Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-26
CHAPTER XXI
Husband and Wife

r T is a terrible thing to accuse an
innocent girl of wrong doing or
l. wrong thinking. AS Charlotte
stood facing her mother-in-law
thing his mother did by the fact
| that he did nothing to defend her,
she felt a sense of shame as though
the afternoon had been touched with
sordidness. She made no further de-
Tense, she simply turned away and
edict that hereafter She might not
leave the house, that she would be
watched over like a prisoner, seemed
unthinkabe. Charlotte had looked
forward to her stroll on the avenue,
she had loved the walks in the park,
and now for a bitof innocent pleas
ure at the hands of man old enough
prived OF her one recreation.
She flung herself on the bed shak-
en- with sobs. She was aware that
Janice would be her watchdog, Ia
eyes would accompany her. on her
walks. Oh, it was unbearable!
your carrying on like this" Dony's
voice came to her cold with dis
pleasure. you have abused the
trust that I had in you and your
punishment is only fair"
The slnugness of Tony's words fill
ed Charl otte with a sudden fury. AL
| though she had had no wish to de-
| fend herself to Mrs. Hartman, she
could nov go on allowing Tony to
believe these things of her. She sat
up on the bed pushing her hair out
of the blue eyes that were swollen
with crying.
Punishment, and why should L be
stormed. I'm your wife, the wom-
an you married, the woman you
swore to honor and trust, and yet
! Irritation with man who had no
J such thought in his head"
Tony hesitated. There was some
thing about Charlotte's whole de-
meanor that appealed to his better
self He knew her incapable of de-
ceit. She was too much of a child
to plan vulgar intrigue, and he
loved her.
kind he said Sitting ;' down on the
bed and drawing her to him. But
the fact remains that you dld spend
the afternoon with Nick Fowler aft
er I had asked you to have nothing
to do with him.
Wen, why not"" she cried. II
have no friends; your friends don't
like me, and YOU never told me why
1 was to have nothing to do with
him"
81 told you enough" he said in
cold displeasure, his impulse to Tor
give Charlotte swallowed up by her
defiance. Tony had expected contri-
ton, a sobbing promise to never do
anything of the kind again. He had
fancied himself a noble young hus-
band forgiving a foolish and errlng
young wife, and here was Charlotte
not, contrite al all, not even ready
to admit that she had done wrong.
"As for the fact that my friends no!
releasing her. and getting up. Whose
fault is that? Have you tried to
make them like YOU? Have you met
them half way?'
Il thought you'd understand, but
you don't" sobbed Charlotte. I'm
lonely so much of the time
Mother is always willing and
ready to be with you"
20, but she doesn't approve of me-
you know that"
"Of course she approves Of you;
YOU are allowing yourself to get NOR
bid and foolish. If you'd try to con-
cilate her instead Of always feeling
that she is against you, everything
would be better all around"
Tony felt at that moment that ne
was speaking the truth and that his
mother had had a great deal to put
up with in Charlotte. She had
bought the girl pretty clothes, and
| had made an effort to introduce her
to the younger set. l was Ch3rlotte' 5
own fault if she did not try to make
people like her. Nevertheless, he in
tended to make a personal appeal to
Edith Comstock. Edith could put
Charlotte on to the ropes and could
prove an invaluable friend if Char
lotte would meet her half way.