The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-15

men, both her lovers, was pregnant with romantic suggestion. The drama of desert and river centered now in the story of Gerty Hardin. Rickard, who had never married! The deduction, once unveiled, lost all its shyness. And every one saw that he disliked her hus- band!
 She knew now that she had never loved Tom. She had turned to him in those days of pride when Richards anger still held him aloof. How many times had she gone over those unreal hours Who could have known that his anger would last? That hour in the honeysuckles his kisses! None of Hardin's rougher kisses had swept her memory of her exquisite delight-de- ltrious as was her joy, there was room for triumph. She had seen herself clear of the noisy boarding house. Her self, Gerty Holmes, the wife of a pro- lessor; able to have the things she craved, to have them openly no longer having to scheme for them.
 It was through Richards eyes that she had seen the shortcomings of tho college boarding house. She had ac- quired a keen consciousness of those 1 1uizzical eyes. When they had isolated her, at last, appealing to her sympa- thy or amusement, separating her | from all those boisterous students, her 1 dream of bliss had begun.
 In those days, she had seen Hardin through the eyes of the young instruc- tor, younger by several years than his pupil. Her thud of disappointed anger, of dislike, when the face of Hardin | peered through the leafy screen! To have waited, prayed for that moment, and to have it spoiled like that! There had been days when she had wept be- cause she had not shown her anger 1! How could she know that everything would end there; end, just beginning Her boarding-house training had taught her to be civil. It was still vivid to her, her anxiety, her tremu- lousness-with Hardin talking forever of play he had just seen; Rickard growing stiffer, angrier, refusing to look at those lips still warm with his kissesl
 And the next day, still angry with her. Ah, the puzzled deSolation of those weeks before she had salved her hurt; with pride, and then with love l Those days of misery before she could convince herself that she had been in love with love, not with her fleeing lover! Hardin was there, eager to be noticed. That affair, she could see now, had lacked finesse.
 Rickard had certainly loved her, or why had he never married? Why had he left so abruptly his boarding house
 n midterm? Doesn't jealousy confess
 love? Some day, he would tell her what a hideous mistake hers had been! She ought not to have rushed
 into that marriage. She knew now it had always been the other. But life
 was not finished, yet!
 The date set for her summer
 'widowhood" had come, but she lin-
 yered. Various reasons, splendid and
 sacrifcial, were given out There was
 much to be done.
 q wish she would be definite" In
 nes' thoughts complained. She was
 restless to make her own plans. Il
 had not yet occurred to her that Gerty
 would stay in all summer. For she
 never had so martyrized herself
 Some one must be with Tom. It may spoil my trip. But Gerty never thinks of that" She believed it to be { simple matter of clothes. It alway: took her weeks to get ready to go any . where.
 But I won't wait any longer thai next week. If she does not go then,
 will. Absurd for us both to be here } 1t was already fiercely hot. Gerty, meanwhile, had been wonder l ing how she could suggest to her sis , ter-in-law that her trip be taken first Without arousing suspicious! Ter , ribly loud in her ears sounded he : thoughts those days.
 Her husband flung letter on tn table one evening. "A letter to yo'
 from--Casev"
 (Continued Monday)-~ e4,- ) Collars come in both roll and huff