Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1916-02-03


his neck. you mustn't do that sort of
thing to me, Nance. I'm not fit for it."
He made her sit down on a great sofa
before the fire and sat down beside
her. "You remind me today of the
most beautiful thing ever heard said
Of yOu-by a spiteful friend
"What was it?' said Nance, turning
her troubled eyes to him.
"She said, She is only beautiful in
her own home l never understood
| it before. It's a great thing to be
| beautiful in ones own home"
"Oh Alan" said Nance, catching his
hand and holding it against her breast,
lit is a great thing. It's the greatest
thing in life. That's why l sent for
yOu-because you are wrecking for
ever your chance of being beautiful in
your own home. And worse than that,
| you are wrecking AliX' chances. You
| and Alix cannot do this thing. 1t isn't
as though her people and ours were
| of the frOth of the nation. You and
she started life with nothing but
! Puritan to build on. You may have
built just playhouses of sand, but deep
down the old rock foundation must
endure. you must take your stand on
that"
Her eyes had been fixed on the fire
| but now she turned them to his face.
| Alan sat with head hanging forward,
his gaze and thoughts far beyond the
| confines of the room. Then he shook
himself and got up to go. II wish we
could, Nance" he said gravely and
then added half to himself, half to her,
"I'n try"
For some days Alan had been pre-
pared to go away and take Alix with
him, should she consent. Upon his ar
| McDale & McDale in the course of
which that firm opened it's eyes and
| it's pocket wider than it ever had be-
| fore. When he left their offices he had
contracted more or less on his own
terms and McDale, Junior, said to the
Senior Hes only twenty-six-a boy.
How did he beat us?"
"By beating Walton's record first"
replied McDale, Senior land how he
did that time will show"
AS he walked slowly back from
Nances, Alan was thinking that after
all there was no reason why he should
not cut and run-no reason except
Alix.
He reached his rooms. AS he crossed
the threshold he saw that he had
stepped on note that had been
dropped through the letter-slip. He
picked it up. A thrill went through
him as he recognized AliX's handwrit-
ing. There was no stamp. 1t must
have been delivered by hand. He tore
it open and read: you said that a
moments notice was all you asked. l
will take the Montreal Express with
you today"
Alan's blood turned to liquid fire.
The note conjured before him a vision
of AliX. He crushed it and held it to
his lips and laughed-not jeeringly but
in pure, uncontrolled excitement.
1t was not a coincidence that Gerry
had sought out AliX at the very hour
that Nance was summoning Alan. Ger.
ry and Nance were driven by the same
forewarning Of catastrophe. Gerry had
felt it first but he had been slow to
believe, slower to act He had nc
precedent for this sort Of thing. His
whole being was in revolt against the
situation in which he found himself
1t was after a sleepless night-a mos
unheard of thing with him-that hi
! decided he could let things go no long
,er. He went to Allx' room, knocked
and entered
Alix was up, though the hour wal
early for her. Fresh from her bath she
. sat in sheen of blue dressing gown
; before the mirror doing her own hair
Gerry glanced around him and int
! the bathroom looking for the maid.
D d-morning," said Alix. "She'
not here. Did you want to see her?"
: He was standing beside an opel
I window. He could feel the cold air OF
: his hands. He felt like putting hi
Q head out into 1t. His head was hot
"Allx," he said suddenly without look
:. ing at her, 81 want you to drop Alan.
but l don't want to drop Alan,
y replied Allx lightly.
: Gerry whirled around at her tone
{ His nostrlls were quiyering. To hi
amazement his hands fairly itched I
= clutch her beautiful throat. He coul
Z hardly control his voice. "Stop play
= ing, Alix," he gulped. There's neve
I been Divorce among the Lansing
e nor wifebeater and one is as nea
: this room as the other right now"
& Gerry regretted the words as 500
= as he had said them but Alix was nc
= angry. She looked at him through ma
rowed eyes she specialized on I'll
II sensation Of being roughly handled b
d this rock of man. There was som
e thing tremendous aud impressive
d his anger and struggle for control.