THE WORKS OF MARY ROBERTS RINEHART AFFINITIES AND OTHER STORIES THE REVIEW OF REVIEWS CORP. _Publishers_ NEW YORK PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY. _Copyright, 1920, By George H. Doran Company_ _Copyright, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1915, by the Curtis Publishing Company_ _Printed in the United States of America_ CONTENTS I AFFINITIES 9 II THE FAMILY FRIEND 55 III CLARA'S LITTLE ESCAPADE 103 IV THE BORROWED HOUSE 161 V SAUCE FOR THE GANDER 237 AFFINITIES I Somebody ought to know the truth about the Devil's Island affair and I am going to tell it. The truth is generally either better or worse than the stories that get about. In this case it is somewhat better, though I am not proud of it. It started with a discussion about married women having men friends. I said I thought it was a positive duty--it kept them up to the mark with their clothes and gave a sort of snap to things, without doing any harm. There were six of us on the terrace at the Country Club at the time and we all felt the same way--that it was fun to have somebody that everybody expected to put by one at dinners, and to sit out dances with and like the way one did one's hair, and to say nice things. "And to slip out on the links for a moonlight chat with you," said Annette, who is rather given to those little pastimes, the most harmless in the world. We were all awfully bored that Sunday afternoon. Most of the men were golfing; and when you meet the same people all the time--day after day, dinner after dinner, dance after dance--anything new is welcome. Really the only variety we had was a new drink now and then. Some one would come home from his vacation with a brand-new idea in beverages and order one all round, and it was a real sensation. That was all we had had all summer for excitement, except the time Willie Anderson kissed Sybilla--she was his wife--on a wager. They had been rather cool to each other for a month or so. We would sit on the terrace and the conversation would be about like this: "There's the Jacksons' car." "Why on earth does Ida Jackson wear green?" "Hello, Ida! When d'you get back?" "Yesterday. Bully time!" Just in time to save us from utter boredom somebody would yawn and remark: "Here comes the Henderson car." "Jane Henderson's put on weight. She's as big as a house! Hello, Jane!" "Hello, everybody! My goodness! Why did I come back? Isn't it hot?" More excitement for a minute and then more yawns. It was Ferd Jackson who suggested the affinity party. He had heard about what I had said on the terrace, and he came to me while Day was playing on the links. Day is my husband. "Had a nice afternoon?" he asked.