Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-02-18
Their Married Life
By MABEL HERBERT URNER

not to be my sister r-in-law. I want you
still to be my friend.
The porter has just come through
with the last call for dinner" and
father is waiting for me to go in with
him. IOJTISE
When Helen laid down the letter
her first feeling was one of sick dis
appointment that all her plans for
bringing Bob and Louise together had
so dismally failed.
Then she felt glow of pride in
Loulses strength and unswerving
pride. She had not weakly waited in
the futile hope of some further recon-
Citation. She had had the courage to
go away. to put half the continent be-
tween ner and Bob, to prove to him
that this time 1t was final.
Helen had never seen Bob lose con-
troll OF his temper, yet he was War
rens brother, with much of Warrens q
disposition, and she could picture
something of his violent rage. What
scene 1t must have been-that final
| clash between those two! With all
her love of the dramatic, the emo
uonai, Heien's mind fingered around
the possibilities of that scene.
Then she turned back to the letter.
What should she write Louise? 1t
was always hard for her to write let
tiers, and to answer this would be par
ticularly hard.
She felt she ought to answer it at
once. The appealing Write me
write me soon, she could not ignore.
With a shrinking dread of the task
she forced herself to the desk. AS
much as she cared for Louise and
| longed to talk with her, it was mex
| presSibly hard to write.
| Dear Louise cannot tell you
how surprised I was to get your let
ter. l did not dream that you were
on your way to Florida"
No, no-that was too conventional,
too strained and stilted.
| Louise, Dear--My heart goes out
to you in aching sympathy. oh, I
know know something of what you
have SUFFERED
This, too, she tore up in disgust. It
was too effusive, too gushing.
| Dear Louise hardly know how
to write you. You must know how
distressed l was by your letter. Yet
If you feel your happiness lies away
from Bob l a mglad that you have
had the courage"
An insistent ring of the doorbell.
With poised pen Helen glanced ex-
/ pectantly over her shoulder as she
waited for Nora to answer 1t. She
hoped fervently that it was not a call,
for she was in no mood for callers
that afternoon.
Then she heard a heavy step in the
hall, step strangely like warren's
1t was Bob!
For a moment he did not speak.
Deliberately he put down his hat and
SUCK, but kept in his hand a small
J package. Helen waited breathlessly.
: she did not even greet him. There
was something in his manner too
grimly tense for any trivial word of
greeting.
"Helen"-his voice was harsh-"do
you know where Louise is?"
/ She shook her head.
Have you heard from her?~
No" falteringly.
That's not the truth-but 1t doesn't
matter. m not trying to get in touch
with her. We're THROUGH! 1 only
want her to get these letters. VIII
You see that she does?"
Why-what are they?"
Her letters. She asked me to re-
turn them. sent them yesterday.
! but the messenger was told that Miss
Whitmore and her father had left that
morning. Their apartment was closed.
Now, will you send them to herr"
Helen nodded.
Il would destroy them" with bitter
ness, but she probably wouldn't be-
lieve that had
| NO, no, Louise would never doubt
your word"
"She wouldn't?" savagely. well.
I'll take no chances. Will you seno
her those letters?"
"I said / would"
THANK you. That's ALL"
The hall door banged after him.
For several moments Helen stood
where he had left her, looking down
at the small sealed package in her
hand. Then she turned back to the
desk, took a fresh sheet and wrote
rapidly. Dear Louise: Bob has Just
brought me package of your letters
and asked that send them to you. He
sent them to your apartment yester-
day by messenger. but there was no
one to receive them. I will forward
them to-day by registered mail.
Louise, l want you to know he
was hard and cold-repellently coldl
He was here only moment, but he
gave me very decidedly to understand d
that he did not want your address;
that he was not trying to get in touch
with you; that all he wanted was for
you to receive these letters. He said
he was 'through'-that 1t was final.
Il want to tell you this. for think
1t will help you. 1t will act like a
caustic that first burns and then cures
the wound. In spite of everything,
you might weaken If you thought HE
was weakening. He Is not! He said
he was through That was the very
word he used
4 you will understand. I know, why
I write like this. 1 am glad-GLAD
that you are gone! It will be months.
perhaps years. before you will forget,
but that is the price women have to
pay for loving. And, after ALL there
is still higher price you might have
paid. HELEN"