Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-10
The Tri-Weekly Journals OsVn Serial
The Only Thing That Counts
A Mystery Romance of Modern Bohemia
BY the Famous Novelist
Carolyn Beecher
CHAPTER LXIII

y y ELLEN had felt sort or re-
Fl 5 lief when i Mas Lansing zaRgite went sPt
had time in which to think
Blackton had made no move; perhaps
he would not Helen Westfeld, alone,
penniless, was a very different
person from Helen Westfield. sue
cessful author, and the promised
wife of Kirk Lansing.
AS the days passed and Blackton
made no sign, her relief increased:
also her feeling that never would
she tell Lansing what she had
confessed to Adele---a confession
she now regretted, simply because
she knew Adele expected her to
But Helen was a bit morbid;
something unusuar for her. How did
she know that she would ever mar
ry Lansing? Something might in
tervene. How could she be sure she
her work? Everything seemed I'M
certain--a dream. She said some
thing of this to Adele.
Fool stuff! Of course you'll mar
ry Kirk and just as of course your
T0u5 will bIue alT tass 6 a RrF will
soon be back and after you have
told him-and he has forgiven you
everything will be all right. L
know it,
Adele S 1a1Ln was COIllOIl IhS' Du
try as she would Helen could not
share it. Helen used to argue that
the world did not care what one
did. so long as it was done private.
ly. That the world was too we'll
bred to notice what it was not IN,
tended it should see. That 1t turne "a
had turned its back on her when
she committed the faux pas OF
letting it know what she had done
by getting a divorce:
you were more than Justl1ed IN
had him locked up!" Adele replied
to such arguments. 1.-THE good peo-
pie of the world look at motives,
1 think, Helen. The minister at
home used to say so, anyway. IL
your motive is good, nothing cry
bad can come to you.
brought tears to Ade1e's eyes. The
hopelessness in it. They had been
discussing for the hundreth time
Helen's duty to Lansing, Adele urg-
ing her to tell him everything, Hell
en- determined to hold back this one
thing. She woulu never have an
little herself further, why lose him
for something that had hurt no one
but herself?
Dear, isn't there such a thing
as wiping out stain? Telling Kirk,
being, perfectly honest with him
Helen, unfit for further battle,
turned away and begged Adele pite-
ously not to talk about it any
more. Kirk had written that his
mother was very little better, that
he would be back in two weeks if
two weeks in which to decide
whether to marry him, keeping her
secret, or lose him by telling it.
No one, not even Adele, knew how
she longed for peace and security
the love that Lansing gave her.
hand.
Nell .Blackton determined to see
Helen Westfield, to find out for her
self if John were again with her.
Not that she doubted for a moment
that, this was the case, hut mis-
a1ce doubly sure.
1t was dull, murky day. Gray
fog hung heavily over the square,
making even the green buses look
like great phantoms as they went
back and forth laden with ghost
like figures, that melted into each
other as Helen peered at them from
her window. She felt as if she
were in some sort of a cage look
ing out through bars that obscured
her vision. She loved the square,
but on a day like this she turned
from it, shuddering. All beauty, ali
gaiety was gone from it as it was
gone from her life-if she had to
give Lansing up.
"A lady to see you, ma'am," Mrs.
Cook had been cleaning the studio,
SO had answered the bell, then ad-
mitted the caller.
Helen turned. To her surprise she
recognized the woman who a few
days before had so intently regard
ed her in the shop.
What can L do for you, Mrs.
-?"
II am John Blackton's wife" Her
face was ashen.
Helen turned as white as her
caller.
81 am dying. You can see it if
you will look The doctors give me
only a few months. came to ask
you to give him back to me for
those months. 1t won't be long, and,
bad as he has treated me, I still
love him. Will you let me have him
until I go?"
Helen stared as if at one from
the dead.
'He is nothing to me-" she finally
said, after two or three Intellectual
attempts to speak.
don't! Just give him back to me
and his son for the little while [
have to live" Her lips trembled
piteously, but her eyes were dry,
though full of agony.
(To Be Continued.)