Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-09
Seventv-sixth Chapter.

TIE was very pale. The look of
II hardness, almost Of brutality,
which pierced his manner at
normal moments had deepened, and /
could see at a glance that he was
nervous. His monocle dropped Of it.
self from his slow gray eyes, and the
white fat fingers which replaced it
trembled.
Without shaking hands or offering
any other sort of salutation, he
plunged Immediately into the matter
that was uppermost in his mind.
81 am still at a loss to account for
this affair Of your fathers" he said
"Of course, ! know what it is sup
posed to be-a reception in honor OF
our home coming. That explanation
may or may not be sufficient for these
stupid islanders, but it's rather too
thin for me- Can you tell me what
your father means by ito
] knew he knew what my father
meant, so | said, trembling like a
sheep that walks up to a barking dog:
Hadn't YOU better ask that ques
ton of my father HIMSELF"
Perhaps I should IL he were here,
but he isn't, so ask you. Your faith
er is a strange man. There's no
knowing what crude things he will
not do to crafty his primitive in
stincts. But he does not spend five
or ten thousand pounds for nothing.
He isn't fool exactly
Thank you" I said. 7 could not
help it, 1t was forced out of me.
My husband finched and looked at
me. Then the bully in him, which al
ways lay underneath, came upper
most
Look here, Mary" he said. 81
came for an explanation. and intend
10 have one Your father may give
this affair what gloss he pleases, but
you must know as well as ! do what
rumor and report are saying. Is it the
fact that the doctor has made certain
statements about your condition, and
that your father Is giving this enter
tainment because well, because
he is expecting an heir2"
To my husbands establishment 1
answered
Yes"
80 you admit It? Then perhaps
You'll be good enough to tell me how
that condition came about?'
Knowing he needed no explanation.
I made no answer
Cant you speak" he said.
But still ] remained silent
You know what our relations
have been since our marriage, so
ask you again how does that condi-
tion come about
was now trembling more than
ever, but a kind OF forced courage
came to me, and I said:
why do you ask? You seem to
know already"
Il know what anonymous letters
have told me, IL that's what you
mean. But I'm your husband, and
have a right to know from you. How
does your cond lion come about, n
ask you
can not say what impulse moved
me at that moment unless It was the
desire to make a clean breast and an
end Of everything, but. stepping TOT
my desk, ! took out of a drawer the
letter which Price had Intercepted
and threw II on the table.
He took II up and read it, With the
air Of one to whom the. contents were
not news, and then asked how / came
by II.
1T was taken out OF the hands Of
q woman who was in the act OF post
ing it," I said. "She confessed that It
was one Of a number Of such letters
which had been inspired. If not writ
ten, by your friend Alma
"My friend Alma"
Yes, your friend Alma"
His face assumed a frightful ex
preston. and he said:
80 that's how it Is to be- is il?
In spite OF the admission you have
just made. you wish to imply that
this (holding out the letter. lis a
trumped- up affair. and that Alma is
at the bottom OF It, You're going 20
brazen it out, are you. and shelter
your condition under your position as
a married woman"
was so taken by surprise by this
Infamous suggestion that ] could not
speak TO deny it, and my husband
went on 20 say:
But il doesn't matter rush to me
who is at the bottom Of the accusa-
ton contained in this letter. There's |
only one thing OF any consequence -
is it truc?"