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Show jjOSSELYN'S WIFE By KATHLEEN NORRIS CHAPTER IX Continued "So I thought tills was my chance jo pn.v llttlc ll,tl'ntlon ,0 Irs- I't'P-per. I't'P-per. We were going to have her over to the house, Tom, Mm know, urn! we oever did ! Ami Lindsay whs tin re, 1 thought he had tone to Washington, tut he was there, and lie had to make an early start for town this morning. ,o It nil fitted In!" Thus Lillian, readily and Innocently, (jll,!,?, apparently Indifferent to the conversation, was squinting at his canvas, rubbing the wet paint with a tentative linger. The old man stood ftnring nt the picture, too, with unseeing un-seeing eyes, lie was heartsick at find-Ins' find-Ins' himself, his years and his dignity, forced into a hideous role. He knew now that he was being deceived, If not In netunl fact, in the underlying motive so much more Important than the fact. He knew what simplicity did ingenuousness from Lillian meant. And standing there in the pleasant winter brightness of the studio, with the Are snapping gaily behind him, and his wife's soft band on his arm, his heart burned with anger and shame. Ellen had not spoken nt all. She i itood like a woman of wood beside the fire. Marie, the shriveled little Janitor's Jani-tor's wife, hobbling in. piped a query cs to whether "Madame Geebs" would hnve some coffee, too. Ellen gave lier i dumb shake of the head for negative. nega-tive. She was afraid she was going to faint. She felt broken, dazed, struck to the heart. It was nil a had dream, Lillian so pleasantly talkative, Gibbs ccowling at his work, her father-ln-!nw gallantly struggling to regain his composure after the sudden revulsion of feeling, and herself silent, sick, helpless. Kool that she had been to think that she could convict them ! What was she to gain, even supposing the worst to be true, and herself successful suc-cessful In forcing them to confess it ! Had the painter, with his clever, bronzed face and his mop of siiver hair, ever been anything to her except a cruel and alien figure? Had she ever rested -her black head against that loosely hanging linen smock, and felt the delicious strength of that big srm about her? He was angry now, she said to herself, her-self, but it did not seem important. It was too late for anger of his to concern her. Like a scene in n play, Torrens arrived. ar-rived. He came upstairs to say that he had just brought the car from Great Neck. Ue was full of the accident, concerned to know how Gibbs 'had managed the small car. "Roads is filled with cars, Mr. Josselyn. You didn't attempt to get out to Wheatley Hills last nigtu7 I never seen the roads so bad " "Mr. Pepper managed to get through this morning," Lillian said. Her husband hus-band turned to the chauffeur with directions. di-rections. Gibbs somewhat awkwardly sauntered over to stand beside his tl m Iff H Was Heartsick at Finding Himself, His Years and His Dignity, Forced Into This Hideous Role. vlfe. In all her own distress she felt pang of pity that Gibbs should be shamed and embarrassed. "It must have been a heavy snow, lown there," he offered. She raised heavy eyes. Her voice as lifeless. "It was a stormy night. And and I had a toothache." Lillian, joining them, was all sympathy. sym-pathy. It was arranged that Ellen Ihould go at once to her dentist, and Josselyi,, Senior, might finish his haper by ttie studio fire while the second sitting went on. "And you must be tremendously surprised sur-prised when you get the picture, on Wur birthday I" Lillian said playfully. Thus began the rarce they were still Playing. They had all come home together to-gether )n the car, after a lunch at Worry's whero mote than one envious outsider noticed the four handsome 'Uselyng laughing and chatting to-thar. to-thar. obb, liad been fu!1 Con com for his wife, and had seen that she was comfortably tucked Into bed when she got home. Ue had gotten her hooks, magazines, he had brought Tommy In for goodnights, and talked cheerfully to his wife, while he undressed un-dressed the child by the fire. And Ullen, watching him, had been afraid that she would suddenly scream out, and go mad. She loved him so she loved him so her big, clever masterful Gibbs! She had loved him since the hour they met, and she could not unlove him now. She longed, with unceasing hunger hun-ger gnawing at her heart, to have him her own again, to have his laughter, his confidences, his moods all for her. Kllen was not proud. She had told him n thousand times, in their happy years, that her life nnd her being were bound up In him; she could not change because he had changed. Tommy's prayers were said Tommy's goodnight kiss given an,d all the while she knew she knew that Gibbs was longing, longing to get downstairs, down-stairs, to meet Lillian for one minute, for just the necessary second, that should reassure them both, that should equip then, far fresh play-acting. And she kne- he was not happy, that he never could be happy ngain in the old way nor La the new way, either! As surely as the day would come when Lillian would give herself to him; and Ellen said feverishly to herself that It might already have been so surely would the day come when he would rend that cold and cruel heart of her aright, and would shudder away from It In utter sickness sick-ness of soul. Josselyn, Senior, had aged ten years in tills week. His pride was pierced in a vital spot. He had liked his position as elder in this houseful of brilliant young persons; he had admired ad-mired Gibbs, Lillian, nnd Ellen, in their separate spheres, and had liked nothing so much as to make them happy, to be the power that could indulge in-dulge and please them untiringly. Now accepting their ready explanations explana-tions in the same spirit that Ellen did, lie was awakened from the fool's dream. He saw himself an old man, gulled and blinded, put off with empty caresses. He saw himself bringing untold un-told suffering upon Ellen by his sentimental sen-timental dream of having the younger family beneath his rooftree. He saw her life ruined, his boy's life ruined, his own old age dishonored. Of Lillian Lil-lian he thought little: for many years he had realized that whoever might pay for his second wife's delinquencies. It would not be his second wife. There was no punishing Lillian ; her heart was like a mirror that could give back only a reflection of her own charms. And yet, of them all, during this strange week, It was Lillian who was really enduring the severest mental discomfort. For Lillian, discomfort of any sort was new, and she tried a hundred times to writhe away from her apprehensive thoughts. For although It had been perfectly true that Lillian on the night of the storm had gone to seek unexpected hospilality from old Mrs. Pepper at Great Neck, the fact she had successfully success-fully concealed from her husband was that Mrs. Pepper at this time had been making a long visit to her daughter in Montreal. Lindsay Pepper, keeping bachelor quarters with bis Japanese boy, had welcomed her and Lillian, resting nnd warming herself by his fire after her adventures, had assured him gaily that he must find her a chaperon before dinner-time, or somehow, some-how, anyhow, she must get back to Tom, and the "Viliino dell' Oato." While Ellen, restless and suffering, had been wandering about the house at Wheatley Hills, and while Gibbs, thinking perhaps of Lillian's coming in the morning, had been dressing for his dull dinner at the club, Lillian had been experiencing her own uneasiness, too. Lindsay's devotion to her she had never questioned: it was one of the elements in her life with which her fancy liked tc play, hut she realized real-ized now' that she Juid' never truly estimated es-timated its depth and Its power. Ti.e storm was gathering in fury, and the friends to whom Lindsay was duly telephoning, one auer amnu.., regarded his gay suggestion of "getting "get-ting together for a party" as something some-thing less than mad. Finally, he had to face her ruefully with the simple summary: "Nothing doing!" There was left them the alternative of struggling out into the storm, fighting their way for more than a bitter mile to the station, getting Into the cltv bv eight o'clock, when Lillian, wet and blown, might still Join the partv at the Plaza, leaving Lindsay to dine and amuse himself otherwise as bis fancy dictated. And had Lillian foremen' the events of the following morning, she would certainly have adopted tills course at any sacrifice. Bui his house was delightfully warm, and Kioto's dinner was already dispensing dis-pensing a delicious odor. No one need ever know lhat his mother had not chaperoned Mils affair, the Japanese was discretion's self, and Lillian was no girl to be fluttered by a touch of the unexpected. More, she began to enlov the almost forgotten emotion ... terrified pleasure, the situation was full of theatrical beautv. and she her- 'I self was the leading woman. She borrowed bor-rowed a richly embroidered mandarin coat which Pepper sometimes wore about the house, and came downstairs a vision of marvelous beauty. It was not only pleasantly exciting; it was the easiest thing to do. And Lillian, above all things, loved ease. And then had come, the early trip into town, for Lindsay was leaving for Montreal, to bring bis mother home, and Lillian had to keep her engagement engage-ment with Gibbs. Lindsay was all devotion; de-votion; this attitude, In fact, was the one element In the . matter of which Lillian had taken no account. He alarmed her with the vehemence of his affection, and made her nervous and uncertain. 'She had supposed that he would leave her at the art studio, hut instead he came upstairs, and the two men talked together a few minutes. During this time Ltllian experienced exquisite uneasiness. Gibbs showed a disconcerting familiarity with old Mrs. Pepper's movements. When had she gotten "hack? How did she find Montreal? Mon-treal? "I didn't know you knew old Mrs. Pepper so well? Lillian said, when Lindsay was gone. "Oh, I see her sometimes, watching the tennis," he answered carelessly. "Now take your wraps off, and I'll have Marie bring you in some coffee !" Her big fur coat In his arms, he caught up her bare hand. "No ring?" he smiled. For he was painting her In a dull green robe, and the big jade ring she frequently wore was an excellent bit of color In the picture. If she had had the quickness to say that she had left it at home! But Lillian was not quick at best, and just now she was tired and confused. She had left it on the washstand In the bathroom next to Mrs. Pepper's room; she remembered its exact position, and she said that she would write Mrs. Pepper at once, and ask her to return it. "Well, run along, nnd get into your rig!" Gibbs said unsuspiciously. But when she had disappeared Into the little model's room, and when Marie had brought in the coffee, and when he had loitered about waiting Idly, and still she did not come, he picked up the telephone hook. As well to settle the matter quickly: the delay of a few hours might mean that the ring was swept carelessly away and lost. And so it was Gibbs' turn to have his castle of dreams fall about him in ashes. When Lillian came innocentlj back from the model-room, eager for the exquisite hour they had both been anticipating for days, he saw for the first time the woman she really was. "Your ring's all right." he said presently. pres-ently. "I telephoned. The Jap said he'd found ft." Her eyes flew to his face. She saw what he knew, and her color faded a little. "Gibbs," she said quickly and breathlessly. breath-lessly. "You know how It happened I wanted to tell you all about it, anyway. any-way. But Lindsay asked me not to. You see, it was storming horribly " Beautiful, eager, in her green robe, she poured out the story as she had arranged and adapted It in the night. And slowly mixing the colors on his palette, not meeting her eyes, Gibbs listened. There was a certain shade of yellow-brown that would always speak to him of this hideous moment, with its blare of brassy truth, and its taste of nslies. When she ended, with a wide-eyed, Innocent appeal, be smiled, and still with averted eyes, he nodded. "Blame you? No-o-o. I don't blame you. Lillian!" he said gently, after a silence. "But smile at me. Gibbs," she said. . with an uneasy laugh nnd a rather uncertain resumption of her old confident con-fident mai nor. "Or I'll have to come over there and make you smile!" Before he could speak again (he door was opened hy her husband. She knew that In the moment he had realized her deception about Lindsay Pepper she had come close to losing Gibbs. She felt a contempt for the weakness in herself that had permitted per-mitted her to risk the love of the man she really desired for the old admirer who had lost, by contrast with the new, any power to stir her. But Lillian could not think lhat Gibbs would not return lo her. He was hurt, be was sore and angry now. hul she had still, as a weapon, their dangerous danger-ous propinquity and she had slill the disturbing and appealing beauty he bad found irresistible. So Lillian played her game safely, and bided her time. This storm would blow over, as other storms had. She would need only a little patience, she would need caution. Patience and watchfulness were among Lillian's virtues. But Gibbs knew that it was all over. He had made a fool of himself, for her. he had told himself that it was only a pretty and exciting game. He had lived in the light of those dark ann magnificent eyes, he had thrilled to the touch of her smooth, warm hand. That he had never actually been false to Ellen was of small com.'ort to him now. Tne house of cards hat: ,'iilen about hlna through no heroic measure of his own. li iiH piucea himself In an undignified, In a ridiculous position, he had let her deceive de-ceive him with the rest. And wilh the revelation that she had, from sheer good-natured laziness, placed herself under Lindsay Pepper's roof for the night, and with (he bitter thought that Lindsay's coarse devotion devo-tion mount quite as much to her Insatiable In-satiable ippetlte for admiration as did ids own exquisitely expressed friendship, Gibbs' wakening had come. He could net bear to look at her now, to speak to her. He fell Into a mood of angry silence; his father's attitude of watchfulness, Ellen's voiceless voice-less question and reproach, and Lillian's Lil-lian's tireless efforts to re-establish the old order or tilings, alike infuriated him. CHAPTER X As Ellen came In with an armful of roses, the big clock In the hull began lo chime in a leisurely manner, and. glancing at It, she saw that It was twelve o'clock. Long afterward Ellen Josselyn thought of that moment, and of the events that would stamp themselves them-selves on her heart and brain before the clock chimed for another noonday. noon-day. But at the time she only reflected re-flected that luncheon was In half an hour, and she was muddy and dl- .tuUMB!) "Lizzie My Child!" Ellen Said In a Sharp Whisper. "What Are You Doing? What Were You Going to Do?" sheveled ; she would put the roses In the study, and fly upstairs to brush and change. Very often she carried flowers Into the study ; the maids were not allowed to enter the room, and the old man liked to find traces of bis daughter-in-law s aflection waiting there. Only Lizzie was in the study. She was standing, pale and staring, by the table, facing the door. She gave a little cry, helpless and forlorn, as Ellen El-len came in. Ellen's eyes flashed to her limp fingers, which lay about the beautiful shining body of a revolver on the table. Before the Utile cry, half-protest and half-whine, had died away, Ellen had sprung at her, wrenched the terrible ter-rible thing free, and flung it back Into its place In the drawer, pushed her own body "against the drawer to close It, and caught Lizzie by the shoulders, forcing the girl to face her. While they stood there, panting, the shadow of death lifted Itself slowly from the room. The fire crackled, the sunlight, pouring through green bottle-ends, fell peacefully upon the soft tones of rugs and leather chairs. "Lizzie my child!" Ellen said. In a sharp whisper. "What were you doing? do-ing? What were you going ro do?" No need to answer. Lizzie attempted attempt-ed none. She hung her iiead; her breath came on childish dry sobs. Ellen's thoughts raced. There was only one explanation of this: Lizzie was "In trouble." Ellen had noticed tear-stains about the pretty eyes more than once. She remembered now that Lizzie's mother, a village woman, had come all the way to Wheatley Hills one day, in a plumber's delivery van. to hold a mysterious but violent con versation witli the girl, who had cried bitterly. Afterward, she had explained ex-plained to Ellen that ma wanted her to gef married, and Ellen had wiseh observed that she was right not to take that step until she felt readj for It. So that was It. This gentle, con scientious little woman had been car rying that burden in her heart. Ellen made the girl sit down on tlu-great tlu-great seat by the fire, and sat ih.wn herself beside her. She kept on--kindly hand on Lizzie's shoulder, nnd fixed anxious eyes upon the tear-wei. sullen face. The older woman still felt herself to be frightened and shaken, but her tone was as quiet ns she could make It. "Lizzie my dear! That was a wicked thing to do. Can't you tell me about it? You know Tommy loves you, and I love you. Tell n,o " The tone entirely melted poor Lizzie, Liz-zie, whose breast began to-heave painfully. pain-fully. Ellen thrust her handkerchief into the girl's hand, and Ll;.zie sobbed unrebuked. wrciirhln:.' her whole body in her grief, and making stilleij sounds like a pi-rvnn stranding. I (TO F'.IJ CON'TINTED.) |
