OCR Text |
Show I (LOVE and MARRIED LIFE btj. tlie noted author I Idah MCSlone Gibson j WHEN PRIDE LIES PRONE. "Great heavens, can't a man leave his women folks for a minute withnm i .-"lncthing like- tins happening," said Hj John, as he surveyed the group. Aliee was standing straight, her euos biasing with rage; lles Morelaiv.i wan leaning limply over the arm of a chair, nubbins lhat she hud Le n insulted and that she did not think she would ever live to sec ihe day that thp woman that John Gordon had married would speak lo her as I had done. I was sitting calmly In my chair, looking perfectly d( tached from everything thai was go-ing go-ing on 1 caught John's eyes and laughed. "You're not going to have hysterica are you, Katherlne?" he asked so'ictt-ously. so'ictt-ously. "Not In B thousand years." T answer, ans-wer, i, "hut 1 thin we had better cet out of here before any strangers come iu." "What will we do with Bess?' he asked. Oh, if she ran't pull herself together togeth-er and go with US, this hospital i- the place for her " ()tit of the tail of my ele I shw a look of titter helplessness and dejection dejec-tion come over Miss More land's face and concluded that she realized ns did I, (hat while her tactics might have worked up to date in the fashion she intended, she found thai she had run against a snag so far as I was concerned. con-cerned. Did Not Seem Surprised. So rhc calmly rose to her feet, went to the mirror above the mantel, and surveyed her face critically. She did not seem so surprised SB 1 was to find that her makeup was entirely Intact; for while I knew she was bluffing In a way. ! could not think it possible that some of her emotion had not been-real. been-real. However, she brought her powder puff into play lor a moment and then sai.l. ' I quite ready if you are " The interne met us in the hall and said: "I am glad you lixcd it all right. Mr. Gordon. Hastings is a' very decent eha,p and had already told mq before you came that he was entirely to blame in the matter of the accident. His father telegraphed this morning that he would be here this afternoon and the girl's father and mother are going to take her home this evening.'' As we got into the car, Bess drew her-eli as fat away from me as possible, pos-sible, she bowed with exaggerated cordiality to Karl Shepard, who w..s pass Ihg al that moment. John pulled up abruptly. ' Jump in. Kail," he said. "I am going to the police po-lice station. I have an affidavit from young Hastings which says that he is entirely to blame for the accident " "Splendid!" said Karl. Wait a minute. John," remonstrated Miss Moreland. "Please take me horn 3 before you go to the station." Makes No Answer. John made no answer, and as ; did not know tlfe streets very well. 1 was not sure whether he was taking her home or to the station until we drew up in front of the latter. Then he stepped down and without a look at any of us. said. 'Tome on in. Karl The girls will wall here until we return " "I shall do nothing of the kind' I do not propose to sil out in front of a j police station to please any one.'' said Bess, furious. "Surely you will take j me home, won't you, Karl?" "Of course 1 will," he answered, "after John and I have' finished our business inside. "Wait lor me." And ihe ran lightly up the steps Alice chuckled. " ou don't accomplish very much. I Bess," she said, "when it comes right i down to brass tacks, if you ask Impossible Im-possible things of a man. Everyone 'in this crowd, including yourself, if you would acknowledge it, understands I that the more you nre seen with the .party today " ' W hat party" Bess interrupted, 'acidly. : "A party which Mrs. John Gordon 'designs to honor with her presence." 'Alice replied coldly "If you are seen with us the better it will be for you as well as for all concerned." she reiterated. re-iterated. 'Well, I can tell you one thing, ' said Bess viciously. "I am going to get I away from this place just as quick as1 I can, so you had better be seen with me as much as possible today, it you want to use me as a whitewash for John's foolishness." "John says he is able to take care of his own faults," I interrupted. Two Different Matters. I "Very lovelj of you. Ka'therlne, but! what John says and what John does are two different matters," Alice vouchsafed, "I want it understood right here that although John ts my broiher and Bess and 1 arc cousins, ' I am for you now and always You have shown ourself a better woman than I could be under the circumstances." circum-stances." "I don't think so, my dear' Every woman will fight to save her pride I She can live when love is dead, but God pity her when her prid? lie:; prom ." ' Which have you lost. Mrs. Gordon0" was Bess' sweetly sarcastic question. I I do not always speak personally, iMiss Moreland," but there was a little tightening around mj heart, for I knew that my pride was still alive. |