The Lamar register., 1917-09-26
CHAPTER XVI.
The Crash.

spent In delightful reverie. She had
so often wrestled with the question Of
divorce that she had begun to weary
of it. She gave up trying. Mt length.
and for the time being rested content
in the knowledge that she loved and
was loved. 4 week passed while she
Rugged her thoughts to her breast. and
then one evening she rode home to
learn that Ed had returned from San
Antonio.
But Ed was i'll, and he did not ap-
pear at dinner. II had been years
since either had dared invade the 9th
er's privacy, and now. inasmuch as her
husband did not send for her. Alaire
did not presume to offer her services as
nurse. As a matter of fact, she CON
sidered this quite unnecessary, for she
felt sure that he was either suffering
the customary after-effects of visit to
the city or else that he lacked the
moral courage to undertake an expu-
nation of his hurried flight from the
ranch. In either event she was glad
he kept to his room.
When Austin made his appearance.
on the day following his return. his
bleared eyes, his puffy, pasty cheeks,
his shattered nerves, showed plainly
enough how he had spent his time. Al
though he was jumpy and irritable. he
seemed determined by an assumption
of high spirits and exaggerated friend
illness to avert criticism. Since Alaire
spared him all reproaches. his efforts
seemed to meet with admirable sue
cess. Now Eds opinion Of women was
not high, for those with whom he hn-
bltually associated We're of small in
telligence; and, seeing that his wife
continued to manifest complete in
difference to his past actions. he de-
cided that his apprehensions had been
groundless. II Alaire remembered the
Guzman affair at all, or II she had sus-
pected him Of completely In 1t, time had
evidently dulled her suspicious, and he
was little sorry he had taken pains
TO stay away 50 long.
Before many days. however. he de
covered that this Indifference of hers
was not assumed. and tInI In some
way or other she had changed. III
was accustomed, when he returned ex-
hausted from debauch. TO seeing IN
his wife's eyes strained misery he
had learned TO expect in her bearing
sort of plying. hopeless resignation.
But this time she was not in the least
depressed. On the contrary, she az
peared happier, fresher, and-younger
than he had seen her for a long time.
1t was mystifying. When, one morn
Ing, he overheard her singing in her
room, he was shocked. over this phe-
nomenon he medltated with growing
amazement and a faint stir of resent
ment in his breast, for he lived self
centered life, considering himself the
pivot upon which revolved all the af-
fairs of his little world. To feel that
he had lost even the power to make
his wife unhappy argued that he had
overestimated his importance.
At length, having sufficiently recov-
cred his health to begin drinking again,
he yielded one evening to an alcoholic
Impulse, and just as Alaire bade him
good night, clumsily sought to force
an explanation.
"See here !" he shot at her. ''Whats
the matter with you latelyf' He saw
that he had startled her, and that she
made an effort to collect her wander
ing thoughts. you're about as warm
and wifely as n stone idol"
"Am l any different to what 1 have
always beenf"
"Humph! You haven't been exactly
sympathetic of late. Here I come home
sick, and you treat me like one of the
help. Don't you think have feelingsi
Jovel I'm lonesome"
Alalre regarded him speculatively
then shook her head us If in answer to
some thought.
In an obvious and somewhat too mel
low effort to be friendly, Ed continued: (:
Don't let's go on like this, Alaire. You
blame me for going away so much, but
when I'm home I feel like an inter
loper. You treat me like n eow-thlef."
"rm sorry. I've tried to be every
thing l should I'm the interloper."
'Nonsensel If we only got along
together as well as we seem to from the
outside. it wouldn't be bad at all. But
you're too severe. You seem to think
a man should be perfect. Well, none
of US are, and I'm no worse than the
malrlty, Why. know lots Of fellows