Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-04
"A BACHELOR HUSBAND
BY RUBY M. AYRES
Author Of "Riehdrd Chatferton," Etc.
Ceptrtsht. 1850. b ". J. watt a CO.

She gave a little weary Sigh.
| WHAT does II matter?" I'm not
complaining you've always been free"
don want to be free; you're nv
vile. Marie Celeste, for Gods sake
40. She put up her hand.
oh, Cbris-please."
1t hurt inexpressibiy to hear him
pleading. TO her--he who had never done
such thing In his life-and yet =
don't care! don't care at all I"
she was saying over and over again in
He took her hand.
| can't we start again2 I'll do
my very best - I swear / will.
know you're too good for me--you nj.
ways have been. ] don't deserve that
you should ever have married me. but
its not too late, Marie Celeste. Come
away with me, and III show you that I
can treat you decently when like"
| Some one knocked at the door.
| Please, sir. Miss Chester sent me to
say that dinner was ready half an hour
Marie drew her hand away quickly
The interruption was very welcome.
Let me go-please Aunt Madge
viii think 1t 10 strange
In a moment, Marie. Will you come
with me tomorrow? Wen 20 whore YOU
Ike; ~ 90 anything In the world you
She shook her head.
II don't know; I cant decide now.
I'll think it over"
when Will you tell mc?"
= don't know; tomorrow--yes, to-
morrow morning"
She made the terms of escape from
I him and went to her room and stood for
a moment with her hands hard pressed
over her eyes.
The storm had come 30 suddenly. She
wondered what had been responsible for
It. Had Mrs. Heriot said anything
more--or could 1t have been Feathers
himself? She could hardly force herself
to 90 down to dinner, as she was shaken
to the depths Of her soul.
Chris talked ceaselessly during din
ner. He drank good deal Of wine,
and his face grew flushed and his eyes
excited.
you're not going out again. slrely?"
Miss Chester asked him when afterward
he came to the drawing room for
moment in his overcoat.
~ am--just for a stroll; it's 50 hot
indoors" He looked at Marie. "Will
| you Gomez" he asked jerkily.
"I'd rather not: I m tlred-I think
I'll stay with Aunt Madge."
But as soon rs he had gone she went
| up to her room and sat down in the
darkness. A lifetime seemed to have
been crowded into this one day. She
felt that she had aged years since they
started out In the morning.
Feathers loved her. The knowledge
stood out like beacon light in the
darkness. She knew what her life would
| be with him-happiness and content
ment, and she did 80 long for happi-
ness.
, He was good man, and strong
man. all her empty heart seemed 10
/ stretch out to him in passionate graft
tude and longing.
But she was married She felt
for her wedding ring in the darkness
and held it fast.
She had married the man she loved.
believing that he loved her. Well, he
did not She was his wife in name only
! Would there be any great harm X she
snapped the frail tie between them?
She sat there for n long, long time,
tortured with doubts and indecision.
What ought she to do?
say good night She knew quite well
that there had been some trouble be-
| tween Chris and Marie, but she asked
no questions,
"Sleep well, dearie," she said as she
went away, and Marie smiled bitterly
How could any one sleep well. torn
as she was by such miserable indecisionF
Did she love Feathers? She could not
be sure. That she loved him MS a dear
friend she knew; that she was always
happy with him she also knew; but
there was none Of the romance and
| wonder in It that had thrilled her when
Chris asked her to marry him.
She wrung her hands in the darkness
"I don't know--oh. don't know
Chris cared nothing for her. His out
burst this evening had been partly
anger and partly outraged pride. His
was a dog in the manger Affection ne
did not want her himself, and yet he
would allow nobody else to have her.
She got up presently and unlocked
the door between their rooms, cropping
along the wall for the switch.
She looked round her husband 8 room
with unhappy eyes. and something OF
Tho old tenderness flowed back into her
| heart.
She had loved him for so long, her
,;fe and his were so irrevocably bound
IN together. How could she take this
step that would sever the tie once and
for all?
She wandered round the room aim
lssly. picking up little things of his,
looking at them, and putting them
down again, and all the time the same
unanswerable questions were going on
in her mind.
II she stayed with him what was
there for her in the future? She could
only see more disillusionment and tears
and sorrow, and II she went with
Feathers . Marie laughed brokenly,
the tears running down her cheeks.
How could she go with Feathers when
he had not asked her? And suddenly
she remembered the look in his eyes as
he said good night to her an hour or
| two ago.
She had tried to believe that 1t was
not farewell and renunciation that she
had read in them; but she had known
that it was He was stronger than she
his heart might nche, but he would
not dishonor his friend. He would walk
away with a smile on his lips, and
nobody would ever know what he SUI
| fered. 49,
II she tried to break down his
strength she was not worthy of his
love. and suddenly Marie Celeste hid
her face In her hands and broke into
bitter crying, which yet brought tears
of healing to her heart. She would be
worthy of him-she would not be Il
coward, snatching greedily at the one
! hope of happiness offered to her; she
| would go on, trying to be brave, trying
to make the best of things.
She went back to her room, leaving
the door ajar 80 that she could hear