The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-15
(Contfnuedz from Yesterday.)

(COnClnueu%
 Thus early did Julia act as med iator between her parents, but of this particular occasion she had no recol- lection, nor of much that followed it.. Had she been a few years older she might really have affected a last ing reconciliation between them, for all that was best in George made him love his daughter, and Emehne was intensely proud of the child. As it was, Julia was too. young She 1 might unconsciously be the means Of | reuniting them now and then, but she could not at all grasp the situa- | ton, and when she was not quite | seven a decree of, divorce, on the | ground of desertion. set both Eme- l line and George free after eight years | of married life. --. |
 Emeline was too. frightened at the enormity of the thing to be either l glad or sorry. She had never meant | to go so far She had threatened | George with divorce just as George anger, practically since her wedding | day. But the emotion that finally | drove Emeline to a lawyer was not anger, it was just dull rebellion of her days. She was alone when George was away trips; she was not less alone when he was in town. He had formed the habit of joining 'the boys in the evening; he was surly and noncommitta1 with his wife, but Julia, hanging about the lower hall door or playing with children in the street, always heard a burst of laughter he Joined his friends; everybody in the world-except Elm eline--Eked George!
 Poor Emeline-she could easily have held hirl! A little tenderness toward toward him, a little interest in her home and her child, and George would have been won again. Had he but once come home to a contented wife and a clean house, Georges way O iTc affnn+inT1 gained. But Emeline was loud mouthed, aissertive woman now, nois- fly set upon her own way, and filled with a sense of her own wrongs. She had discussed George too often with her friends to feel any possible in terest in him except as means of procuring sympathy. George bored her now, as 8 matter of fact, Fine | line had almost decided that she would prefer alimony to George Goaded on by Mrs. Povey, and a young Mrs. Sunius, who is af- fectionateIy known as Maybelle, | Emeline went to see a lawyer. The | lawyer surprised her by his consider ate brevity. Getting a divorce was a | very simple affair, much better done | than not. There were ways to make l a man pay his alimony regularly, and the little girl would stay with her mother, of course; at her age no oth- | CT solution was possible. Emeline felt 1 that she must know how much eX- pense she would be put to. and was | gratifted to find that it would cost her not more than fifty dollars. The 1 lawyer asked her how soon she could | get hold of her husband.
 "Why, he'll let me know as soon as he's in town,' Emeline said vague l ly; "he'u come home"
 | ''Come home, eh?' said the law 1 yer, with a shrewd look. "He knows your intentions, of course ?'
 | ''He ought to!' said Emeline with | spirit, and she began again: +'I don't think there's a person in the world 1 could say that I'm not a, good wife l Mir. Knowlesi I never so much as looked at another man. swear to God I never did! And there's nc other man in the case. I can have 1 my do1ling little gir1, and just live 1 quiet, with few friends, near me
 that's all I askt If MT. Page had his | way, I'd never put foot out of doors; l but mind you, he'd be off with the boys every night. And that means
 drink, you know"
 Well, we11,' the young lawyer said
 soothing, 'I gess you've been treat
 ed pretty mean, all right"
 Emeline went home to find-some.
 what to her embarrassment-th l George had come in, and was in his
 happiest mood. and playing with Ju
 na. Julia had somehow lost her ba,
 byish beauty now; she was thin ana | 1anky, four teeth were missing. ant | even her glorious mop of hair seem | ed what her mother called "slinl<y.''
 ''I landed the Fox order right owe
 Colton's head!" said George.
 | Emeline said: ''I wish to the DorC
 you'd quit opening that window. leav
 Ing the wind blow through here hk,
 wei. the place smelled like l Jap's roomi" George retorted, instant
 Iy aggressive.
 Were going to the Parl<l'' JuIi,
 chanted.
 How dye mean you're going t
 the Parl<?" Emeline asked as sh
 slammed down the offending window
 Well I thought maybe I'd talk
 her there; kinder fun walking, roun
 and seeing things. what?" George sub
 Emeline shrugged. 'I don't car
 what you dol"
 She sat down before a dresser wit
 a triple mirror. which had lately bee
 added to the bedroom furniture. an
 began to ruffle the coarse puffs of he
 black hair with slim ringed fingers.
 You've got something better to dc
 of course!" George said.
 [ Don't go to q matinee. Mother! l said Julia. coming to lean coaxingl l against her mothers arm. Emelin Q looked down at the pale. intelliger s Mama isn't going to matinee doll baby: But papa ain't as craz
 fGe hef she to sa 7T %tb hhe an PoE obqas g "Oh.. come ont'' George urged in = patiently. "Only don't wear that rot
 ten hat" he added "It don't loo s like a respectable woman!'
 t Emeline's expression did not change y but fury seethed within her.
 q, Don't wait for me" she said lev X ely. I'm not going.''
 n Well, put the kids hat on then, | i George suggested, settling his ow i with some care at the nanteI mirror 0 Get your nd-enlbroidered dres c out of your drawer, Julia,' said he e mother "and the hat Aunt Maybell I gave you!''
 = I'm going to Cass's to te1ephont
 and I need some cigarettes" Georg
 announced from the door. "Ill
 back in five minutes for Julie.''
 Don't forget to get a drink whil = you're In Cass's.'' EmelIne reminde - him. she flung an enbroidere '- dress over Julia's limp little drag = gled petticoats. Georges answer WE t a violent slannling of the hall door Init q