SUSPICION
&
By R. K. WILKINSON
©. Bell Syndicate. ~~WNU Service.
HERE was no real cause for It.
None other than that strange,
unexplainable inner voice that is
a woman's intuition,
Anne just began to sense the feel-
Ing of suspicion when Gregg an-
nounced he would have to stay at the
office at least one night a week.
“It's the depression,” he told her.
“We've had to let a lot of the boys
£0. Working overtime to fill In the
gap.”
Anne fought the feeling, and yet it
persisted.
Why? She couldn't find an answer.
Certainly Gregg had changed none
in his attitude toward her.
He was the same always—loving
and kind and devoted.
He'd been that way for two years.
Two years of blissful, unbelievable
happiness—as far as Anne was con-
cerned,
Suspicion is the Instigator of jeal-
ousy.
It gnaws at one's soul,
It is like a malignant disease.
Time stimulates its growth,
When one is suspicious of one's hus-
band one is apt to brood rather than
confide,
Hence there was no relief, no es-
cape from the torment,
* 4 »
At the end of two months Anne
found herself the victim of mental tor-
ture,
Her diet was affected,
She lay awake nights wondering if
Gregg really was working late every
Wednesday night, conjuring up ple-
tures of how he spent his lunch hours,
visualizing him keeping secret ren-
dezvous.
She tried mightily to cast the thing
from her mind.
Not a single Instant did she enter
tain the idea of accusing Gregz.
he thought of doing so, only to dis-
cover her fears unfounded, struck ter
ror to her heart.
Nor did she consider trying to en
trap him.
She shuddered at thoughts of sink-
ing so low as to sneak out and spy on
him,
Her love was greater than that.
And yet when, a few days later, her
closest friend, Helen Browning, said
in a jocular way:
“Saw that perfect husband of yours
out riding with a rather attractive
girl last night.” it was as If Anne had
been waiting for and expecting the an
nouncement,
She had all she could do to keep
her nerves under control, to return
Helen's light, merry grin with a forced
laugh and a bit of repartee,
So it was true?
Gregg was carrying on an affair
with another woman!
No, not Gregg!
Not dear, kind, devoted Gregg!
Not the Gregg whom she adored and
worshiped and loved more dearly with
each passing day.
Impossible !
- » »
Anne brushed the mist before her
eyes and laughed.
It wasn't true. It couldn't be.
There was some explanation for it
And yet
It was Wednesday night and when
Gregg came in the hour was past 12.
He looked wretchedly tired and mis-
erable,
Anne lay with a book In her hand
and pretended to read while he pre
pared for bed.
“These late hours are knocking me
for a loop.” He took off one shoe,
yawned, stretched.
“Had to take the stenog. home.
You'd think a stenog. would have
sense enough to live within walking
distance of her job”
Anne became rigid,
Stenographer.
Anne remembered the girl. A blonde!
It would have to be a blonde!
Sleek and young and in a cheap sort
of way beautiful!
But shallow, like most girls who
pound typwriters and chew gum.
Anne waited a week.
She was going to give Gregg every
opportunity to come to her, to be hon-
est and fair about the whole thing.
She waited a week because there
was the bare possibility that she had
been mistaken, that it was all a prod-
uct of imagination,
And during the week she walted
Anne tried to perceive in her hus
band some change, some noticeable
difference in his demeanor that would
betray his deceit.
But Gregg remained the same.
He looked tired and worn.
His features revealed the strain of
hard work, and more than once he
mentioned that if the present pace
continued to be maintained at the of-
fice, he'd be a physical wreck.
CI a
Anne found herself wishing that it
was work and work only that was re.
sponsible for his condition,
She wanted to believe he was tell-
ing the truth, and perhaps would have
succeeded had not the germ of sus
picion taken such a firm hold upon
her soul
And so when Wednesday the follow.
ing week came around Anne found her.
self no nearer a solution,
And, acting on an Impulse born of
desperation, she decided to throw all
‘sense of pride and honor to the winds,
The thing must be settled once and
for all
Ro SH
At nine o'clock Wednesday evening
Anne called her husband's office on
the ‘phone, asked If she might speak
to Gregg, and upen hearing his volce
over the wire, hung up the recelver
without speaking a word.
So far so good.
It was now 9:00.
Anne backed her own roadster from
the garage and drove down town and
parked at a spot which commanded a
view of the front door of Gregg's office
building.
*® * *
Hardly had she switched off the Ig-
nition when her heart gave a bound.
A blue coupe, with chromium cov-
ered tire racks mounted on either run-
ning board, had just pulled away from
the opposite curb.
There were two people in the car, a
man and a woman,
The man was Gregg!
There was no mistaking It.
The blue coupe with the chromium
tire covers was his, There was no
mistaking this, either,
Anne sat as If stunned.
Now that she had actually seen with
her own eyes, the revelation was more
of a blow than she had anticipated.
The shock of it had a sort of numb.
ing effect,
She sat still for five minutes.
Gradually her tensed muscles relaxed.
She moved automatically, started the
car, guiding it through traffic toward
home,
Home!
The thought sickened her, tore at
her heart,
Gregg—untrue! neredible!
Yet she had seen Well, It was
best she knew, best that the thing was
settled,
Now she could conduct herself with
some definite plan of action in mind.
Of course she'd have to leave Gregg.
his was inevitable,
The parting wonld be hard.
She pictured his looking at her.
That would be harder still—meeting
his eyes, which had always been so
twinkly and whelly lovable,
. - *®
Anne told herself she still loved him
Hers was the kind of love that went |
on and on,
It would never end
Yet it would be easier not seeing |
him |
She left her roadster beside the |
house.
It would be best to leave tonight.
Perhaps before Gregg got home,
No, that wouldn't do. ]
She'd pack first, then wait to face |
him,
The house was deathly still
It was always still and lonesome |
feeling without Gregg there.
It. always would be,
Anne's lips were grim
There was a strange calm about her,
a determination in her expression.
She hoped that the feeling of |
strength which had come to comfort
her would last until the thing was |
done,
Anne snapped on her dressing table
light and began to gather things into
a little pile
For one brief moment she thought
of Gregg and almost gave in to the
ache in her heart,
Then something happened—
Another Ii snapped on.
Anne turned.
Gregg was sitting op In bed, rubbing
his eyes, trying to adjust a sleep-
drugged mind to what was happen-
ing.
“Gregg! !
“Huh?—oh, hello, Anne. Borry 1
dropped off before you came In.
Couldn't help it. Too much work
Dead tired . . . 1 had to quit
early tonight.” )
He lay back.
“Dumb cluck of a stenog tried to
make me drive her all the way home.
I dropped her at Fifth street. . . .
Get a bus there™
His voice faded.
He closed his eyes, breathing heav.
ily in sleep.
Once he roused, brushed a hand
across his cheek with a little gesture
of impatience.
For even In slumber the sensation
caused by hot tears splashing down on
one’s face is disturbing.
Buckwheat, Asiatic Product
Buckwheat, says a Chicago scientist,
is not considered a grain at all by
botanists but is a near relative of the
common smartweed. It was first grown
as a cultivated crop In the high pla-
teaus of Tibet about 2000 years ago
and was not only used as a food but
the Tibetans concocted a drink from
it resembling our own beer. China
and Manchuria took up its cultivation
and traders introduced it to Europe
sometime during the Fifteenth cen
tury. It made its first appearance in
America about 100 years after the first
English colonies were founded. Its
cereal products and buckwheat cakes
have become so desirable that now the
United States raises about 9,000,000
bushels annually.—Pathfinder Maga-
zine,
The Island of Napoleon
Elba, the Island of Napoleon, is the
largest island In the Tuscan archi
pelago and forms part of the prov.
ince of Leghorn. While its real fame
attaches to Napoleon, its material
fame Is In its wealthy iron ores, its
climate and fertile soil. During its
history, Elba has involved the Sara
cens, the people of Barbary, the Plsans,
the Genoese, French, English and
Spaniards in warfare, Today it is
part of the kingdom of Italy. The
villa of Ban Martino, an unpretentious
building, was altered by Napoleon as
a residence for himself, but today
there is nothing left of the furniture |
of his time,
HARD TIMES IN
“Depression,”
ships by his dream of cornering
Press,
remain neglected and almost forgot- | service,
ten with the island itself,
oh 78 2]
300 ROOMS
lp Mle EIEN
single b
FYE ER DOUBLE )
Away back in 1815, the year after
Great Britain and Uncle Sam had
made peace, Lieutenant Colonel Me.
Donall, commander of the British
fort at Mackinae island, recelved the
news that Mackinae had gone to the
Yankees under the treaty, He had
to find a new fort for his country,
and having his mind set on bigger
and better strongholds, he ferried to
Drummond island, which commanded
the traffic of the lakes. Here he
started his building operations, de
spite the fact that the British ex
chequer sent no cash for the purpose,
By the time the second winter
came, things began to slip. Perhaps
credit became tight, Certainly fresh
meat and vegetables, lime juice, and
even vinegar ran out altogether, The
for they were
subsisting wholly on salt provisions,
Surgeon Mitchell tells that the meats
had become unwholesome, and by the
latter part of June, 14 men had died
men contracted scurvy,
John J. Bigsby, who visited the
LINCOLN
341h to 45th Sty. of Bk Avene
73
J
Lincoln and Indian Head Peunles of all
{| dates wanied Ne pa ip to $47 sach Send
i 10e for buying catalog. Chiesge Numis-
| matie Co, 111 W., Jackson Blvd., Chicage.
OLD GOLD BOUGHT
New High Prices Paid |
Mail us any old jewelry or pieces
fort in 1826, indicates that the de |
pression was beginning to lift, for he | WANTED
writes of the following menu: it » 80 Wor
“A small square lump of highly | P24]
of gold; you will receive a check |
by return mail. If payment is not
satisfactory, return check and we
will return your gold.
fi
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Every one of the thirty-three drivers
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chose and bought Firestone High Speed
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