The Washington times., 1921-01-08
When a Girl Marries
A Story of
EARLY Welded LIFE
Whose Present serial Hss Scored .
Mig Popular Success.
By Ann Lisle.

Whose Present Serial Hss Scored .
Bi8 Popular Success.
A 5 l lay on my bed In restless
~ misery because Jim had
u forced me into Walls room 20
endure her insults and then hadn't
defended me from them. / heard a
scurrying and comVotion in the
hall and the sound or hauntingly
familiar bustling voice. ] didn't
pay much attention. 1t all seemed
suddenly none of my affair.
Then the door opened, and the
sixth sense OF love told me that
Jim stood on the threshold, hesi-
tating. After moment he limped
across the room and | felt the bed
sag under his weight as he sat upon
it, and his hand went softly around
my shoulders. In another moment
Jim had pulled me up into his arms.
lie held me silently for a moment.
and then in the gentlest, tenderest
tones ! have ever heard from him
he said:
My little Anne! My dear. won
derful girl. You do forgive me,
don't you? You know I'd have cut
off my right hand rather than have
forced you to stand her abuse.
when she turned on you like that.
Anne, I knew-knew. ! tell YOU
what Valerie Crosby is"
Don't say it," ! murmured mis-
crably. laying my hand ACROSS his
lips in certain astonishmcnt at
my undated desire TO protect the
woman who had turned on me like
a fury for just that desire.
81 won't" said Jim. "We"l play
this game through your way
You're wonderful girl-decent,
square. loyal. You deserve the
best, Anne, IL ever a woman did.
Jove, Id like to give you every
thing g"
you do" interrupted de-
fensivcly.
Sure" said jim with more Bit
torness than the occasion seemed
to warrant. 81 must have seemed
to be giving you a lot just now
when let Val bawl you out and
stood there like "a BOBBY holding
her hand"
What was there to say?" asked,
YEARLY.
There wasn't anything 10 say.
couldn't tell woman who's nm
ished herself OF the way Val has
just what I think of her. But it
strikes me that the right kind OF
man-Terry, for instancc--Would
have been able to think UP some
way Of defending his girl from a
vixen like that"
jim IS IMPRESSED.
why. Jim. You sound as il
wild beast had attacked me and
YOU hadn't pulled a gun" I replied.
trr on To
be causing the man I love even
more misery than Id had. Now that
knew Jim had understood my 20.
sition and sympathized with ii;
now that ! knew Val hadn't cheap
ened me in Jim's eyes, Val didn't
count.
Il sound as il a wild beast had
attacked you and hadn't pulled a
gum" Jim echoed, thoughtfully.
Ugly idea that. A man ought to
protect his wife from all the beasts
Of life-worry. Islander. cruel
tongues. want. Honey, n chap who
can't protect his wife strikes me
as a miserable imitation of a man"
Aren't you a little morbid about
this?' ! asked, almost with the air
Of a teacher with a favorite small
boy. IT'S all over and no harm
done"
NO harm done. OF course you'll
never set foot in Walls room again.
And IL ever again I seem as-unpre-
pared as ! was when she flew out
at you. you will try to be as sweet
and as understanding, all-womanly
as you've been about this girl OF
mine?"
The tenderness in J!m's voice.
the depth OF love and devotion 7
felt there. seemed to me great
enough to make up for everything.
/ decided that this moment was the
right one to say just what thought
instead of coQuetting. as most Of