V
Tenth Installment |
Sent in Chican". Oik morning two years
Cfer ?ho woke, aiter a fall from her horse,
her memory restored, to find herself. a? Fril ? .
? wife of Neil Packard, rich Caliform.
fruit t>ack?r. She determined to tell nobody
of her predicament but set about Jearninu
what she could of her life in the interval.
From the conversation of her ft lends am
Liters In her desk she gathered thut she
been a heartless, pleosure-lovinit younc wo
man. One letter that troubled her was from
a woman sittnintr herself oojihie, bjamjna
Frills for licit sivliiu a home to a baby Sophie
was carlnu for, Could it be her baby, hrilU
?ordered t She also found herself involved
III an affair with a man named Maitland.
In San Francisco, where she went while her
husband was away on business, she met
Robert Ainsworth. a poet whose work she had
always admired. When Joyce returned home,
(he decided to be pleasanter to Neil than
'rills had been. lint this line was daiiReroua,
too. for .Veil was lutheticallv anxious to win
back Frill's luve, MAV (iO ON WITH nit
STORY.
iin""1?- i ? ? i " ? 1 11 ? ?
"Can you stand it to have only me for
dinner this once:" asked Joyce.
"Whoopee! Just ask me. can I!" he
replied. "You know that, Frills, old kid.
I'll go up and wash and be right down
?gain."
When Packard camc down the stairs
Joyce divined his intention to kiss her
again, and she moved toward the tim
ing room immediately, saying, "Dickie
eats with us. At least he sits at table
and snaps tip what' favors he can per
suade me lo give hint, don't you, dar
ling? He his his regular dinner in the
kitchen." .
"Where do you want Ins chair? in
quired Packard politely. "Here you are,
boy, get tip and let's sec how good your
table manners are."
Thi\v sat down opposite each other at
the small round table with Dickie be
tween them. Joyce was struck by the
lingering bewilderment on Packard's
facc. There seemed to be something
he couldn't quite understand, but he
asked for no explanations. H
"Gee! it's good to be home again,
he began. "I sure do hate Chicago.*'
She asked poiilcly, "Was the con
ference a success.'"
Packard stared. .
Joyce flushed. "Oh, is it somcthn*
I'm ncyaipposed to ask about: nish
inp into uic first remark which occur
red to hi r in an iffort t? ? c> < v C!" her
embarrassment
"Good Lord, no I" he exclaimed |
hastily. "Only . . . only . . ." he hesi* '
tated, r I'm sorry, Frills, I can't keep up ]
with you. You've jumped nic so hard ]
about talking shop and said so often
you didn't give a damn about what hap
pened so long as you didn't have to
near about it that "
"Well, I don't want to know every
thing that happened. I just wondered if
you had a successful trip in general,"
said Joyce. She began to wonder if
Frills had ever had a decent word for
anyone.
"Oh, sure, we fixed up what 1 went I
imr and got the new branch office plan
n?d out and ready tor business, lie
?3d.
"Sam said there was a fire at the
plant here," remarked Joyce casually,
Tlbut almost no damage done. Had you
heard about it?"
"Yes, I called up from the city before
I came down. But, tell me what you've
been doing with yourself, Frills. How's
every one in the gang? Doc been in
much?"
"Don't know. I just got home today
rayielf." replied Joyce. "I haven't seen
anybody I know for nearly two weeks.
The first two days after you went they
wouldn't let me alone, and I wanted
to be auiet. so I walked off and went
tip to the city alone."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
Packard ate for a few moments with
his eyes fastened on his food. Joyce
understood without doubt that he
didn't believe she had spent all that time
in San Francisco alone. Why should
he? Suddenly she knew that she wanted
him to believe it. It was perfectly ob
vious to her the he loved Frills and
that he was a little afraid of her.
Joyce wondered with a sudden thump
of her heart how he would like a baby
?round the house. If she could only
oik him about that baby in New York.
"I promised Dickie to throw a stick
for htm/' she said as they left the table,
"if you care to Join us, come along,
and she ran across the terrace and down
the wide stone steps to the stretch of
lawn at the top of the garden, without
waiting for a reply. Packard lighted a
cigarette and followed her more slowly.
By the time he joined them she was
racing around with Dickie, having a
oV^ly game and secretly amused to
wonder what he thought of the unusual
sight of Frills enjoying a childishly
simple pleasure of this kind.
Sne turned to htm and asked very
abruptly. "Are you very tired after
your trip?"
"Gooa Lord, no!" he answered,
evidently startled, "why?"
"It's going to be glorious moonlight
in a few minutes. Let's go for a horse
back ride." His look of blank amaze
ment at this suggestion caused her heart
to sink for a moment. Suppose he re
fused I A gust of angry impatience
struck her. If they didrvt hurry, some
body would come and spoil her plan !
"What's *the matter? Afraid it'll
cause a scandal if any one discovers
you've ken out with your own wife?"
she demanded.
"Hell !" grinned Packard, "I should
worry about that. Hut you can't blame
me for , . . for wondering if I'd heard
you right. You ? we haven't spent many
evenings together lately."
There was something in his voice
which hurt Joyce a little. She had nut
found him exactly interesting so far,
but she already liked him enough to be
sorry for the way Frills had been treat
self just 4 nee without shrieking over
it?" /
"Oh, sure, only it's . . . it's not exactly
like you."
Joyce, torn between impatience and
amusement, answered, "Well, whatever -
I do is mc isn't it?"
Packard made no reply to this, but a
little later on he said earnestly, "Look
here, sweetheart, I stopped to sec
mother today on my way down: She'd
i like awfully to ... be friends with you.
fii
?is *
&4
"Are you afraid it'll c=usc a sc:,n<?.il if cnyons discovers you've been
o'.-t with your own w>fs?"
?..? iiim. -U'cij. !t> t<\: - -V /j*?.;
..lie 1. "I'm ! ";T- t?* ?< ' } - . "
lvr.1t t.. ctOK'. a'l rfehi.
! ,!:vn'c:i oil;: >*.
fur the t-rst I ire. \." vl ' U
ciu.u;:h i?m *atety? Could she hand..
Ro.U'U? .
P.ut Packard acc^tcd with nt
further questioning "I H tell Mm to
saddle un while wo ret nt-* wir things,
he said. "Run on hi. d;ulir,T. j.ct s ?*:??
out lvforc any of the pans stows ?5> ?
" I* ke l>i?, :.' v :"t ' 'r IV0 . ,:1
U . :i S im." -..hi Mvc. "iid. luud li..:
with excitement. ?to rxred into ths I
house and upuairs to her K'! c *i
where the !>n,eeedc"i to kick ? it oci st-i- I
pers and pull l?cr dress over her hcai j
as lapMly as possible. She was j'.i?t ;
drawing her -I units on v.u a she heard
Packard cross the l'-v>hoo;n and gu
through to his dressing room.
Scarcely five minutes !;.ter u'.cy were
hurrying downstairs and out to tho
stable.
She noticed as they rode off slowly
that Neil kept eyeing her in an ap
prehensive fashion. She decided he
must be worrying about the accident
she had had and probably wondering
wliat mad idea tlic moonlight would
inspire in her tonight. Well, ii he were
looking for trouble of that kind he
would be disappointed !
"Want a cigarette, dear?" he asked
once, holding out his case toward her
as they rode close together on a short
level stretch along the hills. Joyce ac~
cepted it but did not dare to try light
ing it while they were moving.
"You light it, please." She handed it
back to hiin.
"That gives me permission to kiss
you," he remarked, smiling as he
handed her back the lighted cigarette.
"But who wants to kiss his own
wife?" retorted Joyce, urging Rosita
into a quick trot.
"Here's one man who does," he re
plied, easily catching up with her. Rid
ing close to her horse he put his arm
around her and tried to draw her to
ward him. Joyce was alarmed, this
time not so much at the prospect of be
ing kissed as at the danger of such
reckless actions while on horseback.
"Oh, please don't!" she exclaimed
hastily, you make me " she had
been about to say, "you make me
nervous," when she was struck by the
absurdity of Frills Packard saying any
thing like that.
Packard looked surprised, but he
obediently fell away a little. Joyce was
undecided whether to be contemptuous
of him for his lack of spirit or to
conclude that his experience with
Frills/when he crossed her, had prob
ably been so unpleasant that he had
learned his lesson thoroughly.
Try as she would, Joyce could not
keep Robert Ainsworth from her
thoughts. The beauty of the night
brought vividly to mind his delightful
personality. It would be so perfcct with
the right man !
Joyce wondered most of the way
back if her silence puzzled Neil very
much. She would have chatted willingly
enough, but nothing except dangerous
remarks seemed to occur to her. Neil
was little help for he too rode in
silence. What was he thinking? Look
ing at him she thought with amusement
"Prunes !"
"Don't you feel well, Frills? You . . .
you're sort" of quiet tonight," said
Packard, in what Joyce< described to
herself as a "cautious voice."
i "I feel absolutely wonderful!" she
retorted with spirit, "can't I enjoy my
W'\ !l't yen, pi^nso? I'd Rive any'u.'ig
i.i the world nr you'd ro to see her and
ju? i he :iite to her a few minutes. Yon
needn't fi ' r.ften or spend much lime
there, kit if yen . . . she's so anxious
!?; have thin?:' friendly. U's tough on
her. my being her mil v son and my wife
never going tr? sec hvr. She's gettinif
old. yru kt'nv. "
I'.efi re N'cil stopped Joyce felt a
it mp if?*inin-; mtr? her throat. Hi-s
..?ire was s>' pleading .?nd so ?r <
i in. S'v timer. ;Kred the sweet
, i:\i\ti ....naii .. !:? -sc picture she had
I found in !vs tic- k drr.v.ir, and how
ii e v.viu.?Te.i ii his mother were
st:!1 living.
"V\c!i, ail rsuht, I'll make a date
with you 1?j t Ul ;ne to see her to
morrow. I w ;; i? a Ion?." and was
a little phased with herselt for her
diplomacy.
Her prompt acceptance surprised
i.nn, she saw, hut he seized upon it
i gtalef::!ly. "Thanks ;? lot. We could
I take a run out there before dinner.
Ci'tild you he ready at about five?
Or would that interfere with any
thing you're doing? We don't have
to. tr<> tomorrow, you know."
"'Wv we'll po at five. If you for
get or let any business interfere
you'll have hard work making any
more dales with me ? for anything,"
re lu; ted Joyce.
, 1 H he there, I'll tell the world.
(Ice, Frills, that's sweet of you. You
know how much mother means to
me."
Joyce rode on in silence thinking
fast and furiously. If she could do
things like this for Packard surely
--he needn't feel that all the giving
vvas on his side, even though she re
fused him herself. She could give him
more of her company than Frills
had; she could eliminate all cause
'or jealousy with Maitland; she could
make his house more of a real home.
Or was it too late to do that? And
could she follow out such a plan
without misleading him as to her
feelings?
Well, she had made enough con
cessions for such a short timel The
future must somehow take care of
itself.
As, on foot once more, they ap
proached the house from the terrace
side, Joyce heard voices: and when
they entered the living room they
were immediately surrounded by a
welcoming group who had evidently
been waiting for their return.
"Well, what do you know? Frill's
been riding in the moonlight with
her husband! Hot stuff! Somebody
telephone the scandal to the papers."
The company consisted of Doc El
lison, Ross and Clarice Emery, Char
he Bates, and Art Bclmain. Joyce
wondered where the other women
were.
"Don't suppose you got any golf
while you were East, did you, Neil?"
asked Art Belmain.
"Not a round," replied Packard. \
J he men proceeded to talk coif
and business.
A?r the party bro're up, Dr. Elli
son said in an aside to Joyce, "Say,
Frills, you're looking much better
than you did two weeks ago. Has '
your head bothered you any lately?"
Continued Next Week
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