The Southern herald., 1915-10-22
CHAPTER III.

thin lips as she read the item in the
evening newspaper.
Wife of Broker Leaves Him on Eve
of Bankruptcy" she read. MRS. Will
liam Wright returns to her fathers
house. She will apply for divorce from
her husband, naming his stenographer,
Daisy Dean, as correspondent"
She folded the paper and laid 1t down
That's one for Robert" she said
And I, unsuspicious that am, never
even suspected that anything was
really wrong"
She swung round as the door
opened. Her brother Robert stood on
the threshold, livid and trembling. In
his hand he held a copy of the same
newspaper.
DO you know what this infamous
sheet Is printing!" he demanded.
Miss Susan laid her hand on his
shoulder. Eyes, Robert, my poor boy"
she answered. Il am SO sorry. We
never suspected, even though we used
our eyes, how bad it really was. It is
scandal to the whole neighborhood.
She must be forced to leave Dots
boro-"
Robert glared at his sister. "She
will come to this house to be my
wife!" he shouted, slamming down his
fist on the table. "Susan, do you sup
pose believe those infamous stories?
Do you think am going to abandon
her in her trouble?"
Robert, you are mad! To bring
that girl to our house"
"If she'll have me-" said Robert,
humbly.
"oh, she'll have you fast enough"
his sister sneered. "Only If you bring
her here l walk out. Thank heaven
am a respectable woman. There is
limit, and l draw it here, Robert.
Why, do you want people to say that
you married a girl Austin Clark
wouldn't look at after he found her
out?"
Her brother unable to trust himself
to answer her, stamped out of the
room
In her own home Daisy Dean sat In
chair and stared, dry-eyed, at the
newspaper.
She had found her employers Office
closed that morning when she arrived,
and the office boy waiting outside.
Mr.. Wright was habitually so punctual
that Daisy had telephoned to his apart
ment. She learned that it was closed.
Mr.. Wright had come home the eve
ming before ana gone out again. That
was all that was known. Mrs. Wright
was away on visit.
Again that morning Daisy went
down to the office, to find the door
still locked. The office boy had grinned
sheepishly at her this time. He told
her everything except the one salient
fact, and that he would not have
blurted out for all the raises that his
Imagination had ever devised.
THE boss has had a row with Mrs
Wright, Miss Dean" he said. "She's
left him, and he's gone after her to
bring her back. No, don't know what
troubles about. The colored mans
kid in the apartment house told me
about It,"
What had happened was this: Mr. |
Wright had gone, rather frantically, |
to his father-in-law's house, thinking |
that his wife might be there. Even |
then he did not surmise the nature of
the trouble. Yes, she was there, but
she refused to see him. Instead, the |
Old man had come downstairs, and a |
stormy interview followed.
Mrs Wright's father was matter. |
of-fact man. He did not feel so much |
the moral obliquity of his son-in-law's |
behavior as the scandal that he had
brought about. He had heard the ru-
mors that were flying over the town
and had disbelieved them; but his !,
daughters hysterical return the same
afternoon had convinced him as to
their truth. He wasn't going to f.
nance a son-in.law who made such a
fool of himself, especially since his
daughter announced that she would
never return to him.
You've played the fool, William.
and you'll have to get out of your
trouble as best you can," he said. "Tf
my daughter goes back to you again
I'll see if I'm willing to help you. AS
matters stand, she says she won't. and
that's enough for me-"
But I've made all my arrangements
in view of that loan," cried Wright.
Don't you see, sir, that my wife's
hysterical and wrought up about moth
ing, so far as l can see? Why the
whole charge is preposterous."
Il don't care what It is," shouted
the old man. i've done with you.
and I've better uses for my money
than to lend 1t to a fool like YOU"
And suddenly Wright's anger cooled
The utter malignancy of the whole
thing, which had come home to Daisy.
struck home to him also. He looked
at the old man in dazed way.
You'll be sorry" he said. But
It'll be too late tomorrow"
and he walked slowly out of the
house and back to his apartment.
At q Into hour thn anIl..,