Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-12
TO-DAY'S INSTALLMENT.
Chapter Fifty five-Continued.

Then came the real object Of her
VISIT saw it coming.
Il hear you're to have a house
party at Castle Raa. Jimmy's I'm his
room writing piles of invitations. He
has asked me and | should love TO
go, but Of course l can not do so with
out you wish it. Do you?"
What could I say? What I did say
scarcely know. l only know that
at the next minute Alma's arms were
round my neck. and she was saying
You dear sweet, unselash little
soul. Come, let me kiss YOU
It was done. l had committed my
self. After all what right had l to
raise myself on a moral pinnacle
now? And what did il matter, any
way? I was flying from the danger
of my own infdelity, not to save
my husband from his.
Like a Snake.
Price had been in the room dur
ing this interview and when it was
over | was ashamed to look at her
Il can't understand you, my lady;
/ really can't" she said. Next day
| wrote a little letter to Martin on
the Scotia telling him of our change
of plans, but forbidding him to
trouble to come up to say good-by,
yet half hoping he would disregard
my injunction.
He did. Before I left my bedroom
next morning l heard his voice In
the sitting room talking to Price,
who with considerable emphasis was
giving her views of Alma.
When | joined him | thought his
face (Which had grown to be very
powerfully looked hard and strained;
but his voice was as soft rs ever
while he said I was doing right in
going home and that my native air
must be good for me.
But what's this Price tells me
that Madame is going with YOU
] tried to make light of That, put
I broke down badly, for his eyes
were on me. and | could see that ne
thought l was concealing the truth
" | hate that woman. Shes IKE d
snake I feel as If I want to put my
foot on it. ! will, too, one of these
days-bet your life l will"
II hurt me to hide anything from
him. but how could | tell him that 1t
was not from Alma l was flying but
| from himself?
When the day came for our de-
parture I hoped I might get away
without seeing Martin again. We dld
/ get out of the hotel AMI into the
| railway station, yet no sooner was
/ | seated in the carriage than Tin the
/ cruel war that was going on within
mel | felt dreadfully down that ne
was not there to see me off.
But Al the very last moment, JUST
as Alma with her spaniel under her
arm, and my husband with his ter
rier on strap, were about to step
! into the train. up came Martin ike
a gust of mountain wind.
| Hello he cried. Il shall be seeing
YOU soon. Everything's settled about
| The expedition. We're to sail the first
week in September, so as TO get thee
summer months in the Antarctic. But
before that I must go over to the
island 20 say good. by to the old folks.
/ and I'll see you at your fathers i
suppose
Then Alma gave my husband sig
nificant glance and said;
But. Mary. my dear, wouldn't IT
be better for Mr.. Conrad to come to
J Castle Raa? You won't be able to
go about very much. Remember your
delicate condition, you know"
"Of course, why Of course" said my
husband That's quite true, and If Mr..
| Conrad will do me the honor TO &C
cept my hospitality for few days
It was what I wanted above every
! thing on earth, and yet ! said;
mo, no!| 1t wouldn't be fair, Mar
tin will be too busy at the last mo-
ment"
But Martin himself Jumped in ca
| gerly with:
Certainly! Delighted! Greatest
| pleasure in the world"
And then. while Alma gave my hus-
band a look OF arch triumph to which
he replied with a painful smile Mar
tin leaned over to me and whispered
Hush! ! want 70! I must" though
what he meant by that | never knew.
He continued to look al me with
| lender expression until We said good
by. but after the carriage door had
| been closed and the engine mad throb-
| bed. and the guard had whistled. l
| thought l had never seen mis- strong
| face so stern as when the train
moved from the platform.
Fiftv-Sixth CHAPTER.