Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-15
THE FAMILY CUPBOARD z5 a:s7 9 ~ y; e.

same as we have for two years? I'll
| be good. ] won't look at any other
man. [ won't drink-not even cock
tail, if you say so. l can't let you go!
! How hard you are! Oh, how cruelty
hard you are!"
TT must end Had l known how
you felt. it would have ended long
! ago Here"
The man took out his pocketboo&,
selected several bills and crushed
| them into her hand.
| Il am not able to do what l would
| like. I can't afford any more" He
! thought that the debt was 0aid-tae
man rose-prepared to find himself
! free. But Charles Nelson had a long,
weary debt 10 pay to Kitty Claire be
| fore he should again be free.
Kitty's Threat.
Kitty rose abruptly.
! Keep your dirty money
She threw the bills on the floor 50
| that they scattered about at her feet
You can't treat me like this! You
can't throw me down"
kitty" cried Nelson, little
moved in spite of himself.
kitty! It's bad enough-don {
make it worse!"
! Something dangerously like a sob
gathered in Kitty Claire's voice.
You're man! Something's com
| ing to you, What wrong have you
done her, She's a lady-and I'm
! nothing it's my heart you're
| hurting-it was only her pride!'
Il can't listen to YOU" said Nelson
| coldly Il am sorry-sOrry for it all
Kitty Good bye.
He started to risa-Kitty stopped
/ him abruptly
Wait! If you go like this-now-
when you don't have to 90 at all, m
| get square-I'lI--"
! Her voice trailed off weakly as ii
/ the sudden emotion that was rising
was stronger than the frail girl who
was trying to express ii. After her
| IA shion, Kitty loved the strong ma Il
I in whose life she had played a part
| through two fatal years. Sh= wanted
to hold him-hold him row at any
cost. She wanted him-she would
! pay-anything to keep him with he"
until she tired Of her bond and
! fitted away with butterfly lightness.
| Now she was willing to pay: later
| Charles Nelson would pay, and pay
| and pay unless
I'll get square Kitty's voice
| shrlled off duly.
| Don't make a fool of Yourself"
| cried Nelson, sternly.
The girl whirled t. tho height Of
! her mad desire to postpone the evil
| hour of going hold this man,
| somehow. anyhow,
am make a fool Of you! If you
| quit me like this-like ! was a dog
when I've done nothing-Hll get YOU!
| | will! | will get you some day, if
it's the last thing | ever dol"
| And in a day soon to come Charles
1 II. Il
; But now he only said Coed bye"
| Kitty chung to him desperately. She
put one soft little hand careSsingly on
| his cheek She looked al him with all
| laid her head tenderly against the rough
| cloth of his coat, Closer. closer chung
| Kitty Claire. But suddenly she felt
| that it was not a man 10 whom she
| Clung-nOt Samson to be CajOled and
| persuaded by her wiles. She was beat
! Ing her frail strength and desire and
will against a tower of granite
mo! MOI" she cried again weakly
! And then Kitty Claire slowly slid her
arms from neck 70 shoulders. She
! her slender fingers and looked at him
searchingly for any sign of relenting.
! Don't get me mad! Don't make me
hate you! Don't leave me all alone
| hard it is! Charles! Charles
| He unclasped her hands as gently as
| he could. She fell sobbnq wildly into
! q chair Nelson walked to the great
! monlously after the departing form of
| Dick Leroy, opened them, stood a mo-
| nent looking at the sobbing girl, and
then, closing the doors firmly after him,
| walked out of the room-but not out
of Kitty CIsIre's life.
! Alone.
, Kitty sat, trembling and shaken her
! frail body wracked by great sobbing
| breaths and wild weeping. Huddied and
( like a little child-harmless and help
/ less. At last she lifted her head from
| her bent and protecting arms Her face
| was drawn into a semblance of age by
great lines of pain-anG a d5Wning
new emotion. Her features twisted into
a caricatured semblance of themselves
| Hatred dawned In her eyes. Then they
grew set and hard.
| And OH him!" Whispered Kitty
| Claire, half under her tortured breath
| Mechanically she opened her little van
| ity case, shook the surplus powder from
| her little lambs wool puff out over the
| rug, and began pattlng the puff over
her Redeemed little nose. Gradually she
! became more and more businesslike over
| the beautifying process. She cooked
| her head at studiOus angle and patted
away all traces of the tears from under
| her eyes, She sighed q bit reminds
Gently, gave final firt of the powder
puff across her nose, and then there
was a sudden CLEAN in her eyes as
| they focused intently.
She started up unsteadily, and, with
few little echo miniature sobs, she
| was shifting like a child that can not
| quite readjust itself to sunshine after
! the storm. But her eyes were fixed
svidly on the money that had begun to
! call her. Money was her deity. Nor
ais, men, moods-all must be sacrl-
| feed to Kitty's ruling desire, money
! Nelson had treated her like dog, she
| thought This was his money. But it
was MONEY.
Kitty was so sorry for herself that
| she could scarcely keep her eyes from
| filing up again even If that meant the
necessity for erasinR the traces all over
again. She permitted herself the lux
ury Of few dry sobs; she SMILED
| reminiscently
| Her eyes never left the bills scat
| tered about her on the rugs
Suddenly she fell to cropping about
| on the floor. on hands and knees she
| crept about in a wild scramble for
| every one OF the bills she had thrown
away with such a fine gesture OF scorn
| Hunting, creeping, she made sure that
| she had 1t ali. Then, still kneeling at
/ her chosen shrine, she counted 1t all
! carefully, earnestly, every bill. and
] stuffed them for safety in the gold bag
| that companioned her friendly little
| vanity case
! At last, when she was quite sure
/ that she had every dollar OF the lard