The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-12-07
MORE THAN A HOME
BY EDITH KENYON.

' i''''"'ht hau endured Tor nve min |
utes. You do not look like yourself |
tonight" he pronounced meditatively.
a faint flush warmed her cheeks.
1T Is your hair" he said again. "You
haven't crimp or curl. And that dark
gown, plain around the neck-you look
hve years older. l don't like 1t eli
Their"
She spoke her answer firmly, al
though her redness deepened. IL think
Mr.. Halden likes It," she said.
"Haldenf he echoed. Lord 1t is
for Halden?"
VI think" she answered, II ought to
dress to please Mr.. Halden If l can.
He would not like-his wife to look
SO much younger than himself"
"His-wifeT"
HE has asked me to marry him, and
L have made up my mind that 1 will"
DO you care for him?" They had
scoffed humorously ut love; they had
even proved to theL own satisfaction
that there was In reality no such thing.
NO." she answered him, II am not
afraid to tell you, my friend-no, nor
ashamed. l am going to marry Mr..
Halden because II want Il home.
don't want this always" The room
was agreeable, but 1t WAS conspicu-
ously clearinghouse parlor.
Mrs. Denton-yOu met her, you
know-has sent for me to come to Bos-
ton and take n position her husband
has waiting for me. 1t is better one,
and l should have gone, but-Mr. Hal
den," she hesltated, "had spoken"
you mentioned that" he remarked
tartly.
He felt baffled. He suffered from an
unreasonable but burning spleen.
But" he cried with energy, "Halden!
| If there must be victim, why of all
men Halden?"
Because he wants to be the VIC
TIM" she returned.
probably he thinks he does. Most
men have spasms Of mental alteration,
and this Is Halden's. Julia, you would
never take advantage Of It? Julia, you
| couldn't.
"Oh, you might not make him much
more miserable than any other woman
would. But, Julia, do you know how
Halden puts In his time? Why, loung-
ing around the club and absorbing the
news and refreshing liquids; going to
an occasional stag dinner, and getting
new cures for his gout-Or neuralgia, Is
| It? That" Perry said, "is what Hal
den does, and he's done II till II is
habit with him, like eating and breath
ing. 1t would be smaller undertake
ing to throw steam engine of its
track than to shunt Halden Off his.
Aud what would 1t result for Hulden?
Misery"
She threw back her head and
laughed.
Don't laugh, / mean It," he said
sharply, and for space his eyes looked
into hers. The long look burned its
interposed ever between them-the
flimsy barrier which their ignorance
and their heedlessness had reared.
julia he faltered. The door bell
rang.
ut is Mr.. Halden," she said, with
trembling lips. Must you GOT"
! Nine days later, sitting in his office
in the heavy gloom and the dullness
which for the past week had held him,
! Perry received Il letter. II was from
Julia Lamont, aud it was brief.
II am going to Boston this after
noon. GooG-by."
"Good-by" he muttered, fercely
. D,,t III - ha Ia
on the instant. She was going to Bos-
ton. What did that mean? He sprang
to his feet. She was going that af-
tcrnOon. shell take the boat" he
hazardcd. II was already past five. He
seized his hat and called II taxi which
drove him to West Warren street swift
| ~. She was there.
81 told you good-by in my note"
she remarked.
He saw with JOY that her hair was
wavy. "Where is Haldenf" he demand
ed.
she Is cruising around the lake with
Mr.. Crane" she answered. IL
thought over what you said, and
saw" she affirmed, not In humility,
but In n rigor of pride, "that it Is true.
1t would have been mistake: from
the first feared II. And--I almost think
he agreed with me, In hiS heart. So,
after all, | am not going to have Il
home. | am going to Boston" She
smiled bravely.
"ThOse are Measurements" he an
swercd, "both."
"What do you mean"
"You will have II home, and you will
not 20 To Boston," he returned; though
he spoke to the back of her head,
abruptly averted, "As reckon 1t, we
have been fools for four years, and
that is long enough, julia"
She faced him with valiant resist
unce. II won't consider it," she de-
cared. 1T Is mental alteration. l
should be cruel to take advantage Of
it-iuhumun."
TNo. no. Won are inhuman to confuse