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Show BORROWED HUSBANDS I By MILDRED H BARBOUR I vill DlfiTLIit 5IONM1 !t E In all her life Nancy never rcroem-I rcroem-I bored being so weary as she wiw that night when Dr. Iangwell left her at the door of her own apartment. Hi had endeavored to kiss her coming com-ing home in the car. but she had laughingly thrust him away from her. I remarking: "Please try to be original. I've set ' myself to a Diogenes mission. I'm looking for the man who won't feel I that he has to kiss every girl with ; whom he rides in a lucl." He bad released her instantly, and preserved a dtrnlfled silence during the r. malndST of the drive. "Good night. Tharr.ks for a charming charm-ing evening." she said, holding b r hand out at the door of her apartment. apart-ment. H. lonehed the tips of her fingers l with chill formality and left her without further adieu, j As she let herself in 'with the aid of her latch key, the atmosphere of i a place in complete disorder assailed I her poignantly. She entered the sitting room and j swib bed on the lights. There was no ! trae,. of the Harding!' dinner guests, but her dressing table was littered with powder papers! There was an abandoned puff or two, a crimson lip stick had rolled across the floor and been tread into one of the rus. Shv picked it up distastefully' ami fluns It Into the fireplace, and taking her handkerchief, tried to brush away a bit of the powder that lay like du.'t over her dressing table. There was a slight sound in the direction di-rection of the colli b. and Semlramls cami crawling out like one emerging emerg-ing from a cyclone cellar. "Sammy, darling, does he have to iks to cover?" murmured rancy, gathering the Persian up in her nrnu and Inking her chin Into his fur. ; Never mind, he's going to hae a , home again and not have to hide from u let ed little imps." There was a light tap on the door : which opened almost immediately to I reveal Peggy Lewis clad In one .f Nancy's peRllgees. She was blinkl-il sleepily against the light. ! was just too exhausted for tlic dne home. Nancy I knew you i wouldn't mind if l spent the night' here. I'll Just curl up In a corner of1 your bed. and you'll never know I'm I there. Whatever made you so lata? l thought you would get home in time to see our guests before they left They, ..... all awfully keen to meet tho i beautiful Mrs. Burrard." Nancy quelled her Impulse to anger, an-ger, and managed to answer good-humoredly: good-humoredly: "You're perfectly welcome as an overnight guest, Pog,ry, without all thi- flattery. Go back to bed. you sleepy thing: I'll curl up here n the couch. I'm too tired to sleep Jus. now. and I'd only keep you awake tossing around." Protesting mildly, Pegsy did as alio was bid. It seemed not to occur to her that there was anything odd In usurping Nancy's room and allowing her io makeshift . best she could. The latter was more amused than resentful. re-sentful. She actually had become interested in-terested In seeing how far Peggy LeWLe assurance would carry her. she stepped weatily out of her gown, allowing It to drop in a heap on the lb. or. When she had put on a negligee and thrown herself full length on the couch, she lay there contemplating the little gicamlng mound of cloth of silver with a certain cer-tain witlsfactlon. Her house was wrecked; her thoughts were a wreck; her illusions wero a wreck; even her life whs a wreck, she told herself dispiritedly. The lovely gown, so carelessly tossed on tho floor, was a symbol of the end of her glittering vision of freedom. free-dom. She thought life would be so new, so stimulating without Oerry, and she-had she-had found it only ashes. i?b..- wondered If u was because sbo ' had had a disappointing evening with Or. Langwell that tho year which must elapse before Gerry's return seemed to span eternity. |