Bisbee daily review., 1911-05-27

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 mel"
 Bella leaned ever and gave the fire log 6 punch
 T was just saying that he shouldn't
 say such things to me. either" she remarked pleasantly. I'm afraid
 you1l take cold. Miss Caruthers Wouldn't you like hot sherry fiipf"
 Aunt Selina gasped. Then she sat
 down heavily on one of the carved
 lockwood chairs.
 He said he loved you: l heard
 him." she said weakly. "He-he was
 going to put his arm around youl"
 ''Habiti" Jim put in. trying to smile.
 You see, Aunt Selina. it's-well. it's
 habit got into some time ago. and
 Tiny arm does it without my think ing about it."
 -Habiti" Aunt Selina repeated.
 her voice thick with passion. Then she turned to me. Go to your room at oneei" she said in her most awful
 tone. Go to your room and leave this-this shocking affair to me" But If she had reached her limit. so had l. If Jim chose to ruin himself. 1t was not nay fault. Any one with common sense would have known at least to close the door before he went down on his knees, no matter to whom So when Aunt Selina turned
 on me and pointed in the direction of
 the staircase. did not move.
 T am perfectly wide awake" said coldly T shall go to bed whe1 I am entirely ready. and not before.
 And as for Jim's conduct. I do not
 know much about the conventions in such cases, but if be wishes to em-
 brace Miss Knowles, and she wants ! him Co. the situation is interesting, but hardly novel"
 Aunt Selina rose slowly and drew
 the folds of her dressing gown around 1 her. away from the contamination of my touch.
 Do you know what you are say | tng?" she demanded hoarsely. T do" l was quite white and stif | from my knees up, but below I was
 Savery. I glanced at Jim for moral 1 support, but he was looking idola- trously at Bella As for her. quite
 suddenly she had dropped Aer mask | of indifference. Her face was strain | ed and anxious, and there were deep ! circles l had not seen before. under 1 her eyes. And it was Bella who final ! ally threw herself into the breach
 the family breach.
 ! Tt is all my fault. Miss Caruthers."
 she said. stepping between Aunt Sc lima and myself T have been blind { and wicked woman, and have almost | wrecked two lives"
 Two! What of mine? .
 You see.' she struggled on, against | the gl:nt in Aunt Selina's eyes. IT 1 did not realize how much cared, un- | Ill it was too late. did so many things that were cruel and wrong | oh. Jim. Jimli"
 She turned and buried her head on | his shoulder and cried; real tears. 1 could hardly believe that it was l Bella And Jim put both his arms 1 around her and almost cried, too. and ! looked nauseatingly happy with the eye he turned to Bella. and scared to | death out of the one he kept on Aunt | Selina
 She turned on me, as Of course ! knew she would
 That" she said, pointing at Jim ] and Bella, that shameful picture is | due to your own indifference. I am | not blind: I have seen how you re- | jected all his loving advances" Bella i drew away from Jim, but he ierked
 her back. If anything in the world would reconcile me to divorce. it Is this unbelievable situation. James. are you shameless?"
 But James was and didn't care who | knew fl. And as there was nothing | else to do, and no one else tC do it, | stood very straight against the door | frame, and told the whole miserable | story from the very beginning. I told | how Dal and Jim had persuaded me. | and how had weakened and found 1t
 was too late. and how Bella had come | in that night, when she had no busi-
 ness to come. and had sat down in the
 basement kitchen on my hands and almost turned me into a raving ma niac. As 1 went on l became fluent: ! My sense of injury grew on me.
 made it perfectly clear that ! hated
 them all, and that when people got
 divorces they ought to know their
 own minds and stay divorced. And at
 that a great light broke on Amt Sc | lima. who hadn't understood until that | minute
 In view of her principles. she might have been expected to turn on Jim ] and Bella, and disinherit them. and
 cast them out, fguratively. with the
 flaming sword of her tongue. But she | did noti She turned on ne in the
 most terrible way, and asked me hcw
 dared to come between husband and wife. because divorce or TO divorce. ! whom God hath joined together. and
 so on. And when Jim picked uD his
 courage in both hands and tried to
 interfere. she pushed him back with 1 one hand while she pointed the other
 at me and called me a Jezebel ] CHAPTER XIX