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Show f LOVE and MARRIED HFEj 1 Jjij. the noted author 8 lidah MGlone Gibson j I RUTH AND HER CHILDREN For a moment John said nothing; then I finished my poet-talk on tho homo of happinesB. Then ho kissod my arm, which ho had been holding caressingly to him. "Come downstairs," said Alice, as sho opened tho door after a littlo knock "Ruth is there with tho children. Aren't they angels?" sho asked me. "No wonder Bobble wants them part of tho time." "And I can not s.ce why Ruth will not sond the children over to Bobbie's Bob-bie's for a visit now and then. Bobble Bob-ble Isn't a drunkard or a roue. In fact, I have always thought that Bobbie Gaylord was ono of .the stralghtest men 1 ever know." "I think he made a great mistake In marrying Helen," put in John. Alice Takes n Stand "Now, lot's don't discuss it," said Alice decidedly. "Of course, in tho I man's eyes, 'the woman tempted me' j is excuse enough, but for once, dear I brother, wo agree upon one thing, I that Ruth ahould allow her ex-hua-1 band, oven though he is "married to another, to seo tho children occaslon-nlly." occaslon-nlly." I "I do not understand," I said, I "how they could have been given exclusively into Ruth's guardianship, guardian-ship, as there wasn't a breath of scandal In connection with the divorce." di-vorce." "I think," said John, "that Bobbie made a special, agreement with Ruth that sho should have the children. He was so infatuated with Helen at tho lime that lie thought he would never miss them. He ought to know, for he is as old as I am that infatuation infat-uation for a woman is the shortest short-est lived thing In a man's existence." "Goodness, my unthinking brother is growing able to put his experiences experi-ences Into theories," said Alice. I "Look here, Alice," said John, as I wo started down to seo Ruth, "I was. speaking Impersonally. A woman can never discuss anything without putting put-ting herself Into it. But a man can J bo Impersonal once in awhile." I Very Happy Wife As we went down to Ruth, tho 'children clamored about me and as !l folt their littlo moist kisses I be-'gan be-'gan to be glad that I was going to have a child for my very own. And I knew' that If John was as sweet to me .3 he had been since he came to visit me. that I should be a very happy wife and mother In tho com-ine com-ine years. Again I felt the truth of what I had just said to John that women must make their happiness jH of such littlo things, if they would IH have happiness at all. jH I hardly knew Ruth. She had changed so. Her complexion had grown sallow and pale. Her thin Hps camo together until her mouth was only a pale, rod lino. 'Her oyes wore jH unhappy. They hardly brightened IH when she looked at the children'; the childron "which havo boon so much to her. Sho came forward, however, and greeted mo with a smile. ' Bobbio was so Insistent upon sec-ing sec-ing the 'Candy Lady,' " she said. "that I had to come over right away to seo you." hl Bobbio already had clambered up- ; on my lap. I noticed, however, that littlo Dick did not leave hl3 mother. He seemed to understand her better than tho other children, although he was the youngest. Ruth greeted John rathor stiffly. H I know she hadn't expected to find H him thero, and I almost felt that she H had intended to ay lomi things to KW Alice and mo that she didn't want 1 1 John to hear. However, before wo uf could begin conversation, Bobble I said: "Is that big man your papa, Candy 1 1 Lady?" I "Ho means your husband," ex- f plained Ruth. j Orlglnnl Cnndy Man "'es, dear, I think porhaps if you would look in his pockots you would I find that he was the original Candy ' ' Man." I . I was banking on the fact that ' probably John had brought mo a box of candy, which he had not yet f thought to deliver, and 1 found, as Bobble started to him with a rush. f that my surmise was true, and tf ' gether they found tho candy not v. John's pocket, but whero ho had lei. , it on the living-room table when H p he had come upstairs to sec me. H ' "I am afraid, . Mr. Gordon," said H t Ruth, "that you are too good to tho H ' children. Katherine almost ruined H them by giving in to all their desires H when sho wan visiting" she sud- ! denly stopped she could not men- jjH tion Helen's name. Then Bobbie 9 1 added much to tho discomfiture of jl the party, by saying: "Please. Mr. Candy Man, when 3 you next visit the Candy Lady, will ft you bring my papa with you?" jl (Copyrighted by National Newspaper I Service) tl (To Be Continued) If |