The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-25
Revelations
of o. Wife
How Madge Broke the News of Jacks
Departure to Dicky,
By ADELE GARRISON.

How Madge Broke Ine NEWS OF JACK
Departure TO Dicky.
as she asleep?" asked the question
in a hushed voice as Dicky tiptoed
from his mothers room.
yes" returned Dicky shortly, and
going to the table sat down and
picked up magazine utterly ignoring
me.
/ knew, of course, that he m%st have
resented the way / pushed him from
| me when he had attempted to make up
| for his mothers GOODNESS by caressing
me in her presence. But l was not
prepared for this cavalier treatment.
How regretted the impulse which
| had made me repulse Dicky because
| his mother was looking at US with
cold, satirical eyes!
If 1 ever wanted Dicky to be unruf-
fled and to feel kindly toward me, it
was when | had anything unpleasant
to say to him. 1 knew he would re-
| sent Jacks letter and yet I felt that
| ought to show it to him.
But it is never my way to post
pone unpleasant duties. I have al
ways felt that if 1 were condemned to
execution 1 would not ask for reprieve
would rather have the awful bust
ness done with at once. So 1 men
tally braced myself to brave Dicky's
displeasure and said quietly:
Can you give me a few minutes
time. Dicky? 1 have something to tell
you"
Dicky put down the magazine with
a bored air. what is it?" he asked
shortly.
Involuntarily my thoughts flew
back to the exquisite courtesy which
had always been Dicky's in the days
before we were married. There had
been such a delicate reverence in his
every tone and action. / wondered if
marriage chnaged all men as it had
changed my husband.
Il received a letter this morning
which 1 wish you to read 1 said.
"Oh!" Dicky stiffened, 81 suppl 5e
from his precious nibs, Brother Jack"
1T is from Jack. certainly" I said.I
ignoring Dicky's sneer.
We'll, let's have it."
| went to my room and brought the
letter back to Dicky. He read it
through, and I saw his face grow
blacker with each word. When he
came to the signature, he turned
back to the beginning and read the
epistle through again. Then he crum-
pied it into ball and threw it yio-
lently across thoiroom.
See here, my lady," he exploded. 81
think it's about time we came to
showdown over this business. When
l found that first letter from this lad. |
| asked you, if he were a relative. and
you said No Then you hand me this
touching screed with it's nearest of
kin twaddle, and speaking of leaving
you fortune Now what's the an
swer?"
"Oh. hardly, a fortune, Dicky," 4
returned quietly. Jack has only a
few thousand at the outside
fear / was purposely provoking.
but D!cky's sneering, insulting manner
reused every bit of spirit in me.
"A few thousand you'll never touch
as long as you are my wife," stormed
Dicky. Put you are evading my
question"
Jacks Relationship Explained.
"Oh no, 1 am not I said coldly.
That real relationship between Jack
and myself is so Slight as to be prac-
tieallye nothing. He is the son of a
distant cousin of my mothers. Per-
haps you remember that on the day
you made the scene about the letter
you had just emphasized your very
close friendship for Mrs. Underwood
In fashion rather embarrassing to
me, 1 resolved that. to speak vulgarIy,
| what was sauce for the gander etc
and that l would put my friendship
for Jack upon the same basis as yours
for Mrs. Underwood. So when You
asked whether or not Jack was a rel
ative l said No
THAT makes this letter an insuIt
both to you and to me-" D.cky said
venomously, his face black with anger.
sprang to my feet, trembling with
anger.
BE careful I said Jelly you don't
deserve an explanation, but YOU shall
have one, and that is the last word
shall ever speak to you on the subject
of Jack. His letter is the truth. l am
his nearest of kin, save the cousins
| in Pennsylvania of whom he spealxs
He was orphaned in his babyhood and
| my mothers only sister legally adont-
| ed him, and raised his as her own
! SON We were practically raised to-
| gether, for my mother and my aunt
/ always lived near each other. Jack
was the only brother L ever knew. III
/ the only sister he had. When nv
aunt died she left him her little prop
erty with the understanding that he
would always look after my mother
and myself. He kept his promise roy
ally. My mother and 1 owed him
many, many kindnesses. God forbid
| that I ever am given the opportunity
| to claim Jacks property. But il he
should be killed. choked upon the
word-'1 shall take 1t and try 70 use
| it wisely, as he would have me do"
Behind the Door.
Very touching, upon my word,
/ sneered Dicky, and very interesting
| If true" He almost spat the words