Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1920)

Photoplay Magazine party," he promised. "Even if the discovery I've been after for five years comes and sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear on New Year eve I'll chase it away and go play with my wife!'' She was very happy in this promise. She planned a new gown for the occasion. She told all her friends that her wonderful husband was coming with her. Bob Livingston sulked openly. "Here I devote myself to a fair lady all winter," he complained, "and then she throws me over on the biggest night of the year, for a mere husband! Rotten, I call it!" "Couldn't you sue her husband for alienating her affections? That would be original!" laughed a bright-eyed girl, newly home from a western state, bringing the latest thing in divorces. "Cheer up, I'm quite anxious to see this wonderful physician who will deign to honor us with his presence." "If he comes, he'll leave his mind at home in the laboratory!" declared Bob. "I hope you have a dull evening, Hilda. Won't you at least have tea at the Ritz with me that afternoon?" "Indeed I won't. That afternoon belongs to Junior," she told him. "It's his birthday, you know." "Too much family stuff! I'm all fed up on it," Bob averred, discontentedly. "Can't I come to Junior's celebration, then? I'll bring him things!" "Indeed you cannot! Peter is coming to that. You don't care anything about children. You'd spoil our party!" So Livingston was left to amuse himself as best he could, while Hilda and Peter romped with Junior all afternoon, and gave him a wonderful tea, with a real birthday cake, very simple and plain, but topped with four red candles, bravely burning. And at the very end, Philip came out to say goodnight. "Nice birthday, son?" he asked. "Yes ! Muvver-dear played with me, and I hided in the ice box. And I fell and hurted my hand. It bled a little," proudly, "but I didn't cry!" "Let Daddy see it, son," with quick anxiety. "It's all well, now. Muvverdear kissed it." "You see, Philip, your son knows that mother love is a better cure than all your drugs!" laughed Peter. "And Muvver-dear telled me a story about a man named Sigurd that pushed her in the water, and you pulled her out!" went on the child. "And then you brought her 'way down here, away from him. And Sigurd was poor, 'cause his back was all twisted, since babyhood!" "That's what Daddy is working for — something that will prevent little boys from being cripples," Philip said, speaking in the man-to-man fashion which all small boys adore. "If my experiments succeed, there will be no more little twisted backs." "Oh, it would be worth all the work and loneliness!" Hilda exclaimed. "Nothing is so dreadful as that — I'd a thousand times rather a child of mine were dead!" 39 She caught Junior down from his perch on the banister now, and ran upstairs with him. "I'm going to have on my beautiful new gown when I come down," she called back. "Get ready, Philip!" "Right-o!" he called. "My gladdest clothes are laid out!" But when she came down, all lovely in her shimmering blue and silver frock, with the joy-light in her eyes, Philip was still shut up in the laboratory. For half an hour she waited. Then, as the clock struck nine, she tapped on the forbidden door. "Philip! It's nine o'clock. You must dress." "I can't!" His voice came out through the closed door, cold, unregretful, utterly detached. "I've reached a crisis — I've almost got my serum! I cannot leave it now!" Without a word she turned, face pale, eyes blazing, lips set in a firm, straight line, to confront a distressed, anxious Peter. "I shall go with Bob," she said. "He said he would call, in case my husband deserted me at the last moment. Well, my husband has, and it shan't spoil my fun. Bob cares for me, really! Philip cares for me when he has nothing else to do!" "Don't be bitter, little girl," begged Peter. "Go along and He isn't there," flamed Hilda. **Oh, Bob was right 1"