The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-20
REVELATIONS
OF A WIFE
BY ADELE GARRISON.
Why Madse Felt That She Must Give
Robert savarin Some Hope In
His Despair of Lillian

frightened with her pretty fresh en-
thusiasm in his dingy studio.
+ He gazed down the stream, which
lit by dancing sumbeams, flowed be-
meath our feet as we stood upon the
old bridge, and in his look was such
anguish Of regret that / turned away
my face.
Perhaps you can guess now why I
must not stay longer at your home"
he said at last measuredly
/ turned to him helplessly, for did
not wish to forestan his confidence.
You mean"
THAT the sight of Mrs. Underwood
has brought back to me tenfold the
feeling with which 1 once regarded
her" he said tensely. "And the
strength of my will is broken. I can
not be near her and not let her know
how / feel toward her. She isn't free
even to listen to me. Therefore-it is
better-that I go away"
He stopped and gazed down the
stream again. while 1 wrestled with
the temptation to urge him to stay at
any cost, and to reveal to Lillian ev-
erything he had told me.
For, despite my Puritan training, or
perhaps, queerly enough because of it,
/ have no sympathy with, no reverence
for the marital tie which binds Lillian
and Harry Underwood together. Lii
liam had married Harry Underwood
before the death Of her first husband,
the unspeakable Morton, whose un-
just divorce of her had Swallowed and
branded her life The later marriage
was, as I knew. simply one of conven-
fence and Of comfort, In the real, true
sense 1t was no marriage at all, al
though Lillian had played the role Of
devoted wife as whole heartedly as
she did anything entrusted to her.
And Harry Underwood had reward
ed her years of care and tenderness
by deserving her when she brought
home her child from whom she had 50
long been separated, camly requesting
in a letter from South America that
she divorce him. This LILLIAN was de-
stigma that would attach to little Ma
rion, were her mother again to appear
in divorce proceedings, but secretely
I did not see how she would be able
to avoid it. IF Harry Underwood was
determined to drag her through the
divorce court he would do it, especially
when urged on, as / was sure he was,
by Grace Draper, who had fled to him
in South America after her last mad
attempt to win Dicl1y from me-
What Madge Said.
1 took a sudden resolution. couldn't
bid Robert Savarin to stay, but 1 at
least could give him an inkling of how
matters stood. When 1 had told him
LilIians story. I had stopped with
her husbands desertion of her. had
said no word of Harry Underwood's
coldly cruel proposal of divorce
There's something I think you
ought to know before you fully decide
to go away" l said timidly.
He turned to me quickly.
Tell it to me at once" he said per-
emptorily, and / saw that his feelings
for Lillian was so strong that in dsi-
cussing any matter concerning her,
he lost sight Of the courtesy Of speech
due any one else.
/ told him in as few words as possi-
BILE of Harry Underwood's demand for
a divorce, Lillian's refusal to give him
one, her reason for her refusal and my
conviction that some way in defiance
Of all Law and reason, Harry Unde
woods indomitable will would find
way to bring Lillian to his terms. He
listened quietly, and only the clinching
of his hands betrayed the agitation he
must have felt at my recital. At it's
close he was silent for a long minute,
and then he cried out fiercely, passion
ately;
IF she could only care for me,
would feel that l had the right to fight
her battles for herl But as that is i'm
possible, am tied. impotent!"
What makes you so certain that 1t
is impossible?" I asked. my heart now
beating wildly with the daring of my
cwn question. But something quite
outside Of myself seemed urging me
on to say things had thought not to
nutter.
What do you mean?" he counter
queried whirling and seizing my arm |
in a grip that hurt.
Nothing" / said, only that think
you underestimate your own power. |
[ know that Mrs. Underwood remem-
Ders your early friendship with much |
pleasure. and,-I do not see why you
shouldn't try to win her.
He held me by the arm, looking at |
me steadily for a minute knew that |
he didn't see me at ALL that he was
looking into some possibility of the fu-
ture. At last he loosened lis grasp !
md spoke slowly. heavily.
Il wish could believe you. but |
cannot. No. there is but one thing I |
IAN do for Mrs. Underwood. and I hope
shall have strength given me to do |
hat thing when the time GENES.