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Show J The Married Life of Helen and Warren I H T5, TVTARTTT Originator of "Their Married h U i-y lllr.L,L. Life." Author of "The Jour- 8 HERBERT URNER nal of a 'ted Wife," 'The jj j! Woman Alone," Etc ?? I THEY DISCOVER THE REAL CAUSE OF THE BARCLAYS' EFFUSIVE HOSPITALITY i (Copyright, VjII, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) Mi M "Move your chair farther out, Mrs. Curtis, you'll get more air." Helen dragged over the wickc.i1 chair lint 11 tin: rockers scraped Hit: wire netting that screened in the long side porch. "We always get a breeze out onstrated and glowingly commended. A llounce of Helen's thin gown was snagged on a nail of an empty soap box, and there were several smudges , on the pink whiteness of her buckskin I pumps, yet her gushing enthusiasm was undiimpened. j As Warren's unresponsiveness grew j more marked, the more profuse and superlative became her admiring exclamations. ex-clamations. It was after ten before they finally escaped and made their way up to the guest room, followed by Mrs. Barclay's assurance that they would sleep well In this "pure country air." "Why the Sam Hill did they drag us through that cellar?" exploded Warren, War-ren, as he peeled off his coat and flung himself into a chair by the window. "It was tiresome," Helen, slipping off the cramping pumps, got Into her bedroom slippers from the suitcase. "And you wouldn't say a thing I had to do It all." "Yes, you laid it on pretty thick." "Did I overdo it?" anxiously. "Oh, they swallowed it all right." "Well, they expected us to admire things. They built the house themselves them-selves I suppose that's why they're so proud of it." "Huh, I wouldn't live out in this godforsaken god-forsaken place if they'd give it to me. See here, can't we raise this infernal thing," trying to shove tip the window screen. "Can't get a breath of air." "Oh. don't put that up ! The room'll be full of mosquitoes." "Well, it's hot as Hades up here. I'll go down and have a smoke and cool off while you potter around." Fortunately, the guestroom had its own bath, and Helen was soon In a tub of cooling water. While in relaxing weariness she lay there, her idle glance traced a long crack in the painted wall. She had noticed no-ticed a similar crack in the papered celling of the dining room. And yet Mrs. Barclay had repeatedly insisted that the house was "so w;ell built." When she was ready for bed, a murmur mur-mur of voices came from the porch below. be-low. If Warren was down there with Mr. Barclay, he might stay another hour. She turned out the lights, for they only added to the heat. The bed was by the window. Musingly Mus-ingly she gazed out at the dark country coun-try road, occasionally lit by the searchlight search-light of a passing motor. There Is nothing more tiring than "visiting," and Helen, thoroughly exhausted, soon dozed off to the murmurous treble of the tree frogs. A slamming door and the glare of a disturbing light. "By George, what do you think?" Warren was standing before the dresser dress-er unbuttoning his collar. "Oh, I was asleep," resentfully, shading shad-ing her blinking eyes. - "Well, this'll wake you tip," scratching scratch-ing the back of his neck with a reminiscent rem-iniscent grin. "Barclay's been trying to sell me the house !" "No!" Helen sat up In bed, now thoroughly awake. "Yep. That's why they shot off all that hot air and dragged us over every inch of the blooming place." "But they're wild about it! Why should they want to sell it?" "Sh-sh, not so loud these walls are pretty thin. He put it square up to me, and I had to do some mighty quick sidestepping. Didn't want to turn him down too hard. After your fool gushing over everything he thought he had a snap." "But why?" persisted Helen. "What excuse did he give?" "Oh, he's strung a long yarn about needing the money in his business. Said he had a pretty hard year and they really couldn't afford it. Of course that's all bunk. He's sick of the place and wants to dump it. That's why they've been trying to get us out here all spring the whole thing's a frame-up." "No no, I can't believe she wants him to sell." "You can't, eh? Well, she came out while we were talking had her part down pat. She threw in a lot of slus-h about it breaking her heart, but since they had to sell, she'd rather we'd have it than anyone else." With a contemptuous grunt. Warren War-ren disappeared in the bathroom, while Helen, still sitting up in bed, tried to digest this astounding piece of news. "Dear, I can't understand It," when he came out. "Got n elephant on their hands and want to unload it, that's all," as the bed creaked under his weight. "B'lt they tackled the wrong party," with a chuckle. "I'll be pretty far In my dotage before anyboiy'll wish a country coun-try place on me. More heat, more mosquitoes and more discomforts to the square inch " "Yes, this room's stifling," admitted admit-ted Helen. "There's not a brealb of air." "And we've got to get up in time to catch that seven-forty. Darn g'.ad I don't have to catch it every morning," adjusting his pillow with a vicious punch. "You cau thank your stars we're cooped up in a city apartment with none of the 'comforts' of country ; life !" MabolUorbenUmer '"'ru'" 'Rehired Mrs. Barclay, who had spent most of the afternoon dilating dilat-ing on the atlvanlages of their country coun-try home. "Now, isn't this better than being cooped up In the hot city?" "Yes, this is very pleasant," murmured mur-mured Helen, who had conscientiously played the part of an admiring, enthusiastic en-thusiastic guest. "How about mosquitoes?" Warren was scratching his ankle. "Oh, Howard will leave that screen door open ! But they're no worse than (hey are In town. Mr. riiillips was out lust Sunday he said he'd been almost eaten up in his apartment." The exiling darkness had relieved somewhat the glaring heat of the day, but the air was still close and sultry, and the "breeze," of which Mrs. Barclay Bar-clay boasted, had to be incessantly stirred by palm-leaf fans. "Barclay, what time did you say that train went?" Warren reached over to knock the ashes from his cigar. "Well, tomorrow I've got to get the seven-forty, but you don't have to go that early. Why don't you take the eight-ten?" "Oh, .no, we'll go in with you," suppressing sup-pressing a yawn as he glanced at his watch by the dim light from the dining din-ing room. "Wouldn't you like to see the cellar cel-lar before you go up?" suggested Mr. Barclay. "You won't have time in the morning." "Oh, I'd love to," lied Helen, wondering won-dering if she could marshal her over-l over-l fc worked adjective to a proper apprecia-VoC apprecia-VoC the cellar. Vii:ir arrival on the noon train Tie Ota! dragged her through ( ro'".3 house, expatiating on tmltfe.-l conveniences of her t.mger tga had kept up a con-m con-m rnt lndlc,of: 12 great jve! How very con-creased, con-creased, Jreally have a charm-. charm-. i..fi"o! Oh, what a delightful -""view! Yes, this Is such a pleasant room ! What lovely big closets ! Oh, , what a cheerful mnld's room!" When she had gushed over the kitchen, kitch-en, pantry, back porch and garden, she felt she had done her full duty, but here was the cellar still to be explored. ex-plored. "Howard, don't you want to show Mr. Curtis the furnace?" "Sure," her husband rose with alacrity. alac-rity. "We've got about the best and simplest thing in furnaces. Kept the whole house warm last winter with only ten tons." "Why, that's very little," ventured Helen, who knew absolutely nothing about coal, but who was trying to -cover Warren's unresponsive silence, as with evident reluctance he laid down his cigar. "Yes, the Tetersons just below here used over fifteen. And their house is much smaller but it's poorly built. That's one thing about this houses It's exceptionally well built." "The walls are so thick," contributed contrib-uted Mrs. Barclay, "it's a very easy house to keep warm." Then as she gathered up the porch cushions. "It may rain tonight we'd better take these in." Through the dining room, out through the pantry, and they made their way down the steep, narrow steps into the damp, musty-smelling cellar. "Oh, what a lovely large cellar !" enthused en-thused Helen, almost before the light was turned on. "This is only half of it," proudly. "The storeroom and laundry are over here." While Mr. Barclay demonstrated to Warren the admirable points of the now cold and empty furnace, Mrs. Barclay Bar-clay showed Helen the storeroom. "You've no idea what it saves in ice bills. We really don't need an icebox nt all. Most cellars are damp and moldy but this is always so perfectly dry." As the darkened streaks on the cement wall were oozing dampness, Helen refrained from commenting on this statement. "Here's my jelly closet," drawing a curtt'.ln back from some rough shelves on which were a few glasses and jars. In a nervous effort to conceal Warren's War-ren's silent boredom, Helen admired everything In extravagant terms. She was tired and sleepy, and her feet ached from the heat and a new pair of pumps, but there was no release until they had seen every corner and 'convenience" of the cellar. In the laundry, the patent washing machine, the double wringer, even the evolving clothes rack had to be deni- |
