Miss Lulu Bett

upper, Mrs. Bett had fallen silent, had in fact refused to reply when addressed. When all was ready and Dwight

," said Ina, grievin

oyance, and stood outside his m

ans

e and have s

ans

ur muffins was just

ans

mething funny to

showed nothing but anxious concern, touched with regret, at his failure. Ina, too, returned from that door discomfited. Dwight made a gallant effort to

er for being seen with him. It depended on mood, and this mood Di had not the experience to gauge. She now

d just expression in

downtown in the

et me go l

ason why you shoul

hy not all have ice cream...." He was all gentleness

e, her terrible fear were in

Dwight could not do

"Goody! goody! Last time

going to take you t

having been nicely stru

you must eat more sup

re." Monona's look w

ce. You must eat o

N

ice cream soda for

But she passed her plate. She

Ina said to Dwight. "The only trou

t Herbert diagnosed it. "Oh, bigger bites th

en proceeding al

ake Jenny and Bobby

y. The wh

t to pay for

ously-and less punctiliously added: "Nonsen

gement with Bobby. I

ust set that aside-that important

t to be the one to

ill you be more careful of your gra

her. Their moral defection was evident to her, but it was indefinable. They told her that she ou

owing a third of an egg at one imp

girl!" cried she, s

lously applied, would have clarified the ethical atmospher

na had been excu

from the brid

it's been a week

e were th

nnah, Georgia, but Ina played his game, told

"why they should go straight to O

back, and shone pleasantly in the reflected

of Lulu's letters," Ina p

had but two

it's only been a month. Bu

her brain had the blood in it at the moment seemed

ss with which she sometimes looked at Monona and Di. She sprang up. She had forgotten to put some supper to warm for mamma. The lovely light was still in her face as she bustled about aga

ut she contrived to give to her arbitrary refusal a quality of contempt. When Jenny arrived with Bobby, she had brought a sheaf of gladioli for Mrs. Bett, and took them to her in the kitchen, and as she laid the flowers beside her, the young girl stopped and kissed her

ave 'em," the o

se complainings she listened, and to whom she tried to tell the small events of her day. When her n

d pleasant when the family returned. D

"who is it sits home and has ice c

ocolate?" Mrs.

Ina cried, with the

s better," M

ver the railing. Monona sat pulling her skirt over her feet, and humming all on one note. There wa

one came up the walk. Th

ett!" Dwight cried involuntari

ou know?"

Know

Lulu Deacon.

others, and kis

idly. "And I just ate up t

s voice rose and swelled

rite to you?

s. "All we've had we had from you

rgia," said Lu

ittle tilting hat and a drooping veil. She did not seem in any wise u

, isn't he?" Dwight demanded.

o Oregon by this

ego

d Lulu, "he ha

t!" exclaimed D

fifteen years and he thinks s

. "Why, of course she's

be sure,"

Ina now cried out: "Monona!

r to," said Monon

amma tel

ut

non

r time about it. Everything was suspended while she

th tardy apprehension. "Luli

"my husband was

hink of anything like

!" Dwight cried. "

tone, with her old m

ornia and up the coast." On this she paused and sighed. "Well, then at Sa

d he say?" Dwight

married him down in San Diego, eighteen ye

us know of it, if sh

Then in South America, after two years,

story," said Dwig

. And she never has been, so he thinks she must be dead. The tro

said Ina, "couldn

said Lulu simply, "and I didn

t he say so here?" Ina

hought about telling us right there in the restaurant, but of course

l, then?" demanded Ina, wh

ht Herbert brought out these

nly just at first. Of course that wouldn't have be

ur choice?"

hances. He gave me my choice when he

by then, that you ought t

thinking about i

lu sat looking out

as it happened, I kind of wish he h

began to cry. "You p

o understand all. Now she too wept, tossing up her hands and

bad too,"

Dwight. "He

sobbed. "It's

th feel bad, or I wouldn't have come home. I knew," she add

a broke in, "nobody

ed her, wit

n her monotone. "Peop

e was an edge. Then too he said "do not," a

they think?" Lulu

does it make wh

t like-you see they might-why, Dwigh

igamy in this family is something th

at him with

I never thought ab

you think it was? And wh

's," sa

And I'm here. Folks'll feel sorry for you.

tell, what'll t

think when a wife leaves her husband. They'

hate that,

hate the other,

a. "Let's go in the house

t plucked at her retur

"was his other wi

ther. She w

rds. "Then that ain't so bad," she said.

, "it wasn't th

ters, she quarrelled and resented,

his crisis, the Deacons entered their parlour. Dwight li

! You expect, I take it, to make your hom

el

Ninian give y

get home on. And I kept my suit-why!" she flung

rms, and of course I'm quite willing that you should. Let me tell you, however, that

he looked back at him, quivering, and in

ey'll talk anyway. But this way they'll only talk a

ut the other way w

"My dear Lulu," he said,

ur

e give you

oof

rt? Any sort of assurance th

Lulu. "Proofs-

told

do. It was terrible for him to have to

that he might have told you that because

weakly at them, and within her closed lips her jaw was slightly fallen. She s

cried, and moved to

He was always imagining things-you saw that. I know him pretty well-have been more or less in

ued to rub

ught of that

asively, "hadn't you and he had s

. Why, we weren't a b

nd from her heart

not," Dwigh

o." She found the pins and took off her hat. "He liked the red wing," she said. "I wanted black-

mounted. His manne

d keep silent and protect my family from this scandal.

wn pr

, but rose and m

Ina begged. "We just couldn't h

you in the past. You also have it in your hands to decide whether your home here continues. That is not a p

on, into t

n she thought she was?"

ona. Yes-Dwight thinks she's married all rig

kes," said Mrs. Bett, and lef

Monona upstairs

nd hear my prayer

airs next morning, Lu

r curving tone, "if thi

like old times, and broug

hew," Mrs. Bett volunteered. She was wholly affable, and held cont

gauged the moment to call for good cheer. Ina, too, became breezy, blithe. Mo

er about anything, nor anything to anybody else about Auntie Lulu being back. Under these prohibitions, w

mazingly herself. She took her old place, assumed her old offices. When Monona

like escaping steam, "isn'

don't ask any m

ell Bobby and Je

anything at a

a. What ha

ls you. Don't you th

, had not thought so for a lo

ttle girl or are you ou

ably, "but I think you're trea

ashed by the accident of re

nded them forlornly, "a

o," boomed

w's and there imparted understanding by the simple proce

hief," displayed a hole, sent his Ina for a bett

thing, but I haven't N

el

sh you'd gi

would seem," he said, "that you have no re

t it. You have it,

nly I h

wn for me?" She had ready a b

hing? Why not he sensible and leav

ldn't I have

over between you

he's still

tion as plainly as I judge that he has, it is certai

't give

lu, in all

oloured borders for him to choose from. He chose the initial that

orch that evening, whe

hearing that Lulu had an errand, added still more si

own which they had never seen, and w

t me this," s

better to keep, well-out of sight for a

Lulu

e wondering ti

far as I'm concerned," said

ever spoke to me like that i

lack and white figure goin

d Ina, "as if Lulu had on clothes bought

ho has left her,"

r, she was there; had been there the greater part of the

little girl," said Dwig

" said Di stoutly. "And I th

D

to think anything else. I'

Dwight, "no need

mained expressionless, but it must have

h firmness. "The truth is, Lulu's husband has t

-how awful f

ight, "has us t

down the main

ere's somebody behind the vines at Mis' Martin's. He

met her, and every one cried

Lulu Bett any more, is it? Well, wh

to stay,

handsome husband of yours? Say, but w

eacon isn

O

He's

I s

rsation die like this, could invent nothing

office-with only one or two there had she to go through her examinatio

here was one strange to her, a slim youth

," said Lu

yes warmed by the words on

e the address of

mean Dwight D

From Oregon. I thought he might have gi

ress here. Say, why don't you send it to his b

ulu said absurdly

e pretended not to see a familiar face. But when she passed the mirror in an insurance of

ght, almost in I

her confi

were in the dining-room now, all save Di, who was on the porch with Bo

not reply. He looked at her speculatively. Where had she gone, with whom had she talked, what had s

you see?"

named

o talk to?"

hey had al

hey say?" I

or Ninian, Lulu sai

story with which she had come home. It might be all over town. Of course, in that cas

Lulu, "I want N

to him!" Ina cri

for the proofs th

atiently, "you are not the one

e, originating and dying i

licacy that I want to be sur

a movement which seemed to us

with my brother," he said. "

feet. "Write to h

d Dwight, lif

als from their casual lodgments on shelf and table. She set all

ulu, don't

didn't know whether he had another wife, or not, an

sake, nor even to stand by another woman. She was primi

why not let Dwight do it in his

: Now, no matter what Dwight's

Mrs. Bett was eating cardamom seeds with exceeding gusto, and Lulu

et down. Take off you

t a quiet face which h

d you make him tell you so you'll understand. I

ose you're going to tell it all over

town," said Lulu, "just as it i

d Ina. "Oh,

said Lulu

imagined Lulu looked capabl

ut of this house,

d his Ina. "Oh

Dwight. "I will.

house anyway," said Lulu, "unless you get Nini

other? And In

rything,"

along without Lulu." She did not say

ewise look, with a manner of peering

nexpressible. "Isn't that like a woman?" he demanded. He rose. "Rather t

his hand elaborately curved in secr

down with you to

ed. His Ina watched him

roved about the room. "Where's my beautiful straw hat? There's nothing like

right, mother

These cardamon hev got a lit

Dwight discussed the in

o avoid having a scene-you know that." His glance swept a little a

en to Ninian about it," she now dared to sa

whom has she got

nian," s

o tell you the truth, I was perfectly amazed at th

but, D

said. "Oh, it

fun, in the

nice woman-" he

lu is nice.

ould you have done

tened, took his homage, acce

astes are not fine like yours. I sh

fteen years of married life behind her-bu

the position she's in-married to a man who tells her he has

e man-" Ina di

never be in such a position. No, n

r lower lip with her upper, as might be in

is wife. "Di," he said, "was

itted to stay until ten. From the veranda came th

mur, "Bobby, you don't kiss me as if y