Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-08

M ~ and as usual chatted uncon
Az ernedly of anything and every
Jhins
You must be getting rich!" she
laughed.
Il don't see any signs" 1 respond
ed, making a wry face.
only very prosperous lawyers cal
afford to turn away so rich client as
Peter Lawson" she replied, then some
one came i'm and l forgot all about
what she had said until Robert came
home
Il heard that you refused to take
some sort of case for that rich Mr..
Lawson. Robert. What was it?"
Il did turn Peter Lawson away. the
skunk, 1t was nothing in the world
but a frame-up on an innocent wom-
an, and If he had offered me all his
to it,
What kind of a frame-up? What do
you mean?"
"Ile wants TO divorce her."
eff you don't take the case some 9TH
er lawyer will. and get the money"
Let them!"
How much could you have made ?"
L asked curious.
Never mind. I refused the case"
'But tell me-. L insisted.
He offered me a retainer of SIS, 1000"
1 gasped
you mean to tell me that you re-
fused $4,000 when we need it SO
much?"
Yes; l would have refused $50, 900"
81 have thought for a long time that
you cared nothing for me, now 1 know
| it," | cried, wild when l thought of
what l might do with such a fee.
Wen not speak of 1t again." Rob-
ert told me in his most severe man.
ner. I'm surprised that you would
have me prostitute my ability in such
a cause"
I said nothing more, but was ready
to cry with rage and disappointment.
Curiously the thought came to me that
it was the injury taking such a case
would do him politically instead of
morally that made Robert refuse.
knew he was planning to run for some
Office soon, and that he was making
everything subservient to this ambi-
tion.
When l left him the next day we
parted coldly. Robert acted hurt, and
l was too angry at what / considered
his quixotic notions to even pretend.
Bruce sensed that something was
wrong, but neither of us enlightened
illllls anu he dSkeu no questions.
Robert carried the baby in his arms
not put him down until the train pulled
out. Myrtle and Ned with Holland
Lansing and Tod Freeman dashed up
just in time to say good-by, and for
Tod to tell me he would be home before
1 left.
No matter what Roberts feeling was
for me l knew he loved our boy dearly
When he finally kissed him and put
him down beside me | thought l saw
tears in his eyes. But 1 concluded
was mistaken when he calmly kissed
me and hoped 1 would enjoy my visit.
Bruce and Robert parted affection
ately, both faces lighted by a look of
understanding had so often noticed be-
tween them.
Now all this time I loved Robert. al
though l often acted as if 1 did not
My youth. my bringing up, my ire
sponsibility and selfishness often made
me an enigma to myself. l craved
love. my husbands love, and did moth
ing either. to conserve it. Many wom-
en-, especially young women, are like
that, too thoughtless, too careless to
keep what is already their own; all the
time wondering why it escaped them
We had a delightful trip. Baby Bruce
was as good as gold, and brother was
kind and thoughtful of me. and my
comfort. Could l have forgotten that
Holland Lansing was still where Rob-
ert could see her l should have been
almost contented. But it is almost i'm
possible for a jealous person to be per-
fectly happy. So l tormented myself
with the thought that. now they could
be together and 1 should not be there
to see.
told Bruce about Peter Lawson, and