| Show the key to paradise by COSMO HAMILTON 1 by mattur curnew aper Syndicate sep ash HE presents hail had made a bravo brave show in her new york drawing room after tea she had taken several of her friends to see them all laid out it was enid cunningham who nho drawn immediately to the string of pearls had read the card and cried out incredulously look even her husband lias bas remembered her birthday it seems lunch at the ritz dinner at pierres rie res a box party at the tha the event had been celebrated as well as it deserved nut but hobart obart II who had given his wife that string bad gone out of town to play golf this was lillians fifth birthday as a mrs curtis hobart obart II but because ot of something quite unintentional perhaps in the tall tail of enids remark she found herself looking at life through a window the existence of which came as a great surprise she was painfully aware of something in it that tugged at the strings of her heart she found herself saying this Is not life I 1 am not living I 1 an am only pretending to live shepheard she heard berso her so called husband as lie he came up to go to his room A thousand times slie she had bad heard the same footsteps at the tha same hour and let them pass her door nut but without knowing why she slipped into a peignoir went out arid and said I hello fello curtis was still in golf clothes ills face had caught the sun tood good morning and good night he said have you had a good time today there was a curious laugh lir in his eyes wonderful come and look at my presents glittering in the light ile he did so uncomfortably conscious of the fact that he be was a trespasser in that room quite a show he be said something from every one and even my husband remembered my birthday it seems are you only just backs back ile aie nodded smiled and went out the footsteps died away no this life she said what am I 1 missing I 1 who have so much curtis hesitated next morning outside the door of her bedroom on his hl way downstairs this girl whom he had married for love had bad not married but had been married to him her brilliant and scheming mother had bad brought that deed about tie ile felt an urge to go in ILL that wonderful room was empty but through the open windows came the rustle of young leaves spring had come to town A well bound book was open addressed to himself ile he picked this up with a greedy hand as his eye caught some writing on the margin of the book the words the key to paradise had bad been underlined and against them had been written A child boy or girl ile he drew the letter from the envelope as something touched his heart in the garden alive with flowers there stood lillian then she saw a man come out of the kitchen carrying a tray a man inan with a smile on his suntanned sun tanned face ills hla golt golf clothes smelled of grass and tobacco so that her mind turned back to the previous night and the words outside her door but I 1 wish to be alone she said you will be alone he said sent the servants away you and ana I 1 are going to see nant hat the simple lire life will do but this was hopelessly wrong wron 1 I 1 she wanted to be quiet to think and here was the very man whom she want to see she found herself in ili a panic and turned toward the door he blocked the way with a quick movement and his face was boyish and grave please dont go be said lets loos life in the face I 1 will be 5 our servant she stared at her husband bewildered and amazed and so they had tea together as though they had really been married those wasted years ago the light had almost gone and curtis sprang to his feet good lord he said th theres ereis dinner and went out with a rush and she too said good lord and followed him into the kitchen kitche at the tha other end of the house she had never supposed that anything funny could enter into this hut but when she caught sight of curtis the finished man of the world peeling potatoes in his shirt sleeves with tile the concentration of one who was engaged on a work of art her laughter rang through the room give me that thin thing she said and took the pan and the knife peeling potatoes was a womans comans job lie gazed at this girl for a moment with something new in ili his eyes it might perhaps have been hope and then he be went to the stove watch me murder the steak and su SO day after day this pat hetto bette week went ent merrily by she asked two questions when that week had come to an all end was the key to paradise any nearer to her hand was she going back any nearer the fulfillment of the mission she knew to be life lafel she looked at the man whose chivalry had won her respect and whose sympathy though never spoken had stirred the love in her heart and he caught the look the look for which hed been working the writing that hed seen on tile the margin of the little book in her room seemed to be written on the wall 1 I love you I 1 love you he said how good was that swell smell of grass and tobacco when she hid bid her face on oil his cont coat spring had bad entered that house for good |
