The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-14
REVELATIONS
OF A WIFE
HN AnEIE GAppgRagI
Why Does Dicky Receive the Incrimi-
mating Letter so Calmly?
eY ADELE GARRISON.

Over and over again 1 read the con-
tents of the crumpled paper / had
picked up in the hall after Dicky had
burned the papers in his waste basket.
1t was not long before I had no need
of reading it, for 1 knew it's contents,
as children would say, 'fby heart, for
ward and backward and upside down"
do not remember ever in my life
being so puzzled 10y anything as / was
when trying to decipher the real mean
ing of the fragment of love letter
which had lgeen written in a feminine
hand and then copied on the same
sheet with a few changes by my hus-
band.
1t was so melodramatic a thing, its
wording so f1ambuoyantly extravagant
that it might have been taken bodily
from an old fashioned ten twenty
thirt." 1 could not bring myself TO
believe that it wals really meant for
Dicky, or that it was in any manner
connected with Edith Fairfax, the Vir-
ginia art student, whose friendship for
my husband had troubled me a great
deal in the last few months.
She was so delicate, so ethereal a
creature, so much the gentlewoman,
that I could not associate words SO
turgid and torrid with her.
And yet something told me that the
feminine hand which had traced the
lines confronting me was that of no
other than the girl from Virginia. In
my years of high school teaching many
girls had passed through my hands and
had an unusual opportunity to study
all varieties of chirogra ply. Some of
my girls had come to me from south
arn private schools, and there had al
ways been a something different" in
their handwriting which I had re-
marked, and which now stared up at
me from the fragment of a letter in
my hand.
1 tried to lock at the thing dispas-
sionately, to tell myself that there
must be some explanation of the thing
no matter how bizarre it might be- But
recollections of Dicky's frequent en-
gagements with art editors, his grow
ing absorption in this work or what
ever it was in his room, his order that
neitherl Kate nor I should even dust
the furniture, and the elaborate air
Of secrecy which he had thrown around
the papers in his waste Basket when
he burned them, all these things point
ed to some secret which my husband
feared or was ashamed to tell me.
A primitive jealous anger rose in
me. Impulses which did not recognize,
which seemed those of another woman,
thronged upon me. 1 wanted to tear
my hair, my clothing, to scream aloud,
70
With virago-like wrath.
OF course, l did none of these things,
but the effort to suppress them robbed
me of the poise and self -cont1ol which
would have enabled me to ignore the
incident altogether and trust to time
for its clearing UP. Still shaking from
the emotional storm which had swept
me, picked up the piece of paper with
it's florid, anrorous protestations, and
went swiftly to Dicly's door
At my knock / heard an angry ex-
then a sharp, quick, who's
there?"
ut is T. Madge," I returned. trying
vainly to make my voice steady.
could hear him rise and come to the
door. lie unlocked it, opened it only
far enough for him to come out into
the hall and closed it behind him
Well, what's the row?" he asked
shortly L saw that his eyes were
bright his hair rumpled his forehead
dewed With perspiration as they always
are when he is engaged in working
out some illustration. / wondered for a
moment if he really were drawing as
he used to do. An instant's reflection
assured me Of my mistake. Dicky
never shut me out from his work. In
deed, he often called me to look at some
detail Of his drawing. especially il it
concerned some item OF women,s dress.
and asked my opinion OF it,
l held the crumpled piece Of paper
put to him.
Here is somthing from Your waste
basket which dropped in the hail." I i
said, and IN my endeavor to control
ny voice l realized that it was grim |
and cold.
He started as he saw it, and invol-
lntarily smoothed it ont and saw what |
vas written upon it. Then he crushed /
t angrily in his hand. opened his I
mouth to speak, thought better OF it. /
ind turned toward the door.
The calm manner in which he ig-
lored the piece Of paper which has
,aused me 50 much uneasiness was ike /
! lighted match applied to . particu- /
arly inflammabls piece OF finder.
Don't You think You owe me an I
explanation Of that very interesting
nissive?' I asked.