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Show Dousr and Dai By R. n. WILKINSON Associated Newspapers. WNU Features. DOUG PAYNTER came into the dining room and saw his wile's pbeketbook lying conspicuously in the bowl on the table which she used for a centerpiece. He picked it up 'and opened it- Bills and loose change were stuffed carelessly inside. in-side. Doug's mouth set grimly. He stalked into the bedroom where Dai was sitting at her dressing table arranging ar-ranging her hair. "How many times have I spoken to you about leaving your pocket book lying around in plain sight?" Dai inserted the last pin in her chestnut brown hair. "A thousand at least," she replied brightly. "Would you mind not bothering me now, darling. I'm in a frightful hurry." hur-ry." She selected a cerise dress from the closet and dropped it over her head. A white line appeared around Doug's mouth. "Dai, this is the end." "The end of what, darling?" "My endurance. I can't put up with it any longer. Your careless- -ness, I mean." "Oh, for heaven's sake, Doug!" "I'm quite serious, Dai. If I were a rich man it would be different. It wouldn't matter if ten or twelve dollars dol-lars were stolen." "Stolen? Oh, Doug, that is funny! I've never had a cent stolen from me in my life." "Abe Firbush had never been hit by an automobile until last week. Now he's dead." "Oh, for heaven's sake!" "You can stand there and say 'for heaven's sake" from now till Doom's day. I'm finished." She looked up suddenly, her eyei wide. "Finished? Doug, you're not serious. Not just because I left" "It isn't just what happened today. It's every day, all the time. Not only leaving your pocketbook around, but carelessness in everything you do." She stared at him, seeing for the first time the grimness in his eyes, the white line about his mouth. "Very well, Doug," she said quietly. "If that's the way you want it." It wasn't as easy as he expected it would be. Before two days had passed Doug decided he'd rather have Dai back with all her careless habits than anything in the world. But pride and stubbornness forbade him calling her up. If he had thought that she might get in touch with him, beg his forgiveness, promise prom-ise to do better in the future, he was bitterly disappointed. He looked at his watch. Four forty-five. In fifteen minutes he would be through work. He would leave for home. Home! A rooming house on Blossom street. A lonely dinner in a near-by restaurant. He sighed deeply and picked up the evening eve-ning paper. Almost instantly his eye fell on an item on the front page. "Occupants of Apartment House Robbed by Masked Bandits. More than three thousand dollars taken ' from residents of 184 Astor street."- "Good heavens!" Doug sat bolt upright. That was his address. Dai must have been one of the victims. A horrible fear gripped him. He seized the phone, dialed his insurance insur-ance company. "Hello, Joe? This is Doug Paynter. Did my wife cash in some insurance policies with you today? She did? ,Oh, Lord! Well, thanks. So long." He rang the bell of the apartment. After a long time he heard a step. Then the door opened. It was Dai. Obviously she had been crying. "Dai!" "Oh, Doug!" He took her into his arms, holding hold-ing her close, talking to her comfortingly. com-fortingly. "I got here as soon as I could, honey. I just read it in the paper. You poor kid." "Read what in the paper, Doug?" She sniffled. "About the robbery," he said, handing her his handkerchief. "Oh, that." She blew her nooa vigorously. "It was pretty awful." "Did they get it all all the insurance insur-ance money?" She shook her head and stuffed the handkerchief back into the pocket of his coat. "They didn't get any." She smiled at him. "They didn't look in the right places. You see, when I got home with the money I dropped it in the bowl on the dining-, room table and neither of the bandits ban-dits thought to look there. The police officer who came to investigate said I was ..awfully clever, because thieves never look in the most obvious ob-vious places. Oh, Doug, you do love me, don't you? You are coming back? And you'll never leave me again, will you?" Doug took a deep breath. "Yes, yes and no," he said and kissed her. |