Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-08

"A real big thing, ma'am, such as
nobody has ever seen before"
Yes, indeed, SIR
ASK all the big people on the
island-Nessy Macleod shall send you
a list of them"
Il will, sir"
"That'll do for the present. guess
must be going now, or old Conrad
will be agate of me. So long, gel, so
long"
| was silenced. was helpless, I was
ashamed.
| did not know then, what now
know, that, besides the desire OF
celebrating the forthcoming birth OF
an heir, my father had another and
still more secret object-that of
throwing dust in the eyes of his ad-
vocates, bankers, and insular coun-
cilors, who (having expected him to
make money for them by magic)
were beginning to whisper that ali
was not well with his financial
schemes.
did not know then, what now l
know. that my father was at that
moment the most tragic figure in
ELAN except myself, and that, shat
tered in health and shaken in for
tune, he was indulging in this wild
extravaganza equally to assert his
solvency and to crafty his lifelong
passion under the very wing OF
death.
Frantic Prayers.
But oh, my wild woe my frantic
prayers! 1t was almost as if Satan
himself were torturing me.
The one terror of the next few days
was that my husband might return
home, for I knew that at the first
moment of his arrival the whole
world of make believe which my
father and Alma were setting up
around me would tumble about my
head like a pack of cards.
He did not come, but he wrote.
After saying that his political duties
would keep him in London a little
longer, he said:
Il hear that your father is getting
you to give a great reception in
honor of our home coming. But why
now, instead of three months ago?
Do you know the reason?"
AS / read these last words | felt an
icy numbness creeping up from my
feet to my heart My position was
becoming intolerable. The conviction
was being forced upon me that I had
no right in my husbands house.
1t made no difference that my hus-
bands house was mine also. in the
sense that 1t could not exist without
mel had no right to be there.
1t made no difference that my mar
riage had been no marriage had no
right to be there.
It made no difference that the man
I had married was an utterly bad
husband-I had no right to be there.
1t made no difference that I was
not really an adulterous wife-I had
no right to be there.
Meanwhile Price, my maid. but nv
only real friend in Castle Raa with
the liberty I allowed her was uncon-
sciously increasing my torture Every
night as she combed out my hair she
gave me her opinion of my attitude
toward Alma. and one night she said
Didn't l tell you she was only
watching you, my lady? The nasty
minded thing is making mischief with
his lordship. She's writing to him
every day. How do know?
Oh l don't keep my eyes and ears
open downstairs for nothing. You'll
have no peace of your life, my lady,
until you turn that woman out of the
house"
Then, in a fit of despair, hardly
knowing what l was doing, l covered
my face with my hands and said:
81 had better turn myself out, per-
haps."
The combing Of my hair suddenly
stopped. and at the next moment l
heard Price saying in a voice which
seemed to come from long way off:
Good gracious me. Is it like that,
nv lady?"