Show A FOOL THERE WAS by H M EGBERT STRANGE sat on the veralda of oc tile gloss glosa country club and sipped ills his soda doda ile he was thinking hard so 50 hard bard that pretty I 1 mrs 11 clydla adla km bm aiona at his side topped tapped him p playfully lay fully pon neon the arm what Is the matter that you yon are arc so silent morty martyr site she asked returned mortimer 1 I was thinking gulping down d ms his drink ll Dk t qt wing range ile he had been Ih thinking Inking extremely tard bard ile he lad had teen been thinking over ills past at the age ot of thirty five four year s ago lie he had bad suddenly found hlin self elf tAns transformed formed through a mixture of ct luck and ability from a hard work ing clerk in the war to manager of i the genever powder factory at it a salary ot of fifteen thousand the pow der er factory act tiry was in in intimate touch willi the lie government at washington and was the only maker of the famous new ther thorin molite olite powder As a clerk mortimer strange had lived contentedly with lila ills wife who was a couple of yours years older than himel belf in their pretty cottage collage out aldr washington doris had worked hard for him at thirty seven tier her beauty was BBS a little faded but they had cared sincerely for each other then had corn comp the removal to gloss closs and strange found hini gelf lit in tu an entirely dew atmosphere for tile lie first time in his life he realized that evening clothes were an indispensable item in a mans wardrobe then there was abe social life and the country dub lub and lit in short lie he hall come into file of which lie had often speculated but which lie he had never thought to enter doris lind tried to keep up with the low life but the motherly little woman had bad hated the glare and glitter she pined secretly tor for the kitchen find anil the ll 11 fi fireside rIde at last she had bad ghen up tile attempt to live iners life gradually they had drifted sparl the wistful look on tits his cifes fue fae f ue was the bardet t ilian that mor timer had to bear and the friends that had grown up nil around him as if liy by magic were of the fist fast set wag mrs lydia pill cm mons for ln tiance nobody knew inhere air immon Iiii 4 was mus but she had money arid and i pent it royally not dy thought it strange that slie ghe and llor tinier firner ft nere err allavi together sk tile man fail lost ills liend head in ills dill bliey were too lot big for blin lie he flu ti little statue on a pedestal tile I 1 lie antin of if the pi ader facio factory fd clory ry none of if lil lid lillne lne entered into the whirl A staid lot he fie left led them tit nt the factory door at ilir four 0 ciolk ills life thereafter wit was hi lui ants tile the use lim of thinking in buird d labin pout illg no uge ue cried mortimer hilariously starling tit 1111 corne ini in 1 to lo itil dince loce 11 lit in the lie dunn dunes ills enigma seemed to solie rosolie rc itself lie ife knew that lie liar had the old life ll it had become ile he had von on a high post eliut lit lie had glen hostages ho stages to fortune in the shape of ills his little neglected ilife ife the lance dance with lydia emmons r ceiner to cup cap tits alg lie drew birr ou tIde ie been thinking things over liddy l lie ike began bt kan so have 1 I morty answered lydia looking curiously into Ms ills flushed face ace this cant go 0 o on I 1 want you to wine iu to europe with me and let us mart in new with my knowledge of the ie ni manufacture of rin olite I 1 can IDd any price the reich keich company nr wiio who are the agents for another rin rement would pay me a million for the process they have leave limn en trying to work me for a long kinle e and it a govern government seret Ullo altogether gether remember it Is the facto Ys property and I 1 improved it evily y hould we slave here when we dik an hune hae a palace abroad morty jouie been sleeping an weed ered lydia lightly trying not to let 1 kee ke liow how his words agitated tier her 11 I 1 love you lydia why dont you oleve 1011 ine Peau because 8 you li avent proved it low can I 1 prove it give me the hie ft formula ir 0 11 tier lier apartment in the town lydia alts M enjoying tier her afternoon nap nail the wt it day when the mald maid showed mrs strang ea in lydia who of 0 course course wu not t refuse to see her prepared tit bly for the interview in her li ahe was dressing dres bing e she pictured mind some awkward woman pi ine llillie ga gawk v k of a creature as she Plira sed d I 1 it t to herself heiselt her gelf she was sur bribed hw at the refined ned dell cute little no man who stood before tier lier title le bowld bcd mrs strange the blie in doris ala stood looking tit nt owr steadily bl hands clasped in front of tier lier du do YOU love oie my bus husband ausband band phe lie asked ladia iula lirou ions entirely at a loss IR ww 10 lo remained silent 1 have not come to you t to 0 make thoutle tr doris went on dut but you love loe mortimer find and we liae no alldren Ill dren dr eli 0 so i o that thai will make it easier U easier for what to let alln divorce me I 1 will answer you truthfully salil ydia i donot love your husband lit 1 l all then why is your name nam couple I with ills 1118 constantly why does lit hf spend nil all his time biln with you oh worst wont au ou elther either lake dike him if you yon want wani esah other or she lie ailin ill bilk to lo me wept doris clydla ydia looked at al he gerawl rawl u a int curiosity Y stir red in tier her sile she put aul ilk birr hands blind upon pon hie it bolher comans womans oman ciul iiii ders why does 1 I s lie h mean so 0 o to you she aked lie ile 14 inot mol 1111 of you von lie ile is lie ile la JR hurls indignantly 11 it II Is I 1 win fill aidi not worthy i of him 1 I have not been alile lie to live as lie ile wished me to live liv ile he Is 1 my hus husband bund and it 1 Is my illy duty to lo make him m happy I 1 want it chance to try lydia emmons wit was lill more as toun deil ded nut but I 1 dont want to t rob you of him she stani stammered tell pe me mrs nininger Nin inse inge what sort of w woman oman do 10 people penal fix that I 1 amr am bad cobbel iob bel doris ilk like a resent fill child very bud bad thoroughly valou hind and depraved 1 I dont play heed to 0 o gos gnip alp unless 1 lime hale to lint hut people in our circles circle are tf talking ilkin hit asis why I 1 cattle came to you alit what would she he think it if she knew what mortimer had asked aske tier her ldla was I 1 suddenly appalled appal leil mrs strange she suld said quietly 1 I 1 a am in not what the lie world would call a ehod woman io tuan I 1 sup poe iM maybe I 1 am naturally rully bad or I 1 never had a dogs doga chanke when I 1 was a girl but I 1 am all not hot is ag had bad 11 us some ome think do oil know I 1 have often wanted an 0 opportunity P port unity lity to wale make some sacrifice bac to show that there is some good in me it much of ii a sacrifice s so 0 far as lot husband liusa ind Is concerned mrs mra strange sl range but im going to make it I 1 urn uin going to bring him to yo your ur feet fo forever rexer doris looked up swiftly into the others face and she put tier her hands bands in adlas with the same childlike con li dence oh 1 I believe in you I 1 she cried 1 I 1 a am in so sorry for what I 1 said you are a good woman and I 1 shall tell everybody so lydia smiled and kissed her on oil the veranda of the club mortimer strange was waiting for lydia emmons lie he had been waiting most of his spare time during tile the past three days and he fie was uneasy and perplexed at not having seen her it was growing dark and a sort of jaded romance was growing in the mans soul and when tit at last she came the spurious passion that leaped up in tits his heart threatened to sweep him from tits his bearings sit she was dressed sed all in white find and there was a look on her face that reminded him though lie did not know why by of 0 doris in the days of their courtship slie she sat hat down own at ills side and they were to ther at last list as mortimer hall had hoped lie ile took her hand ldla he fie cried exultantly 1 I haie hae brought the proof with me the proof for which you asked acied lie he drew the paper from his pocket find and gaie gae it to her here Is the value of a million dollars lie said what the bribes of 0 the belch company could not effect Is yours ours you shall keep it and the proceeds as the proof of my love morty said lydia quietly did you ever tell any other kotlier woman that you loved tier her not as I 1 tell tel lyou you he answered your wife then you care for her when you asked tier her to share your life in the long ago Bl mortimer wriggled in ills his chair why do you mc mention atlo n my wife he asked I 1 because you have tile the best wife in the world and are the least deserving of her she blie answered you are a fool A lorly just a common little fool you are going to get the worst turning down that you have ever eer had bad you are going to be made to see yourself as you are a little man in a big part who lias has lost ills his bearings and taken tho the spurious for the real go home to your wife morty and ask tier lier forgiveness upon your bended knees because you need it badly the it e man inan rose furious trembling you led me of on even it if I 1 am a fool he be shouted what was your gamelien game lien you have thrown away a fortune where do you come in ldla laughed icily 1 I was promised ten thousand to get tills this for the reich company all she answered handing him filin tile the paper |