The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-21
GOING MY WAY
Chapter 81


Chapter 81
mo; | won't run away" I told my
aunt. after all, I've decided on this
thing and I'll see it through. | hate
the idea of talk, but it can't bel
helped"
I'm that you show more sense than
] expected" my aunt surprised me by
saying. However, as | said, We'll
manage to send Winthrop back to
Wellsville where he came from and
where he belongs and that will save
YOU the embarrassment of running in
10 him It's a large city, but one is
always stumbling over undesirable
characters"
In spite of my sense of detection,
I laughed a little at the casual way
in which she disposed of poor Win.
Lets see," she went on, narrowing
her eyes a trifle as she always did
when she was thinking hard. Gwen
will try to keep him here. She has
a great deal of influence with Water
man. But then | can bring influence
on Waterman through the George
Smiths, who financed him when he
started business. Yes, that will do.
They'll buy out Win and We'll send
him back"
But that wouldn't be fair" | OBJ
iected After all, Win loves it here.
He's made good in the business, and
il would not be nice to get him away"
well knew she could if she wanted,
for my aunt had enormous social in
fuence and could if she chose make
things so unpleasant for Win, without
his knowing what she was doing, that
she would practically drive him out OF
town
1T does not matter to me whether
he likes it here or not she said calm
~. He never belonged here. He
only came because you brought him
and introduced him Naturally any
one who marries Bennett would be
accepted anywhere"
said nothing to this. My aunt's
family pride was her strongest char
acteristic
Wen leave for Montreal tomor-
row on the 7:45," she said as though
that closed the whole discussion.
NO" I answered decidedly. 81
won't. I'm here and I'll stay. won't
rum away from any unpleasant talk.
AS for getting Win out of town, I'd
feel very badly if you did And |
doubt whether you could, because as
YOU say, Gwen will fight to keep him
here"
"Oh, can manage her. my aunt
said easily. "One can always count
on Ovens perversity as her greatest
weakness She's very fascinating and
personally ! admire her a great deal.
But she is doing with Winthrop what
she did with someone else in London,
so she won't be received there any
more by nice people"
fancy | looked a little surprised,
for she went on:
They're harmless enough affairs,
all of them. Gwen simply has no
judgment about when TO stop Some
people in London disapproved of a
few of her friends. and to show them
she didn't care, she went about with
those people and only those until
everyone that amounted to anything
dropped. She didn't like them, she
was simply stubborn. She did it in
Rome in another way. to the horror
of very strict set there She'll ruin
herself in New York by running about
with Win now"
But / don't want to ruin her"
We'll, if she has no sense about
the way she manages her affairs,
don't see that you should supply the
all her furs around her and making
a very magnificent appearance indeed,
in my tiny apartment.
she asked.
I shook my head. mo, I'll stay
here. I'd rather, please"
And with that she left. My father
came in in the evening, and was rath
er sympathetic, but inclined to side
with Win. He also wanted to take
me with him, but l refused that offeI
too.
And the next day came a briei
note from Win.
You might have left some word foI
me-" he began. 81 did not know YOU
meant TO leave that night. l got In
late and went to bed, thinking, oil
course, you were IN your room. AnG
in the morning l supposed you were
asleep. 1t was not until afternoon
when ! came back that Ellen told me
had taken your trunks, and gave me
your address. 1t puts me in an awk
ward position with people, having m!
wife go off like this, but ! suppose II
have to stand it. ! suppose, too, IT!
better for each of US to go our sep
arate ways. I'll send you a checl
every month"
And that was all A check was en-
closed. l put this in another envel
ope. addressed it to him and sent i
back without a word.
For what was there to say? He hat
accepted my going-his only concern
was the talk as it would affect him.
| told father | would take half tn
allowance | used to have, | did no
want Wins money. In time | hope
to make myself independent. Tina
evening | went to the theatre wit
Sonia and a friend of hers. Bot
HIT Dxol1o,.