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Show I LOVE and MARRIED LIFE ! fcu, the noted author Idah MSGlone Gibson II TELL JOHN ABOVE KARL. 1 Mi. John, John, picas don't let's begin to quarrel over money You toll mc the other d?-- that you were never making' so much In your lire, and here you are quibbling over and fussing about $25 a week which I want to give to an expert to care for our child." John had the grace to look rather sheepishly at this Wftl. you know, Catherine. " ho said. 'I haven't told you that I have 1 . n dabbling In stocks a good deal lately and a haven't had the best of luck. I'ntll 1 recoup we will have to go J little Blow "John, wo never will recoup as long as you play the stock market You know I rather Imagined that you were Li dolnir that very thing Why do youj do It? Toil don't know the game. Why sit In with the oth-r fellow who has played It all his life? You see. dear, I am talking In your vernacular vernacu-lar for I want you to look upon my advice as though given by a man' friend and not by a woman and vourl wife Perhaps then you will heed It " ".Vow look here, Katherlne I have told you that I was going to rh.injje. but 1 want It distinctly' understood that I am not going to change so far that I shall allow you to run my DUBl-l for me. I never lone more than I can afford on the stork market ' PRACTICING PETTY ECONOMIES "All right; that being the case, don't I ask me to be forever practicing petty economies, for If you do It shows me that you ire losing more than I can V-, afford." "You can afford What do you . . mean you can afford?" MaU l moan Just this, John, that as long I 1 as I know that you are playing the k btock market and taking the money( out of the legitimate channels fo gam-I gam-I blfi for that Is all It Is. I shall have H everything to make myself comfort- r! t 1 o and shall Indulge many of ml luxurious desires besides " "Good Lord, Katherlne When you Bay such things as these I want to spank y ou 1 As ho said this he seemed ; to get more angry, and I, seeing his V 'iiicr became perfectly furious. I: Well, why. don't' you then?" I M asked. ' Hush, you know that I would not M, go as far as that ' 4BQ "There are worse things in this r I world." 1 1 "But Katherlne why aren't you Jjl womanly? Even If you do think that1 Uj I am wrong in this, why aren't you ! diplomatic?" :Hg "Simply because I Just can t be hypercritical If I could be I would I probably be saying Oh you poor dear, ; I am so sorry you made these losses I I will be Just as economical as I can' PijjM anfl help you make It up, and all the 1 while, John, in m,v heart I would be 1 seething and furious at your selfish-1 (jdS I ness." ' i u'fi "You are a very frank woman aren't you? Did it ever enter your mind that there might be another woman who would always he doing that thing thai you call hypercritical, who Is always making me think that I am superman instead of a cur? Did you ever think whnt this other woman might do In vour life and mine?" L YS STOOD READY. "No. I have never thought very-much very-much about it. I know, of course, that Ellzahfth (foreland has always stood ne;ir ready to take advantage Of every bad play on my part But while we are talking on this line did It ever enter en-ter your mind that there might be nomc man who was perfectly willing to give me that respect of my opinions wltii-h I demand and to whom I should not have to be hypercritical." If you mean Karl Shepard. you are off, wav Off Shepard is quite as human as I am I know him much better than you do and I know that he is like ever other man w hen he Ik trying to get a woman he plays the game Just as I would "John Gordon, do you mean to tell me that you think Karl Shepard Is trvlng to get the wife of his b friend ?" "Well I never did until lately hut I have been hearing a lot about him since you have been away." "From whom"" "It isn't necessar" for mo to tell you." 'So It Isn't. But for fear you have gathered a wrong Impression from your friend, I am going to tell you something " John grabbed me b the shoulders, and with his face close to mine ho said "What are you going to tell me I ' Just this That since Karl Shepard Shep-ard went. away, since He look my part and fought with you bei ause of J out-disgraceful out-disgraceful actions with Elizabeth Moreland, I have received a number of letters' from him.'1 'Which vou answered?" LETTERS A GREAT SOLACE. "Which 1 might have answered had your friend given me the chance There letters have heen a great solace to me, John When you have been cruel don't shake your head, you have been cruel these letters have biven me a feeling that somewhere In this wide world there was someone who was thinking tender thoughts of me Instead of the unkind ones that you have voiced " "Damn him' I wish I had him here'" "He Isn't here. John, and X don i. know where he is, but I shall hear from him soon I saw him writing me i letter last night." What do vou mean'" "Here Is the explanation,'' I handed him Karl Shepard's letters and left ihe room (To Be Continued.) (Copyright by National Newspaper Service. ) |