Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-12-09
Moonlight and
Money
By Marion Rubincam
LOUISE DESERTS
~

CHAPTER AZ
Coming up the roa from the tram
Harry noticed the light in the guest
room and thought hat this was
simply another of the times when
Louise wanted to be alone. III had
taken the room as her own almost
entirely of late and, though it trou-
bled him a little, he respected her
wishes. He felt it was natural that
ii woman should be a little Temporal
mental when in Louise's present con-
dition and he was sure everything
would be all right.
Usually It was. Louise would
emerge from a week of depression
and be. for a little time, her old
CHEEKY self. 1t was impossible to
imagine that Louise, who had shown
in so many ways how deep her love
was, could be permanently changed.
SO he entered the house softly and
went upstairs. He stopped an instant
outside the closed door. There was
no sound.
Probably she was asleep. he rea-
soned, and had kept the light on be-
cause she was nervous in the dark.
lie was sorry to have stayed in town
that evening, but it seemed impossl-
BILE to refuse. He wanted to meet
possible clients as much for his wife's
sake as for his own. and this dinner
was arranged hastily just for that
Mrs. SALISBURY knew
Louise was not going out at this time,
50 she had asked Harry alone. Ho
had met the people, had made a good
impression, and had come away as
soon as he decently could.
Mrs. Shaftsbury's parting words
were:
"I hope Louise doesn't mind. I'm
sure she won't, she is so sensible
And Harry answered, "Of course
she won't mind. She thinks you are
splendid anyway"
She's a dear. You must take care
of her." Mrs. SALISBURY replied.
This he wanted to tell Louise. But
there was no sound from the room
and he was afraid to wake her II she
were asleep. SO he tiptoed into the
other
Next morning he knocked gently
at the closed door.
Are you tired. .dear?" he asked.
"Yes,'--eame Louise's voice from
within.
'TThen don't get up. III cat in
town." he said and went for an early
train.
When he came home that after
noon the house vas dark. When he
closed the front door and took off
Ills tObi, llS GILL SJluCk MN ANA
made him SILVER. OF course the fur
mace was out: there was no coal. and
the coal man had refused credit. He
swalSed into the living room. A note
lay on the table.
With a SILVER Of cold fear too he
opened it,
Dear Harry" it read, you'll think
I'm q coward and a deserter-and /
I'M. ! can't stand it any longer, so
I'm going back. l mean to mothers.
She told me once I would and | was
mad at her, but 1 know she is right
now.
'@Fhis doesn't mean that I don't
0 you, for / do. l always will.
But 1t does NEAR that I realize now
what. We should have known a year
ago; that marriage Is more THAI love.
There must be material comforts
little things that don't seem to count.
hut that in tho long run count just
as much as love does.
You may say this isn't so. But
you've escaped from the house every
day; the office has been a change
to you. I've been here all the time
with nothing, but work ana worry.
The work is too hard for me and I
can't see any end to the worry nor
any solution for the problems we
face. It's just debts, debts, debts.
We pay one man enough to satisfy
him and u a bill somewhere else.
The mail is nothing but dunning let
tiers. Your small salary did not
cover expenses; your present business
certainly won't-fer~a long time.
In the meantime l think we'd
better stay apart. I shall stay with
mother, who Is really ill II needs
me. At least I can have warmth and
plenty to- cat, which we haven't al
ways had here.
I'm not complaining, dear. You've
done your best and I've tried TO do
mine. But the problem is too big
for both of us. I think you'd better
have someone take over the lease on
3le house n store the furniture.
Please don't como to see me, at
least not yet. I'll write you when [
want YOU to. This isn't goodbye, ex-
cept for q time. When we get on our
feet financially we can go back and
start over again, perhaps. 1t isn't
fair to u baby, either, to bring it
n h world without giving it a fair
chance. I've read that in doctors
books. It's awfully hard to write
this. Goodbye.
Louise"
Harry dropped the note from cold
and trembling fingers and stood star
ing at some black dead ashes in the
fireplace.
Tomorrow-New Problems.