The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-06-30


Maize, usrSsrt urne, draped sailor hat
she had thrown
on the couch beside her. 'You can't
tell me anything about him that I
don't know. I've no illusions"
"You mean you're going to marry
man you can't even respect-just
because in a foolish schoolgirl way
you think you're in love with him."
II was in love with him. I'm not
sure even Of that now"
Laura, you're hopeless! l doAt
understand you any more. You
haven't been yourself for weeks"
Longer than that-four months, to
be exact" Then with tense abrupt
ness, 1--WE heard you say you don't
expect women to be wholly truthful,
that they all resort to small eva
sions. But suppose some one you were
fond of was untruthful in big way,
that her whole life was a lie--could
you still be fond Of herr"
II don't think understand" faltered
Helen, with a rush Of torturing sus-
picions.
Suppose you found that for months
I've been deceiving you. Gould you
forgive that?'
Laura, you don't mean"
give been married to Ed Marstein
for over four months"
Through the open window came the
rumbling street sounds, the lessening
rumble of the early evening. Helen,
sitting by her dressing table, was
bending double a flexible nail file. Her
pressure frightened and the chin steel
broke.
-Four months!" dazedly. "Then you
were already married the night you
dined here and he came to take you
aomef"
"Yes.'
/ aa1au that evening you were with us
ut Shanley's?"
mo, we were married the next
day"
1.-THE next day! The very day after
both Warren and had that talk with
you--and begged you not to see him
again?"
Laura snapped her glove clasps in
silent, hopeless admission.
"It's rather late to offer congratula-
TONS" Helens voice was withdraw
ingly cold.
'Don't! l can bear anything but
eynicism."
"But why have you kept it Sc
cret? Why"
"He couldn't support me-and il
would hurt my work if it were known
that / was married"
"And he was willing for this Sc
Gregg" with swift scorn for the mar
who would take wife under such con
ditions.
"Oh, no." YEARLY. But what coulC
he do--he hasn't worked three weeks
In six months. His people give hin
$50 month--it doesn't pay for hi
Clothes"
But, Laura, he's clever enough; ht
can work Surely, he"
ooh, he speaks three or four Ian
| guages and knows all the social tricks
| but he can't hold down a steady jot
at fifteen a week."
"You really mean you don't care al
you did," startled at the singing not'
| of contempt.
| sometimes think loathe him."
"Yet you're living with him?"
| II lived with him just two weeks
| You learn lot about man in tive
weeks, after you're married. Any in
| fatuation l had for him-well he'
about killed all that. Now he''
bounding me to come back to him,
drawing crumpled note from he
waist. "He sent this by messenge
last night"
$50.
"pm respecting your wish not II
come to the house, but you must come
| to me-. I'm waiting here, at the Fifty
| ninth street station, uptown side
| Laura, I've got to see you'll l saw
Gardner today, and he's going to lane
that job for me at forty week. II
show you can make good. Give mi
/ another chance. l swear I haven
| drank drop for three days. But i
you fail me tonight--well you'd bette
| come. that's all. ED"
"The first part isn't so bad" dis
criminated Helen, "but don't like tina
threat. Did you go?"
"Yes, and he'd been drinking. Oh
If | could believe anything he tells M
but it's all lies--lies."
'The position too-you mean tina
isn't true?"
ooh no, he can get work anywhere
but he can't keep it."
"Yet he seems 20 care for you," re
reading the note.
"That's the strange part. He doe
love me, In his foolish way. Hell
be at the house tonight felt h
would; that's why l came here.