Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-10
CHAPTER V

OftAG-IER
Copyright, 1918. by King Features
Syndicate, Inc.)
Sunlight flooded our little chintz-
hung room. 1t wavered across my
drowsy eyes and woke me. On no
other morning of our honeymoon
had I awakened to such a golden
glow. I smiled 6reamily to myself
and thought that this day promised
to make up for the gloom of last
night 1 lay for a while between
sleep and waking. Finally I man
aged to open my eyes and to call
tenderly:
Jim"
thought the love note in my
voice might make him forgive me
for the night before. There was no
answer
is it?"
Silence.
II sat up and looked reprach-
fully over at Jim's little four-poster
its covers were tossed back. 1t was
empty.
My heart gave a quick. suffocat-
ing leap, and then 1 arose and pat
tered slipperless over to the little
white-tiled bath. 1t was empty.
The world seemed empty, also.
l. ne HUI hdN VI OuI lie lO6SNhCI
and my husband had begun the
morning without a word to me. He
hadn't even run the water for Kly
bath!
Had jim hurried out without
waiting for me to waken because
he was angry with me for what had
happened the night before? Or had
he gone out with quiet tenderness.
leaving me to sleep so late because
he guessed that I had lain awake
weeping until dawn. Or-had the
gone to her-to Betty Bryce?
My fingers shook and trembled as
] tried to dress. knotted the laces
of my white sport shoes-twice my
the little bow at my throat hung
aSkew. At last I was ready.
l hurried down to the little per-
COLA where we had breakfast each
morning on red raspberries, thick
cream, coffee and corn mufflns-we
had always agreed even about break
fast! From the inner diningroom
could see Jim out in the little sum-
mer house.
/. So he hadn't waited for me-he
wasn't even at our accustomed table.
Another step brought me to an open
window, through which I could see
tHS CoIhel "AeIe jim sat OPPOSllo
Betty Bryce.
A Secret Overheard
I stood for a moment, leaden-
footed and leaden-hearted. Then
heard my husbands voice:
You must forgive and understand
as you always have. 1 can't tell her
yet. I'm afraid to tell her. You
understand-and she doesn't"
Then Mrs. Bryces reply:
"Of course I understand, dear boy,
and there's nothing to forgive. Ev-
erything between us is just as it has
always been"
AS I stumbled away from the win
dow I fairly crashed into the table
behind me. For a tense second Jim
looked up. Had he heard the rattle
of china and silver. Had he seen
me?
I turned and fed. Jim was apol-
ogizing for his wife! Betty Bryce
understood him-was assuring him
that everything between them must
be as it had been before. What had
there been between them? 1t was al
most too cruelty plain!
Up to the little room of our love
! stumbled and flung myself across
my unmade bed. AT first the tears
wouldn't come, the ache in my heart
was so bitterly dry Then
sobs shook me, and l gave myself up
completely to my grief. I felt as if
I could never be happy again. There
was no use in fighting-there was
nothing now for which to fight.
Suddenly 1 felt a touch on my
shoulder-Jim's hand. I shook it off
and STUN bled to my feet. My dress
was crumpled and my eyes red
Betty Bryce had been lovely in her
vantage.
From panic I felt myself sweep
Ing to resentment-wild anger-the
hatred they say is so near to love
flooded my veins. Jim looked so cool,
so well-groomed il, his uniform, so