Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-24
A BACHELOR HUSBAND
r,,1s pEaINs THE STORY
,.6y RUBY NJ. AYRES
Author OF "Richurd Chatferfon,r Etc.
Copyright. 1890, bv W. J. watt q Co.

THIS BEGINS IHE SiVHh
ua,io Chester and Christopher
,.,,is,s mere raised together, and
r., her father died they married:
I w because she loved him and
sMso,obt he loved her; he because he
nnsd her. didn't love anybody else,
wy W. 'cnnd use the money the arrdnge-
- ,t brought him. On their honey
moou she learns the truth and tells
H., bs suay lipe the life of a Bdcheior
aW",boud his friends eppected. A
Tss Hcr;ot thro,os herself N his
..,v and Marie experiences q 0roto-
~; ~ affection for bakers, knoton as
Tsy,,b%rs. ~ a friend Of her husband.
nj, interest in Mrs. Heriot .spoiis
s ~, end of the honeymoon for Marie,
.sSo I Il also physically upset as the
s.,uft Of nearly droWn;n0, otoin0 to
~ oarelessness of young Atkins,
rs..nd of her husband. Marie on
ru.t,yn;no home Is saddened not at
mhr;,' moyoseness, but at her realiga-
a. ~, thof she lacks Mrs. Heriofs
, nomsr 10 spay him. Home tte is
| ppot tic radiant happiness Morie bad
"saected. Chris maintains his tssd1.
ssrenoe and Marie eats out her heart
Ilcnce. Chris Docs TO 81. An
Sreos for golf .oith his boon com
sanIo,,s, leaving her disconsoldte. She
rssfs Young Atkins, tcho oheers her
| Sv taking her to the theatre. He IS
onlv a boz, but his devotion touches
Marie. especially as Chria stays In
Scotland. Finally young Atkins
S.ciares his love for hor, bUt she
Ssrtly erplains koto impossible IL all
'
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
TIE LOOKED away from her because
II he was afraid TO trust himself
aWbat about that walk?' he asked
"Tbev went for the walk--a very silent
r.lb il was, for neither Of them fell
irclned to talk, and later, when they
rsrted outside the house, young Atkin:
asked anxiously:
ATS all right, isn't it? I mean
r.rvtbing is lust the same az It wa.
Ssiore before I told you? "
O'TyT tYes-of course" But she knew
.,s, Il was not, that it never could be
,honrb during the next day or two they
soth struggled yaliantly TO get back tc
~ o,d hnppy plane Of friendship.
And one evening Tommy said alb
-rntly ns they were driving home to-
sether from q theatre: :,
HNiarie-I'm not coming any more,
| and then. as she did not answer. he
~ent ron on desperately: II just-can't! ~
Marie sat quite still. her hands
elasped In her lap, her brown eyes fixed
an n little pale moon that was climbing
| The dark sky outside.
She had thought a great deal Of this
\ boy's friendship and now she knew that
,be was to lose it.
She tried to think Of Chris. but some =
/ how il seemed difficult; It was so long
since she had seen him, and he was so
| fsr away.
II only she did not still love him
/ II only she could fll the place he had
occupied all these years Of her life with
something else-even some one else.
Then she looked at young Atkins. He
was only boy! Young as she was
herself she felt years and years older
than he. and there was something
motherly in her voice as she said gently 4:
VERY we'll, Tommy understand. y
He laughed hoarsely.
"Do you? ! don't think you do. ="
he said.
They parted with just an ordinary
handshake, and with no more words,
but Marie stood for a long time at the
door after it had been opened to her,
watching young Atkins walk away down
the street.
He was going out of her life, she
knew, and for moment she was cruelty
tempted to recall him.
Why not? Chris had his own friends,
and did not trouble about her. She
wondered what he was doing now, and
" he, too, was somewhere out in the
moonlight with with some
body who was more to him than she
was.
The thought brought a tide of jealousy
rushing to her heart She ran down
the steps again to the path below. She
would call Tommy back.
But after the first impulsive step she
Stood still with a sense of utter futility.
What was the goodp What was the
use Of trying to deceive herself?
There was only one man in the world
iSr her-nothing could ever change
nat she turned and went back into
the house
Tommy isn't coming any more" she
old Miss Chester the next morning.
lady's. ~ " ="
No, didn't send him away, dear"
sns ADDED He just said he shouldn't
Miss Chester paused for a moment in
Der knitting.
u always said he was thorough
sentleman, was her only comment.
that followed. '"0 '"' .
tIe hpen at last letter came from Chris.
might is going back to London, so
may come with him. hope you are
IVA tght, Marie Celeste. The time has
r,mply flown up here; | was Mortified
yesterday to discover that I've been
way for 4 month" "
udtuuere was no mention of Dorothy
"eooer or of Feathers.
marie spirits rose like mercury. She
" 20 excited she could hardly slepp
cat, but all the time she tried to
aeck her JOY with the warning that
n N. ",snt not come, that he might change
mihd at the last moment. she
utnt h herself some new frocks and went
Teu early to try to drive the
SSauows Ss from her eyes and bring back
" nv color to her pale checks.
.nos,an caLhc postCard-a picture
a'u rnrnn or mountains in the back
"nu bonsn ana very modern looking club
I'e HIsd ~, IN the foreground, with n scrib-
Hsl lewSSoge from Chris at the corner,
Elnnssrr anal !, be home Thursday night to
h.art sy saay after tomorrow Marie's
|,sS !. nuttered into her throat as She
anS tsm e words. She was afraid to 90
In ui,1 vii MISS Chester because she knew
Iher oWan W." ~ happiness and excitement in
sn sio es, inc day after tomorrow What
&knou eIhltS It would seem. She did nOt
kours no" she could live through the
|ndSFSo S aaotsovee him all his neglecr and
,Wopld ld'enee ne was coming home-shc
|soice see him again and hear his
A. Nothing else mattered.
men, just an hour later. came