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"The truth of the matter is," Charles Page flung aside his breakfast napkin, pushed back his chair, and glowered across the table at his young wife, “the truth ofthe .matter is that you're no longer in love with me. In fact, l don‘-t believe you care a hang about nie any more."

Mariana raised her lovely brows. ‘A faintly humorous smile touched her lips. ‘ ‘

“Really, Charles, it's absurd to talk of love at the breakfast table."

Charles’ response could best be interpreted as a. growl.

"Don't put me off with smart nonsense!" ‘

He recaptured‘ his napkin and began s. restful attack on an ap- petizingly broiled acke i.

Marina's smile became s. laugh.

"You'll let repartee wait on appetite any time, won't you, deari"

He scowled with attempted ferocity. it was hard for him to scowl. His round, goodmstured. pink and white face was given to smiles. Usually he laughed, show- ing very white, even teeth, and his blue-grey eyes danced.

Mariana surveyed him amused-

1y-

"Yowre really interesting when you're cross." she remarked with delicate malice. "l can almost he crssy about you when you look like that."

He put down his knife and fork. . '

"Since you feel that way about me," he said deliberately, "l dare

‘nay it's only a question of time

until some other chap comes along and takes my place."

Mariana sighed softly. Her dark eyes wandered to the sunlit terrace outside the breakfast room. 1t ‘was a pretty vista, rolling greensward, massed lilacs in full bloom, forsythia and brides-wreath like drifted snow against the fresh young green of newly-leafed trees. A Japanese cherry tree in blossom swayed gently in the spring breeze and sent forth its feathery petals an little fragrant clouds.

Charles, taking advantage of her averted face, watched her with his heart in his eyes. His gale was hungry, wistful.

“Oh l say, honey," he burst forth finally, “can't you stir up a little (bit of the old romantic feeling about me? l love you so!"

Mariana brought her gaze back geluctantly from the garden.

"I might," she said cruelly, "if you had a waistline.”

He winced.

“But, honey, I'd be likely to re- duce a lot if you'd only try the Canadian camp stuff with me this summer, as I've asked you to, instead of going to Newport or Bar Harbor or some other fool place gwherelll drink more cocktails than are good for me and eat seventeen-course dinners and think I've done a ‘lull-day's work if l sake a swim‘ every afternoon."

"But while you were regaining your youthful figure, l should he losing my mind. I detest the yvoodsrall hugs and canned food and no hairdressers!"

Charles shrugged and served himself another slice of mackerel.

"l wish you were more like your sister!” be muttered. "She's crazy about camping."

"But Dork; is positiveiy-duqed," protested Mariana. "Just to look at her makes one think of cold plunges and twenty-mile hikes. She likes queer people, too—-guideg and North Shore fishermen~Southern moonshiners-shell talk of any- body!"

“One of the best philosophers I've ever known was a chap I ran across in the Tennessee mountains

. one time,” Charles defended his favorite hobby. “Trouble with you,'

"Darling, please don't. When a fat marusigha, l always have the alarming teeling of a balloon . in danger of a pinpricki"

Charles pushed back his chair and rose from the table. His round ruddy face was rather ps/thetio in its hurt.

A stab of coiitrition brought Mariana to her feet. She flunl herself into his arms with a flun-y of pale primrose chiffons.

Her ownarms, emerging white and slim from the sable-edged sleeves of her morning gown, went round his neck and she laid her smooth cool cheek against hil-

"That was beastly of meTFor- give me, l really do love you.

When Charles, reassured, and radlantihad sone out. she whim!“ ed to the window and watched him idly as he went down the walk to his waiting car. And between her eye and his heavy, 91'0""? figure floated the vision of Craii Cullum. the star of the play she had seenthe night before. Charles turned to wave at her as he settled back in the car..and Mariana, wav- ing hack, wondered why she both- ered to keep up any pretense of romantic love between them.

MARIANA FINDS ‘HQR IDEAL

Mariana reclining on a chaise lounge in her pretty sitting room mueingly recalled the happenings of the night before. _

SShe had just been resigning her_ sell -to one oi’ her usual bored even- ings at home with Charles when she was called to the phone. Over the wire came the voice of her best friend and conﬁdante. Linda Har- yington.

"Mariana what are. you doing? Don't you and Charles want ‘to go with us to see Craig Cullsm in his new play? Colonel Thompson asked us to use his ihox."

Mariana had accepted without hesitation. What slife saver! Even if the play should he dull it couldn't be worse than a tete a tete with Charles who would he sure to retire as soon as common politeness would permit and leave her to while away a lonely evening.‘ when she returned to the living room Charles was not to be seen‘ and she found him ﬁnally in his room garbed in a house coat, amok» lug his favorl-ts briar pipe, and turn- ing with snticipation the pages of a new scientlﬁc ihook on his bed- side table. ‘ "You so on. lihrians," '11s said easily. "You'll -be all right with Alan and Linda and i'm dead tired." Mar. iana made no reply. It was a mat. ts;- of absolute indifference to her whether he went or not.

Harrington had talked of the wou~ deriiui Craig thiilam.

“You'll adore him, Mariana! He's Dﬂriecliiy gorg she rhapsodlr-

s .

“Oh come, Linda, he's an actor," laughed Mariana. "Save your trans. ports for somebody real."

"Wait until you see him," Mrs. Harrington warned darkly. “You'll be as bad as the rest of ns." Arrived at the theatre, Mariana chose a chair in the rear of tbs box iAt that moment, the lights were lowered, the orchestra trailed oﬂ in the overture and the curtain slowly rose.

Mariana was bored ifrom the start. Bhe ﬁdgeted restlessly iu her chair, despite Dlnda Harrington's re. proachiul glances.

Finally, half way through the ﬁrst act, there was sn expectant hush on the stage. The characters turned toward the great stairway.

Mai-lane's "eyes ldllowed theirs listlsesly.

iA man in dashing uniform stood there, with the curionslithe glance

All the way to the theatre Linda m‘

‘hi’

"f; , i "_ s" w“ "f a I wands: leave any husband for him?” .

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with | "o clan fQXITIOI

Pride forced a was shrill Min-Mi"

Mariana.

“He's attractive-cit course. But don't yon randy he "may he Pith" ‘unposihle off sins‘? u

would‘ ylou like to ﬁnd out? in. quired n a.

Mariana shook her head. She meant it, too. The stage character appealed to her siarvinz 98MB 01'

role admirably. l!" 1t was the com. oisstimi of the two which stirred

gratifying consciousnes that there was, in the world, someone who seemed to emibody all the .A st-trac time shg demanded oi a mail- . Mariana, as she driﬂQil-“PQ h“ earlier interest in Chariiﬂ» h"

tn atrai character- gntlfitclwgl. sdiecohnd experienced difficulty in coniur-ln, 1w I 10"’ who satisﬁed nei- extremely futili- ioue requirements. She had never met anyone, since she had ceased to

who was srtiflciently attractive to think twice about.

But in Craig Cullam, she was con. iident she hid found her idel-li Throughout the remainder of the play, she sat entranced, photosravh- ing his image on her brain, storing away i.n her memory every trick oi’ his attractive voice. The theatre party had rallied her on her absorption. ‘They accused her of being another victim of Craig Cullam’s. Mariana had only smiled sweetly, myaterlously_

But now, as the scent of cherry blosoms drifted in through the open- ed windows and stirred her languid blood with its subtle, disturbing perhime that breathed of adventure in lfar oi! lands, she summoned from her IIBUOP] -the image of the

in the romantic scenes of the play the night before.

LQVE l8 FOUND WANTING

Doris Sumner, dropping in upon her sister somewhat later, inter-

At Doris’ entrance, she looked up with a little exclamation of pleasure and lazily indicated a chair.

"Where on earth have you been?

months!"

“Busy with the “hstter-millrfor- babies" drive, and acting as secre- tary pro tom dor the woman's Poli- tical League while Mrs. Amos l-iun. ter Deering was in Europe."

Doris tosed a smart little hat on the desk and gazed around the lux- urious room with a faint air oi dus-

e. "l say, Mariana, it's obvious you didn't have my coloring in mind when you had your place decorated.

iThis primrose stud makes me look

seasick ..nd incidentally, old dear, your perfume makes me feel it. Iliad if l open a window?"

Mariana shrugged assent and Dorris swung a casement ajar, pick-

DORl8.)8UMNER

"mlncm The n“; himself WON tilaklllﬂﬁlills P-hydmmv

her_ Th; man, as a man, meant lit-l tie u. her. and vet '1" M‘ ‘ "m" w»

regard Charles as a romantic ideal.‘

1 haven't seen you for months and!

' Doria chuckled. . ' ‘

"Does that make him any the less Clmrlesl Theoueation ia-did you marry him for his soul or for his waistline?" '

"i married him because l thought i loved hlrn," ensured Maris"- '1

ladimired him because he was big,

i blond. l-le had a “d “m” “A then-hut 'nowi-—" shale?“ h" “m” i“ ‘ howl“! s '1 '-- -

4mm’ my den; little sister, 011D the situation were reversed ‘M; rg was you who were becomlns fat or dowiiY-ﬂﬂil l" l“ "m y°'," Lyouire likely to do ‘both if you don i ‘wt out this lapdog laziness of Yours ",4 give your ‘mind and body I W- 0: ggerclle now and them-Guns“!

~ ~ he dreamed of romance, swift. lIW-it were Y°\l"w°“1dn‘t 7°“ m“ t sionate, dense ....., in which enemy mischief if charm unsealed

ma; 39 no longer round you attract- ive and wanted osmebcdy 815°?" Mariana looked suilﬂ. _ "I mrgm have known l couldnt expect you ho understand! ' Doris crossed the since hstwiw" them with the lithe crew which dbfnguisbed all her movement!-

lehs knelt beside Mariana and out

her arms around liar.

"Don't b9 a-ngry at Doria, dearest. l don't mean to pres-ch, but l hill? to stand by and see you and Charles go on the rocks. l»! it were another man or woman for either of Y0“-

-that would be a different matter.

But the trouble is ridiculously sim- ple. it's all come about because you have no, interests of your own and you won't try to submerge your self in Charles’ interests. The fact that Charles is losing his youthful slim- ness is only hall the story. The rell truth is that you dislike the queer, brilliant people that Charles likes to pal with. and you can't make him keen for the silly, vapid society types that surround you. You're

man who had intrigued her fancyIdi-irting badly, Mariana, and it

breaks my heart to see it, because l love both you and Charles. And the solution is so simple."

“What is the solution?" murmur- ed Mariana indifferently.

"Come and stay with me for awhile," Doris’ voice was eager,

“mm! lnﬂana" dream‘ ~ |"l've a duck of an apartment, a new

jons you haven't seen yet, regular ibachelor hall. The big charity psg ea-nt that the women's clubs have been working on for several years is actually coining oil this spring and_l've up to my eyes in work. need volunteers badly. You'll be wonderful for the es/iase, your name and everything-and lim conﬁdent you'll got a lot of fun out of it, not to mention the good a change of lwquaintances and environment will‘do you. Then. this summer, you can go to Canada with Charles" Mariana mached lahguidly to- ward her desk, picked up a gold- encased check-book folder and a ﬁligresd pen.

"I'ii_give you a cheque for your 0h"!!! Pills-Int. oi’ course. and you may use my car for hauling v01“. tears about," she said with a sigh, "W! Milly. Doris. l couldn't consid- er anything so ridiculous as act- ually working with those ﬂ-eak wo men the way you do!" l‘ ‘D0119 M! h" ill) sharply. She POBe to her feet and picking up her hat, crushed it down on he;- bright hs r

“I'm sorry, Mariana." Balm-g a

Red Pepper Heat Breaks Bad Chest Golds Over Night

Else your tight. aching c“ i_ Stop’ tbegeain. Break up the cons. lee on. l a had cold l lindinst a short time. m” u’

RN Piibhcr Rub" is the cold

that distinguished Craig ‘Cullamfed 1th a black satin cushion from Nmsdy that brings quickest relief,

Mariana, you think nobody can he 1 b 11 u t1 . the di to l! 0t h Interesting who uses the wronlll-kglﬁtncn unfit dab-ream her. "n, u‘ ck“ n behind o.“ ‘m you “d it comm”

fork at dinner."

Mariana, shrugged disdainful shoulders.

"Your choice of acquaintance is your own affair. Only-please don't inflict it on me at every turn.”

Charles sighed lustily and Mariana cams out of her pettish- ness long enough to laugh.

BEECHANUS PILLS

cilvetlnted face was stern, unambi- ing. His grey-eyed glance swept the throng below, eagleiike, piercing.

"There he is!" murmured Linda, ecatxatically. , Mariana leaned lor- ward, lips parted, eyes riveted to the face of the man on the stage. Until the fall of the ﬁrst curtain, she misled no dlishtest gesture of his no’ movement of his clean-cut lips.

Craig Cullam seemed to her, to embody all the virtues at mankind. Sh; admired him for his handsome appearance the rutlrlessnesa of his role the passionate cruelty of his love making. When he sans the famous love song in his marvelous

“i?

baritone and ended it hr crushing

the heroine in his arms cold chills *—--v--_

-~_

Mar-lane's beauty-loving eye not- ed apprecisnlvely what s doll it was ‘for Doria‘ exquisite blondneas. ‘Against its somber background, her dain-tily, coiled head and wildrose fairness were thrown into a cameo like relief. The smart severity of her dark frock, belied by absolutely

really priceless string of Italian tur- quoise in wrought silver settings, made Mariana smile. lt was so like

Bench-heeled subtle shoes and a .

m?!» “M13806 “is. “lit?” "" I m“ out soreness

Nblhins has such concentrated, PQIQTQMIII h°“.“ rsd pgppgpg, and when heat penqtragag "u; down into colds, omgspuo _ “y, in! muscles and sore. stilt Joints rdgaf. comes at once.

moment You apply

Der ltuh you teal the emit‘: in time minutes the congested QM is warmed through and

Doria to be a bewildering selfM" tradiction, efficiency against allur- ing feminityl

“RBI-lit. Doris," Mariana was pet- ulant, “l think you might try oc-

- - When you are suffering inn a w! . rlieiunatism, backTche, stlif neck or sore muscles, lust get a iar of Rowics lad Plpporlioh.

ad f rod , casionaily to remember that you Ego?!“ wllrtvrthfqalg

have a sister in the same city. Whatpet relief known. Always say

if you are up to your eyes in these

"Bowler." . 11

but he ~ _ _: --

“Vgomd you cite to stay to

“rhanks-ibiit l can't." Dom drew ‘on her gloves, determinedly chem. lful. "I've an apartment with an actor," she made a tiny srimaee. |"Ycsi know how l detest the breed ‘and this one is probably wonsq than most, or he's a matinee idol . | hear. But he has a divine voice nmi fm going to try to get him to sing

t the parent"

Mariana, wasn't listening. Her ‘dank eyes had wanderda to the open casement through which til» ‘spring world beckoned.

iDorls hesitahed a moment, tlieii crossed over to her. and brushed M, lips against the shining (iilfk hall’. "

Mariana made no sign and Doris y“; gwiy slowly, reluctantly.

lt was the nearest the two bad ever come to a quarrel.

DIBOONT-ENT

The whirr oi’ Doris’ car speeding [away brought Mariana out or m.

Y- ~

iShe regretted tbetiff with Dom, ln her heart, she knew what Dilils was right, but a provoking obstiu acy kept her lrom admitting it. She summoned up a mental pic- ture oithe activities that would 0c cupy her afternoon with something approaching distaste.

There was the Gates’ tea, a red option at the Drewliolrnes‘, i‘ru- llmisor Ruby's recital at a fashion- able club-Mariana sighed. Slie was almost envylng Doris her energy and enthusiasm, her iireedoui from petty social tyrannies.

Doris would have an afternoon ranging in coloriiul contrast to ii [condolence visit on a heartbroken slomsnotiier w-ho had lust lost her babe. She would drive her smart ‘little car homeward in the sort spring twilight, probably stopping to ibuy_ accustomed paper and chat a .h t with an Italian uewsbo)‘ wiho could translate Plrandello and ‘was iihmiliar with all the operailt- ‘scores.

~Marisna could almost visualize Doris’ new apartment. it would be p. perfectlyappolnted, -but intensely livable little place. Blanche, the well-trained -maid who served her, had been in her youth the famous toast of a Parisian dance hall, and later a derelict reclaimed by iii.- Salvation Army. "Doris would in-

1 tersst herself in such queer cases!

Like as not, while she changed do: dinner, she would receive one oi‘ her numerous proteges. probably a little typist with literary ambitions. who went to night school and brought Doris grubby manuscripts for criticism.

iDOr-il’ evenings were never dull or tiresome. She dined out, went m the theatre and opera, dnnced.—~ with eager young men who sougiii her tavor. Whether it was iier ex- qulsite prettineas, or her air of cool indiiferencs, Mariana couldn't do cide, ibut Doris made conquests without effort. Her very attitude said aa plainly as words to each eu- clmntsd young nmn: "You may pl-li‘ about with me if you like, but l‘ll make the rules for the game. No (Continued on Page 15)

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