The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-10
The Neglected Wife


 The MaIi-Horace Kennedy.
 The Wife Mary Kennedy.
 The Woman Alone" e"-Margaret War
 ner
 Don't try to tell me now-just rest,
 Kennedy was holding both her hands witt
 reassuring strength.
 No, I want you to know. l shouldn'
 have phoned you I fought against it a
 long as could"
 Then suddenly, hiding her face agains
 the cushioned back of the cab Marga-
 ret burst into tears-a reaction from the prolonged strain
 It was a large apartment house be-
 fore which they finally drew up. In the
 marbled hall, the elevator swung then
 to the ninth floor where Kennedy ush-
 cred her into d luxurious siX-room suite,
 He had first taken her to his home
 where over revivins tea tray he had
 told her of this apartment left in his charge by an absent client. Margaret
 had hoped for simple inexpensive refuge but now she shrank from this seem ing extravagance.
 You make it very difficult, Margaret, with a note of repreach at her shrinking | reluctance. If you'd only accept my help for a few weeks without these pro tests.
 When finally he left there was wst- l ful note in his quiet, 'I want to see you otten-you know that, But I don't want you to feel that I feel have any special ] right here This is your horne as long as you choose to stay. | The delicacy of this attitude Margaret acknowledge by a grateful glance. Polg- nantly sensitive to her anomalous posi- hon, it was slight soothing to her | flayed pride.
 It was late that afternoon when Mary, having found the loneliness of the house. boat unbearable, reached their town house.
 As she crossed the room something crunshed under her foot. A slue comb. light amber comb-implying light hairr-
 Some one here for teal" she asked the maid who now entered.
 MT Kennedy, ma'am,' confusedly, gathering up the crumpled napkins. The service was plainly for two, but Mary had not yet stopped to questioning her servants.
 It was late when Kennedy came home to dinner His surprise at her. having come back to town was evident, but his greeting held the punctilious pohteness that she had come to dread.
 The dinner and evening that she had so longed for were painfully constrained. With a sick dispair, Mary realized that all their old intimacy and companionshlp was gone.
 Pleading fatigue from the long drive, it was still early when she went up to her room. How unavailing had been her trip-how futile her efforts to get near him,
 The next morning, after a restless, seepness night, she came down to break fast to find he had already left. With stabbing heartache she realized that he had preferred to breallfast alone.
 Going back upstairs. she turned into his room. Her longing to be near him found a pitiful expression in handling his clothes.
 The suit he had worn yesterday lay oh chair. Starting to hang it up. her glance fell on a faint white blur on the coat.
 Holding it closer she caught an elusive perfume The tea service in the library, the sidecomb-and now this added proof! l Sinking to the floor, Mary dropped her head against a chair. The wretch l edness of this last discovery left her dazed and hopeless l Who was she? Where was she? The first simplifying shock now leaped to a passionate jeaIousy-a fierce deter mination to know At any other time she would have scorned the impulse to which she now yielded .Feverishly she searched the pockets, finding a plain white card on which was penciled: "T D.-42 Water Street
 3rd door End floor--4 short rings For a long moment she stood mo- tionless staring at the card That this was the womans address, she felt con- vinced
 Swept on by an impulse she could not combat, she dressed swiftly-a dark suit and heavy veil. Hurrying down to the sun -bathed street, she si signaled a passing taxi and gave the address-"42 Water street." rapid drive across town and they entered a squalid waterfront district. The cab drew up before an oldfash- | toned dilapidated brick house with broken shutters and an unkept door way.
 l As she went up the steps Mary saw with surprise that the front door was aiar. Pushing it open, she entered the | dim shadowy hallway. i Conquerng a throbbing sense of l fear, she started up the dark stairs. Twice she paused with an alarming de l sire to turn back. but her heart beat 1 ing fast she forced herself on l The second floor was gruesomely i black Timidly Mary approached the l third door She was summoning her courage to touch the button when she
 was startled by gruff voices within.
 They've put Mike away for two
 years and if he hasn't talked yet he will Whats the name of that lawyer | who got him to plead guilty"
 "l ennedy,' growled another voice.
 Well. he promised him job after he'd done his piece if he'd run straish {, oh. Mikes sauealed all right We'd
 better beat fl or we'll have the cops 4 here any minute"
 f Mary had heard enough Her absurd mistake was clear Terrified, with held
 breath. she ran down the fearsomely- | creakine stairs and out into the se-
 curity of the sun-lit street She had stumbled on band of crim- nals whom her husband intended to prosecute. Could she let him know | what she had overheard? Could sine tell him without confessing her jeal-
 ous suspicious? What excuse could
 she give for being in such a neigh borhood? 1 Her mind in whirl. she hurried or
 with no thought of direction, soor finding herself in a crowded tenemen ! district with filtered fire escapes, pusl
 carts and swarming children.