The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-08-29


The divorce was granted. the
papers signed. and Margery Graham
and Henry Wade. whom God had
Joined together some eight year,
earlier. were put asunder by Norton
4 Norton. a. attorneys for the hus
band. and young Kelley West. repre-
senting Mrs. Wade. The whole az
fair. their friends agreed. had been
beautifully managed. incompatibility
was the plea. and the only disagree
able feature Of the arrangement was
that which necessitated a final meet
ing Of the parties to the suit at the
office Of Norton & Norton.
Margery had cried before the meet.
ing, for 1t seemed absurd to think OF
Henry as not belonging to her any
more. as marrying some other
woman. perhaps. Then she had dried
her eyes. powdered her nose and put
on her most becoming suit. feeling
that Henry must be made to see that
he was losing something precious |;
and thanked by her bosom friend.
Rita Whitmore. and on the arm OF
young West, she had come to the ap-
pointment with just that look of re.
signed martyrdOm on her face which
the occasion demanded
Henry came to the meeting by him.
self and looked frankly worn and
wretched. moreover. he made no at.
tempt TO ease the embarrassment Of
the situation. but was cold. gruff and
unnatural. "a perfect BRUTE" as Rita
said afterward. with a congratulatory
squeeze Of Margerys hand.
Margery went back TO the mansion
that Henry had built for her when
they moved into town five years be-
fore, and. putting her head down on
Polly Mare's curls, cried SO that her
tears ran down Polly's fat neck That
tickled Polly Marie and she laughed
such ii splendid, hearty gurgle that
Margery had to laugh, too, though she
was very miserable. A burning sense
OF indignation had upheld her during
the ordeal, but now that Henry had
granted all her demands the trans
gressor had in some way managed TO
put her in the wrong. She was sick
Of life. she hated this marble palace.
which had been the scene Of her trou.
bles. and suddenly she remembered
the little brown house.
She had no, been there for Years,
because il was ever so far out in an
undeyeloped suburb, that small, snug
home where she and Henry had be-
gun housekeeping when they ran
away from their people and were
married years ago Old Martha, her
nurse, lived there now. and kept
everything just rs they had left it.
Dress Polly Marie for a walk. =
she called TO the gOverncss, and be.
gan stuffing things into her hand
bag
The cOverness protested, pointing
to the heavy clouds that were gather.
Ing outside. but her mistress was OBJ
durate.
There was long trolley ride and
then walk across an open field,
with Polly Marie. who had fallen
asleep. hanging Imply over one
shoulder. and the bag humping
against her ankles in a most uncom.
Portable way. But she struggled
bravely on. for over the high stone
wall In the distance she could zee
the gables Of her haven.
Through the iron gate, up the long
walk. and then came disappointment;
for the sitting-room shutters were
closed and Martha was evidently not
at home. A moment she paused in
CONSERVATION, then she recalled the
broken hasp on the shutter OF a back
window. It had been so long since
she was there that she had almost
forgotten. All she had to do was to
climb on the garden bench. pull tho
shutter open. and there she was.
But this was not so easy with
Polly Marie and the bag. and only
after two or three futile leaps did
she reach the ledge and scramble 10
the floor inside. The sky had dark
encd and great splashes Of rain were
falling. but from her vantage ground
Margery leaned out and called de,
family. Rain away. rain away, we're
safe in our little brown hogse"
From room to room she went and
the house VAS full of memories
nice. domesticatod memories-tnat
lowered about the linen closet and
purrcd from the kettle on the stove
The tiny bedrooms. dining room
sitting room and best--or worst
Of all. Henrys den. At that door
she stopped; il would be so dark in
there. for the heavy panels needed A
CHEEKY fire to light them up. With
something like sob. she threw opeu
the door and caught her breath with
sheer JOY A bright fire cracked on
the hearth and the reading lamp
brought out warm lights from the
brasses in the room. and in front of
the fire. with his head buried in his
hands. sat Henry.
But OF course Henry should be in
his den. II was the most natural
thing in the world. So. Please" she