why, but In the background back-ground of my mind my soul, all these months, there's Deen the feeling feel-ing that I'd be glad to meet him glad to well, have It over!" "And was it so awrul?" "Awful?" Her joyous laugh rang out "Why, It was It was flat!" she said. "For the last two years I haven't seen him, you know, and 1 have seen I have had the friendship friend-ship of a real man. And It was almost dizzying, It was almost bewildering be-wildering to feel my old emotions slipping about and changing places, and to feel under it all 'Joe, Joe, Joe's mine and I'm Joe's forever and ever, and this handsome, important, serious man doesn't mean one thing to me !' " She sat silent, staring into ine fire for a long moment, her shoul- i' (ft "Joe, You're So Wise and You're So Good." der pressing in comradely fashion against his knee. "Joe," she said suddenly, "do you know 1 feel sorry sor-ry for Larry?" "I've always felt a little that way about him, I think." "They were so stupefied," Tony mused, "that I didn't dare spring our real news on them." "They'd think you were crazy, with this long trip ahead of you, and married only six months." "Why crazy? There are hospitals and nurses in Rio, I should hope!" Tony said. "Caroline wanted a chinchilla chin-chilla coat. I want something else. That's all there is to It." Outside the house a soft autumn wind sprang up, whined about the chimney. The dog stirred comfortably comfort-ably on the hearth ; two logs fell together and sent up a fresh rush of flame; the lamp burned softly. Tony, her face bright with her own thoughts, stretched a hand up to her shoulder and felt Joe's fingers there. "What of the way to the end? The end crowns all," slip said. THE KNDl |