Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-05
/ BACHELOR HUSBAND
By RUBY NJ. AYRES
Author Of "Richard Chatterton," Etc.
Copyright, 1890. bv W. ;. Watt q Co


TO begin all over again and be happy-
mat the last weeks had been just a BAD
aream from which he had awakened
out his pride and some new dipnit,
about her prevented him.
rms was not the Marie Celeste bs
nad known. She had escaped him whiit
ne had been looking away from her FOR
his happiness. -''
After q moment he asked stif,v.
supposing il were nos
slDie-to do as you say-for encb Ia
get our freedom again wbot
would YOU do?"
She shook her head
II don't know,''
MISS Chester came to the door.
Marie, I've been looking every a..
where for you've lost one Of nv
Knitting needles"
M9rie hew to find It for her. She
avoided Chris for the rest of the morn ".
ing for she was afraid of him now, Al.
though she had deliberately precinitoted
matters, she awaited the issue with
=, Chris did not come in to lunch and
tnouSh once during the afternoon Mario
heard his voice in the house, he did NOT
seek her out, and at dinner time he was
90, Though ogl nothing was said, Miss Ches.
yer could feel the tension in the air,
und late mat night she asked hest,
Marie?" 'n' hat'er'
40. ."Ns;othins-no, auntie, of course
But Miss Chester wns not dsoo;rod
Ntns; h.Iu ru was racked with anxiety
Co., "alle ielt rs IL she were waiting
tor something great to hapnen. tbonn5
what 1t vas she did not know Evasr
pulses race. o'ii iioue her
mat Chris was deliberately ovo;d,p,
ler sne knew, and she wondered bnr,
loHs IL would be before the breaking
poihI came. She longed to get il over
d.. once nS she caught sight of herself in
and the strained look in ber er.e p""V,
frightened look it was, she tbougbt md ID
sne passed her hands across fbem % nv
II to brush it out '"'"i "'
she stayed downstairs till Cbris ooro
IN that night. She stood inst or,sido
ine ; drawing room door, her heart beat.
ing apprehensively. 'e"'
Supposing he was the worse for ,,ri,L
IN ne had been last night? But she
neeu not nave been afraid. Chris was
SOBER enough. He had been Waikiki
the streets for hours, bentinp oaainst
the invisible bars that had SO sudJeniv
appeared in his life.
When he saw his wife his face bard-
ened. A'' i"ee haru-
49,. you ought to have gone to bed hours
II waited for you; I want to sneak
70 you l waited last night, too" she
added deliberately.
T. ne did not look at all ashamed, only
laughed rather defiantly.
And was the worse for drink. eb
l suppose the elevating fact did not
10 my cause any good"
she did not answer, wondering what
ne would say If she told him what de-
termlning factor against him that
glimpse over the banistcrs hnd been.
He leaned against the mantelpiece
and looked at her.
wen, m stone sober tonight, any
way he said morosely.
There was little silence.
Nhat you do want to sec me
aboutI' he asked "Only the same old
thing, l suppose--the desire to be free
lie took a sudden step toward her,
tiltlng her downbent fnce backward
DS Her Cnln.
"Why did you marry me if Won hate
me so?''
She closed her eyes to hide their pain
Il was--was fond of you-I thought
It would be all right thought you
were fond of me-
II have always been fond Of you"
She looked up quickly.
You would never have married me
If it hadn't been for the money
He shrugged his shoulders.
ITS not in me to love any woman a
great deal,' he said evasively. i've
never been woman's man, you know
that. There was never anything in that
Mrs. Heriot affair, though I know you
He stood back from her, his hands
thrust into his pockets.
'Supposing we could get q divorce
separation-whatever you like to call
1t. how much better off are you going |
to beF' he asked after a moment, |
what's the good of washing dirty
linen for the amusement Of the public?"
The burning color rushed to her face.
She had lived 80 much in the clouds
since the moment when she found that |
little dead flower in Feathers coat
pocket that Chris blunt words sounded |
horribly brutal. Chris, watching her
saw the sudden quivering of
her lips, and his heart smote him.
Go to bed, Marie Celeste" he said
more gently. Its no use worrying
about things tonight"
lie cared so little. The thought stun2
her afresh as she turned away. He
would have been quite content to 70 on
IN the old, semi detached fashion, with
not thought for her.
Chris listened to her dragging steps
is she went up the stairs. They sounded
rs II they were already walking away
out of his life, he thought, with little
feeling of superstition. and he wondered
{ the day would ever come when she
would cease to belong to him.
He could not imagine his life without
Marie Celeste. She had always been
here, willing little figure in the back
ground Of things.
All his boyhoOd and early manhood
we're studded with pictures in which
she had played a part,
She had seemed happy enough when
hey were first married, or so II had
appeared to his blindness. What had
since to bring about such n
,hange?
He could not believe 1t was altogether
Feathers. lie did not believe that his
friend was the type of man to seriously
interest Marie Feathers never took
women seriously.
lie looked at his watch-not yet half
past eleven.
lie had not seen Feathers since they
parted at the door on Sunday evening,
and with sudden impul.c he took his .
lat and went of to Albany street.
There was light in one of the win.
lows of Feathers rooms, and Chris
threw up a stone.
Tho UInInu1 una nnop al oIn,na1