The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-04-27
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EnterDriss AssocintioaI
l found Mary at home in a pink
kimona and slippers. looking very
comfortable and startlingly
lovely.
why. Margie, am 80 glad to
see you. had made up my mind
for long evening alone" she ex-
claimed. Il was going to look
over some catalogues of those
London sales which will be made
next month and send In some bids
to our brokers. l am going to
try and make some purchases for
Terry there"
who is Terry?" | asked.
Mary blushed. why Terry is
Mr.. Patterson who has been maxi
ing those wonderful book pur-
chases through our shop lately"
Mary, how did you become
such good judge of old books in
80 short timer"
We'll, you see, Margie," and
she seemed slightly relieved that
! did not pursue the question of
Terry any farther, my father
was book lover and since / have
been In the shop have spent
nearly every waking moment
studying them. You can learn a
lot about any one thing whether
1t be books or men in short
time" said Mary with a sigh.
That brings me to the object
of my visit, Mary dear. OF
course, you know that Mother
Waverly has heard from Jack?"
Eyes, she called me up this
morning Immediately after she
got his letter and practically or
dered me to shut up shop and go
to him at once"
And what did you say, dear?"
II guess | was a little hard,
Margie, for l told her simply that
/ would not go. Then the flood
gates were opened and she asked
me where l would be now II 1t
were not for Jack and his family,
and l answered that | did not
know. But that did not make
me any less undecided on the
subject of going to Jack when he
was worn out and Ill from his
own excesses."
looked at Mary in surprise.
She was SO calm, so delicate. She
spoke so softly one would not
have thought there was one tiny
bit of decision In her whole body,
and yet here she was as implac-
ably firm in her determination as
the hardest-hearted men could
possibly be.
Perhaps she thought I did not
agree with her, for she said:
"Margie, l do not love Jack any
more. He threw away my trust.
my faith and my love as lightly as
he would the ash of his burned
out cigaret, not realizing that It
would be quite as hard to gather
them up again as 1t would be to
hold in his hand the ashes after
he had dispersed them to the
wind.
II told you once that, before 1
was married to Jack, l loved him
SO much that I would have given
myself to him body and soul had
he asked for me, which was true.
Now that l do not love him, in
deed ! never think of him unless
someone mentions him. I would
feel like a woman of the streets
were l to live with him as his
wife.
"Margie, he, like the majority
of men, has sold his wonderful
birthright of loving woman's be-
lief and faith in him for mess Of
pottage which has evidently pois-
oned him at that.
II can't bring back my love for
him, Margie, and l tell you, dear,
l wish could. It may seem
strange to you, but the greatest
hurt l have now is the knowledge
that Jack can do nothing that will
hurt me any more; that he is as
il he had never been; he cannot
make me suffer; but, alas. neither
can his name call up q thrill.
Don't ask me when I began to
feel this way. / didn't begin. One
morning awoke and found that
he meant nothing to me. Our love
and life together had faded as will
a dream in the morning light.
"Margie, I can't 60 to nurse q
strange man and bring him back
to health. Someone else must
care for Jack IL he cannot care for
himself. I must be to him as II I
had never BEEN"
Continued Tomorrow