Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-02
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HUSBAND
: HAT TER" :
By AAZSL. 0EYO 5ATCHEkoR
CHAPTER Nv
THE LION AND THE MOUSE
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and white, showed In every line Oh
her that she despised him, that she
white kitten flying in the face of
a jungle lion.
Looking at him defiantly, Jean
saw his mouth tighten, and then sud-
denly he laughed.
What a spitfire it Isl" he Knocked.
Used to having your own way,
aren't you? Well now we might as
we'll look at this thing fairly. There's
no need of quarreling with existing
circumstances, now is there? we
might as well be friends"
Jean was silent.
tits quite true that you haven't
any money; you're helpless, depend
ent on me or any of your friends"
81 can work." Jean famed out.
Can you? Well, what would you
like to do? You can get a job as a
sa1eslady no doubt, or perhaps work
as a telephone girl. The young wom-
an in the lobby downstairs might
help you out"
Jean thought of Mamie with her
frizzled blond head showing dark at
the roots, of her hooking eyes. 1t
was true she was at the mercy of
people like that unless she made the
best Of things and met this man half
way It wasn't that Jean shirkeG
work, it was simply that she had no
idea of how to go about it. She had
been carried around all her life by
other people, everything had been
made easy for her and reality ter
rified her even more than this man
did whom she despised.
What is it you want me to do?''
she asked suddenly.
She raised her gray eyes to his
blue ones and met there suddenly a
look that terrified her. 1t was like
a flash of light on steel, but it was
gone in an instant.
Mark Brand had had suddenly the
idea Of marrying this girl, of taking
her away with him. What spIen-
did thing to tame, and what a mate
she would make once she was tanned.
What a creature Of fire and blood,
the woman he had always dreamed
of!
do you want to stay here in the
city?" he asked.
Eyes, of course"
But don't you see how impossible
that is? I can't stay here, my work
is in the west. I am going to take
you back with me-"
: Jean laughed. THAT is impossi-
ble." she returned. 'T am not a
out by stranger. What do you pro-
pose, that I live, with you at your
ranch?'
'It might be a good idea"
"And I suppose such a thing as
conventions never occurred to you"
40, we needn't offend the conven-
tions," he said coolly,. there is
another way, you know"
What other way?"
you might marry me-"
Marry you, marry you!" her tone
was incredulous. And then she laugh
ed. She threw back her head and
laughed and laughed. Silvery laugh
ter, cutting, wounding, bitter laugh
ter that stung and goaded: Mark
Brand heard it and his hands tight
ened on the chair, but he did not
move. He waited. Finally she stop
ped and looked at him.
81 marry you!" she said evenly.
f Don't o., you think that's rather
He rose, standing over her tall and
commanding. TIL leave you to think
it over" he said smoothly. I'm the
meantime, I'm staying quite near
you" He mentioned the name of
a well-known hotel. "Have you any
money? I guess I'd better leave you
bills which he left on the table. BE
a sensible girl and don't act like a
child" were his last admonishing
words before he left her weak and
quivering with impotent fury.
CHAPTER "
The Bargain
row dared he, how dared he?
- Over and over again Jean
i i asked herself this question.
She cried until she could cry
no more, she turned over in her head
schemes that would enable her to
stay in the city, to slip away and
never
But always she was haunted by the
stories she had heard of hall bed
rooms, of insufficient food and ugly
clothes, of struggling to make ends
meet and although she stormed and
rallied at herself for her weakness
life of privations.
She thought of going to her
friends for help, but her pride re-
belled at such an action. She had
no claim on them and at least she
mad some kind of claim on this man
Her father had appointed him her
guardian, he was responsible for her
But to force her into a marriage
with him was odious. And yet what
else could she expect from such a
man? He was probably used tc
dance hall girls and the like, and she
could hardly expect him to treat her
as she had always been treated by
who flung money on the table in q
blatant, vulgar way and expected
her to use it.
Jean was so weary by night that
she crept into bed and slept the
long sleep of utter exhaustion, Wher
she awoke in the morning the sur
was shining and in spite of herself
breakfast on the grill and after her
coffee tried to decide what to do.
She took the bills from the table
and counted them. Over a hundred
dollars were there, and her lips
curled in a little contemptuous smile
as she carefully put them away.
After all. she argued, what did it
matter what became of her now?
Her dreams were shattered. and at
least if she went away with this
needs. Oh, it was weak, pitifully
nothing else to do.
At IL o'clock he came and found
Jean calm, as he thought, reason
you have thought things over?'
yes" Her tone was so quiet that
the word was hardly audible.
Listen fsea to fPg me-" he sid suddenly m1 n1
beard. I don't Want to force You
into anything. If I thought it wise
I'd leave you enough money to live
here in the city as you like"
oh" she interrupted, looking ur
with a flash of hope on her face.
But I don't think it wise,' he
continued. you're too young to live
alone and unprotected in the city, yor
need a change, and the only way we
can manage things is to be married
But that doesn't mean that l want
anything from YOU" he continued
I'm not fooling myself into thinking
that you care for me-"
Care for you" he lips curled
''how could II"
"All right, well leave it at that.
know I'm rough, but I'm strong, ant
/ can look out for you. want tc
do what your father would think
right, and I'm sure he would agree
with me if he were here to speak
for himself"
"You think my father would want
me to marry YOU" Jeans tone was
curiously quiet.
"Yes," he said honestly, "T do.