Show r rn 7 IT r q wo mins L LULU u LOU BJ L a 1 MY WEDDED WIFE SYNOPSIS general factotum tec in the house of her bister sister ina wife of 0 herbert deacon in the email small town of warbleton War bleton lulu bett bert leads a ami dull cramped existence with which she is constantly at enmity though apparently satisfied with her lot bobby larkin recently graduated high chool school youth Is secretly en adored of deacon a elder daughter diana the family Is excited over the news of an approaching visit from deacon a brother fintan whom he had not seen tor for many years unexpectedly ninian ar rives thus he be becomes acquainted acquaints d w th lulu first and understands her position in the house to lulu fintan Is a much traveled man of the world and even the blight slight in terest which he takes in her is 1 appreciated because it Is something new in her life at an outing which the family takes ninian and lulu become confidential he ile ex presses his disapproval of her t treatment as a sort of dependent in the deacon home diana mana and bobby in the course of soft noth ings d escuss the possibility of f eloping and surprising the who whole school lulu I 1 as awakened to pleasant possibilities concerning fintan a intentions toward herself IV 7 july t when n on a warm evening a fort night later lulu descended the stairs dressed for her incredible trip to tl e city she wore the white waist which she had often thought they would use for her it if she died and really the waist looked as it if it had been planned for the purpose and its wide upstanding standing ap plaited platted lace at throat and wrist made her neck look thinner her forearm sharp and veined her I 1 air she had crimped and parted in the middle puffed high it was so that biair had bad been worn in lulu s girlhood well I 1 said ina when she saw this coll coiffure fure and frankly examined it head bead well back tongue meditatively teasing tensing at her lower lip for travel lulu was again wearing ina inas s linen duster the old one finlan appeared in a sack coat and his diamond his ills distinctly con vex tex face its thick rosy flesh thick mouth and cleft chin gave gane lulu once more that bold sense of looking not fit at him for then she was shy and averted her ees but at his photo graph at which she could gaze as much as she would sl e looked up nt at him openly fell in step beside him vias IN as he be not taking her to the city ina and dwight themselves were go ing because she lulu had bad brought about this party act as good as you look lul e lire mrs bett called after them she gave r nt instructions to ina who was mar aled ind able to shine in her conduct it seemed doii t was cross on the way to tle tl e station he be might have been heard tr to take it up again whatever it was ind nd his ina unmistakably said well KW nom don dont t keep it going all the way t ere and turned back to the others mitt some elaborate comment about tl ti e dust thus cutting off her so called lord from his legitimate retort A mean adNan advantage tage the city was two hours distant and tl ey v m ere to spend the night on the train in the double seat finlan be tide her among the bags lulu sat in ile tt e simple mple consciousness that the keople all knew that she too had bad been 0 dosen osen A man and a woman were oi 01 with their little boy between them lulu felt this woman s supe i dority of experience over her own and smiled at her from a world of fel ion lom ship but the woman lifted her te brows and stared and turned away m with ith slow and insolent winking finlan had a boyish pride in his knowledge of places to eat in many cities as if he were leading certain of the tribe to a deer run in a strange nood A ninian took his party to a downtown cafe then popular among business and newspaper men the place mas below the sidewalk was reached by a dozen marble steps and the odor of its griddlecakes griddle cakes took the air of the street ninian made a teat slow sl ow of selecting a table changed once called the waiter my ran n an and rubbed soft hands bands on what co u you say shall it be lobster lie ile cor ordered the dinner instructing the waiter with painstaking gruffness not that they can touch your cook ing here miss lulu he said settling himself to wait and crumbling a crust dwight expanding a bit in the aura of tte ike food observed that lulu was a regular chef that was what lulu was he ile still would not look at his wife who now remarked sheff shelf Dwigh tle not cheff this was a rrean al vantage which be lie pretended not to hear bear another mean ini int s ild lulu your hats just a little mite no over the other way was an thing to prevent bour sr caking king of that before ina inquired acidly I 1 started to and then somebody always said something said lulu humbly nothing could so igo much as cloud julifs hour she was proof ig i i ast any shadow say but you look tremendous to dwight observed to her understanding perfectly that this his was said to tease his wife lulu yet flushed with pleasure slit saw two women watching and she thought 6 they re feeling sorry lor for ina nobody 0 talking to her she laughed lit t everything mat the men said she passionately wanted to talk herself how mani folks keep going past ab fm ild said maul unies times by ZONA GALE copyright by it S appleton A company at length having noted the details of all the clothes in range ina a iso lation palled upon her and she get set herself to take tale malan s attention she therefore talked with him about himself curious you youve ve nex never er married nin sl e said don dont t say it like that he be begged I 1 might yet ina laughed enjoyably yes you night 1 she met this she wants everybody ever body to get mar ried but she wishes I 1 h ddn t dwight threw in with exceeding ran cor TI 71 ey developed tl Is theme echaus lively dwight usually speaking in the third person and always with his shoulder turned a bit from his wife it was inconceivable the gusto with alich wl ich they proceeded ina hid as fumed for the purpose an air distrait casual attentive lie to the scene about them but gradually her cheeks checks began to burn shell cry lulu thought in alarm and said at rand m ina that hat Is so pretty ever so much prettier alan tl an the old one but ina said frostily that ale sl e never beier saw sam anything the mat ter with the old one I 1 let et us talk said finlan low to lulu tl TI en thea the 11 simmer down he went on in an undertone about nothing in particular I 1 lulu ulu hardly heard what he said it was so pleasant to have him hint talking to her in this confidential fashion and she was pleasantly aware that his manner was open to misinterpretation in the nick of time tl ti e lobster was served dinner and the play the show as finlan called it this show was peter pan chosen by finlan because the seats cost the most of those at any theater it was almost inde cent to see how bow dwight herbert the immortal soul had warmed and melt ed at these contacts by the time tl at all was over and tl ey were at the hotel for supper such was his pleasurable excitation that he was once more playful teasing once more tl e Ir fir repress ble but now his ina was mas to be won back made it evident that she was not one lightly to over look and a fine firmness sat upon the little doubling chin they discussed the play not one of them had understood the story why not say the wedding service asked finlan the dog kennel part gasn wasn t that the queerest thing nothing to do with the rest of the play I 1 was for the pirates the one with the hook he was my style said dwight IN ell there it Is again ina cried they belong to the real play either oh well ninian said said they have to put in parts I 1 suppose to catch everybody instead of a song and dance they do that and I 1 understand said ina why they all clapped wl en the prin cipal character ran down front and said something to the audience that time but they all did ninian thought this might have been out of compliment ina wished that monona t have seen con fessel that the last part was so pretty that she herself would mould not look and into inas eves came their loveliest light lulu sat there hearing the talk about the play why couldn coulden t I 1 have said that she thourl t as the others spoke all that tl ev ei said seemed to or cr apropos I 1 ut she could think of i n I 1 ing to add tl TI e evening I 1 ad been I 1 r a bigi t fro n I 1 ewen how coul 1 14 1 e find ana an tl ing to sav sl e sat in a dare of happiness her mind I 1 erdly operative her look moving from one to another at last finlan looked at her sure you liked it miss lulu oh yes I 1 I 1 think they all took their parts real well it was not enough she looked at them appealingly knowing that she had not said enough you could hear everything they said she ha added it wae was she dwindled to silence dwight herbert savored his aar rarebit abit with a great show of long wrinkled dimples excellent sauces they make here excellent he bald said with the frown of an epicure A tiny wee bit more athabasca he added and they all alb laughed and told him that athabasca was a lake of course of course he meant tabasco ina said their en and their talk was of his this sort for an hour av A well v ell now said dwight herbert when it was finished somebody dance on tl e table Dwigh tie I 1 got to amuse ourselves somehow come liven lix en up they 11 begin to read the funeral service over us NN why by not say the wedding service 11 asked ninian in the mention of wedlock there was alwaes alwag s something stimulating to dwiel t something of overwhelming humor he lie shouted a derisive en eu dor of this proposal I 1 t object said finlan should vou jou miss lulu lulu now burned tle tite slow red of I 1 er torture tl TI ey were all looking at her she made an anguished effort to defend herself I 1 dont inow it she said so I 1 can t say it finlan leaned toward her I 1 N nian take thee lulu to be my wedded wife he pronounced that s the m way ay it goes gnesi I 1 lulu daren t say it I 1 cried D he laughed so loudly that those at the near tables turned and from the fastness of her wifehood and moth erwood eri ina laughed really it was ridiculous to think of lulu that way ninlin laughed too course she don dont t dare say it he challenged from within lulu that strange lulu that oti er lulu who sometimes fought her battles suddenly spoke out I 1 lulu take thee finlan to be m ma wedded husband lou will finlan cried I 1 will she said laughing teemu to prove proe that she too could join in could be as merry as tl e rest and I 1 will tl TI ere by JON jove e now have bane we me entertained vou or haven t we ninin nini n laughed and pounded me soft fist on the table oh say honest honestly lyl 1 ina was shocked I 1 don t think vou bugl t to holy things what a the mater tie dwight herbert deacons eyes were staring and his face was s arlet say by george he said a civil wedding Is binding in this state A civil wedding oh well nin lan ian d smissen it but I 1 said dwight happen to be a magistrate they looked at one another fool ashly dwight prang up the in determinate idea of inquiring something of some one circled about and returned ina had taken his chair and sat clasping lulu lulus s hand finlan continued to laugh I 1 never saw one done so offhand said dwight gut but what youve you ve said Is all you have to say according to law and there don t have to be wit nesses say I 1 he bald said and sat down again above that shroud like plaited platted lace the veins of lulu s throat showed dart dark as she swallowed cleared her throat sm swallowed allowed again D n t you let dwight scare you she besought ninian scare me I 1 cried finlan why I 1 think its a good job done it if you ask me lulu 9 eyes flew to his face As he laughed he was looking at her ana sni now he nodded and shut and opened his eves liveral s veral times very fast their points of light flickered with a pang of wonder which pierced her and left her sl aken lulu looked his eves continued to meet her own it wae waa exactly like looking at his dwight had reco recovered ered his authentic air oh well he be eaid said we can inquire at our leisure if it Is necessary I 1 should say we can have it st s t abida quietly up here in the city tio one ai 11 be the wiser set aside nothing 1 said miniam I 1 id d I 1 ke to see it stand are you serious hinr nin sure im I 1 m serious ina jerked gently at her N arm lulal you hear him what yel going to say to that lulu shook her head he ile isn t it e earnest she said I 1 am in earnest hope to die nin lan ian declared he ile was en on two legs of 0 his chair and was slightly tilting e that the effect of his earnestness w vl impaired but he was obviously in earnest they were looking at I 1 lulu ulu again and now she looked at fintan and there was something terrible in that look which tried to ask him alone about this thing dwight exploded there was a fe low I 1 know there Is in the theater he be cried III get I 1 im on orr tl e line he ile could tell me if there theres s any was ol 01 I 1 dont know what to ma make of lulus letters they are go 90 TO BB BE CONTINUED I 1 |