Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-11-15

read It and have the whole plot at
her fnger-ends, and be able to talk
| 1t all over, have her own opinions
about every character. Oh, she was
an accomplished, fascinating woman,
| II | say it myself! Any man might
have taken to her. She was for ever
telling me about California, and how
she wanted to get back there"
Californian" interrupted Dominick.
Did she come from California ?"
From here-from San Francisco
She was native daughter of the state
and the town. ! was interested in Cal
ifornia myself at that time, though I'd
| never seen ii, and we'd talk Of that
and other things till, bit by bit, we
! drlfted nearer and nearer together
| and the day came when We were en-
gagged. l thought that was the happi-
est day Of my life, and it would have
been if she'd stayed true to her
| promises
/ The clock struck the single silvery
! note of the half-hour and Dominick
| heard 1t. He was interested in the
story, but he had only another half
hour to give. and said as Buford
paused
GO on. It's very interesting. Don't
stop"
The first step in our married life
/ that seemed to me strange. that cast.
not what you'd call a cloud. but a
shadow, over my happiness, was that
she insisted on keeping the marriage
/ secret. She had several reasons, all
of which seemed good and sufficient
to her. She said her people would
not like her marrying a stranger far
away from home. and that they'd cut
up very ugly when they heard 1t. Her
/ principal reason, and the only one
I that seemed to me to have any force,
was that she feared she'd lose her
| job. She had it on good authority that
| the firm where she worked wouldn't
| employ married women, and II they
! knew she'd got a husband who was
, making a fair salary, they'd give her
| the sack. Whether it was for all the
reasons together, or for just this one
don't know, but she'd only marry me
if I'd solemnly promise to keep the
matter secret. I'd have promised her
anything. She'd out and out be-
witched me.
so we were married and went to
housekeeping in a little fiat in a sub
urb. We had our mail sent to our old
address at Mrs. Heeney's. She was
! in the secret, the only person who
was. We had to let her know because
OF the letters, and inquiries that
might have been made for us from
! time to time. We were married in the
winter. and that winter was the hap
piest time of my life I'll never for
get it. That little fat, and that little
! black-eyed woman-they were just
Paradise and the angel in it for me.
| Not but what she had her faults; she
was hot-tempered. quick to fare up,
and sharp with her tongue. But I
never cared-just let her sputter and
! fzz till she'd worked It all off and
| then I'd take things up where they
were before the eruption began. 1t
was happy time-a man in love and
woman that keeps him loving-you
can't beat it this side of Heaven"
Dominick made no answer. The
actor for a moment was silent and
then with a sigh went on.
81 suppose it was too good to last
Anyway, it ended. We'd lived that
way for six months when in the be-
ginning of June the Dramatic School
failed and l lost my job. 1t came on
US with almost no warning, and IL
sort OF knocked us out for a bit. !
wasn't as upset by it as Mrs. Carter
| was, but She"
Who's Mrs. Carter?" said Domi-
nick
my wife. That's my name, Junius
| Carter. OF course the name l use on
the stage is not my own. I took that