Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-02
VI.

In awaking that morning, Norris was
again visited with his dread of the
previous day, that Ethel should hear
of Myra's installment in his cottage
before he had an opportunity to tell
her. This troubled him so that he ate
no breakfast. but hurried to his office,
trusting the exactions of his business
to take his mind from the annoying
thought. He had a violent headache
by IL O'CLOCK, and attributing it to the
fact that he had neglected his break
fast, went to an early lunch. That
was why. when Ethel called him at
1880 he was out. His lunch gave him
immediate relief, and he felt thrill OF
confidence in himself and the right
ness of things in general; an assur-
ance, an optimistic outlook most of ua
have been conscious of after a dinner
that leaves nothing in the way of food
to be desired. He tried to analyze this
sense of bouyancy as he walked along
back to his Office. and thought of the
presumptuaus conceit of Man in fancy
ing himself fine. spiritual. aspiring.
when. his material appetite satisfied.
he turned urgently to the pursuit Of
better" things. He saw he had al
lowed himself for a moment to grow
misanthropic-a thing unfair to tho
beauty of the day-a thing unfair to
those fine STRINGS which perfection
in any -beauty-always made on
him, and he laughed his cynicism COM
pletely to rout.
He bought an extra" from a news
boy, folded 1t carelessly under his
arm. and ascended to his office. AS he
threw the sheet on his desk 1t fell face
upward and the words Attorneys
Wife Is Correspondent In Divorce
Suit" staring out at him in big black
type stretched clear across the page.
Maybe it was some one he knew. He
took the sheet up and carefully read
the sub-headings: Mrs. Willard Fall
t'Fall!' he gasped) charges she found
Mrs. Ray Norris and Mr.. Fall en-
bracing-"
The sheet fell from his nerveless
fingers and he swallowed hard a few
times to moisten his throat and mouth,
which had suddenly become dry. Then
came reaction from his nerveless un-
realization; he felt a weak shaking
throughout his whole body, and was
conscious Of his heart pulsing in great,
uneven jumps. The monstrousness,
the bold assurance of that staring type
was incredible. 1t was hideous, foul.
His wife and Fall! Why, they hardly
knew one another! He tried to under
stand it-tried to put his thoughts in
the same consecutive order he always
had them when he pleaded case in
court. The effort was not successful.
but he got sufficient control Of his rea-
son to look back broadly over the
events Of the last few days.
The one event that distinguished the
last few days from a year Of happy
uneventful marriage was Ethers in
sistent, hysterical demand to send
Myra Foster away from his office. In
explanation she had expressed an un-
willing doubt. Ga doubt nevertheless),
that his relations with the girl were
all they should be. He knew his rela-
tions with Myra Foster\were simple,
honest, businesslike, and that thought,
combined with his wife's suspicion,
suggested to his insidiously, but cer-
tainly, that her suspicion Of him might
be but a blind for her relations with
Fall. Good God, what a hideous
thought! He picked up his phone re-
ceiver, clicked the hook nervously
many times, and after what seemed
an unusual wait, was connected with
his home.
Hello. Mrs. Norris, please. This is
Mr.. Norris"
Mrs Norris is not in, sir. She left
full an hour and a half ago, and left
word she had gone to the beach cot
tage. Yes Goodbye"
She had gone to the beachl--a place
he could never prevail on her to visit!
Why? Had she heard OF Myra Foster
being there? He knew gossip could
travel as fast. and faster, than that.
But. If she was using his relations with
Myra Foster as a blind to cover her
own affairs, (this damnable thought
kept persisting), if she were, was it
possible that she would have the
temerity to seize on Myras presence in
the cottage as justification of sus-
picion she knew to be false? He
cursed himself for his vile suspicious.
But she had gone to the beach!-if not
for that, then for what?
The thought of Fail then entered his
mind and took mis- whole attention,
and he glanced hastily, searchingly
across the court to see whether he was
in his office. II this frightful thing
! were true His lips met in a long.
hard seam as he unlocked the bottom
drawer of his desk and without lCoh-
ing hastily withdrew something and
slipped it into his pocket. He rose,
desperate. and leaving his office
crossed to Falls