Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-13


you, Ruhannah?"
She shook her head slightly.
"Why not?' he asked.
rive been thinking. I can't go
back"
Cant go back! Why n0t?"
You mean you'd feel too deeply
humiliated?"
Il wasn't thinking of my own dis
grace [ was thinking of mother
and father" There was no trace of
emotion in her voice; she stated the
fact calmly.
Il can't go back to BrookholloW:
It's ended [ couldn't bear to let
them know what has happened to
me-"
What did you think of doing?"
he asked uneasily.
81 must think of mother must
keep my disgrace from touchina
them-spare them the sorrow-hu-
tremulous, but she turned around
and sat up in her chair, meeting his
FAVE Ra1e t i1uaa9y" she said. 90 la
Both remained silent for a long
while Then Ruhannah looked up
from her pale preoccupation:
II told you I had three thousand
dollars. Why can't | educate myself
in art with that? Why can't learn
how to support myself by art?"
"Where?"
Here"
Yes. But what are you going to
say to your parents when you write:
They suppose you are on your way
She nodded, looking at him
thoughtfully.
"By the way" he added, sis your
trunk on board the Lusitania?"
Yes"
That won't do! Have you the
check for it?"
Yes. in my purse"
We've got to get that trunk off
the ship" he said. There's only
one way. I'd better go down now,
to the pier. Where's your steamer
TT have both tickets and both
the p-p1easure of carrying them"
Again her voice broke childlishly,
but the threatened emotion was
strangled and resolutely choked
back.
Give me the tickets and checks"
he said. TIL go down to the dock
now"
She drew out the papers, sat hold
ing them for a few minutes without
relinquishing them. Then she raised
her eyes to his, and a bright flush
stained her face:
why should 1 not go to Paris by
myself?" she demanded.
You mean now? On this ship?"
yes. Why not? I have enough
money to go there and study, haven't
II"
Yves. But"
"Why mott" she repeated feverish-
have three thousand dollars; I can't
go back to Broollhollow and dis
grace them. What does it matter
where I go?"
1T would be all right" he said,
eff you'd ever had any experience"
Experience! What do you call
what I've had today" She exclaim-
ed excitedly. ITO lose in a single
day my mother, my home-to go
through in this city what 1 have
gone through-what I am COINS
through noW-is not that enough
experience? Isn't it?"
He said:
you've had a rotten awakening,
Rue-a perfectly devilish expert
ence. Only-you've never travelled
alone" Suddenly it occurred to
him that his lively friend. the
Princess Mistchenka, was sailing OH
the. Lusitania; and he remained 81
lent, uncertain, looking with vague
misgivings at this girl in the arm
chair opposite-this thin, uniformed,
inexperienced child who had attain
ed neither mental nor physical ma
turity.
IT think" he said at length, that
L told you I had a friend sailing on
the Lusitania tomorrow"
She remembered and nodded.
But wait moment" he added.
"How do you know that this-this
fellow Brandes will not attempt to
sail on her, also" Something
checked him, for in the girls
glimmer; something almost terri
BILE came into the child's still
gaze; and slowly died out like the
afterglow of lightning.
And Neeland knew that in her soul
something had been born under his
very eyes-the first emotion of ma
turity bursting from the chrysalis-
the flaming consciousness Of outrage,
and the first, fierce assumption of
Womanhood to resent it.
She had lost her color now; her
gray eyes still remained fixed on his,
IT don't know why you shouldn't
co." he said abruptly.
ST am going"
"All right! And if he has the nerve
to go-if he bothers you-appeal to
the captain"
But l don't believe he'll try to
sail. 1 don't believe he'll dare, mixed
up as he is in dirty mess. He's
afraid of the law, 1 tell you. That's
why he denied marrying you. 1t
meant bigamy to admit it. Anyway,
l don't think a fake ceremony like
that is binding; I mean that it isn't
even real enough to put him in Jail.
Which means that you're not mar
ried, Rue"
'I think so. Ask a lawyer, any
way. There may be steps to take
I don't know. All the same-do you
really want to go to France and
study art? Do you really mean to
sail on this ship?"
Eyes"
you feel confidence in yourself?
You feel sure of yourself?"
you've got the backbone to see
it through"
yes. It's got to be done"
"All right, if you feel that way"
He made no move, however, but sat
there watching her. After a while
he looked at his watch. again:
I'm going to ring up a taxi" he
said. you might as well go on
board and get some sleep. What time
does she sail?"
"At $50, 1 believe"
well, we haven't so very long,
then. There's my bedroom-if you
want to fix up"
She rose YEARLY.
Go BE Continued)