Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-21
THE WIFE CHEATER /
NeW Romance
BY HAZEL DEYO BACHELOR

BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
. Joan Stockbridge marries Norman !
Wayne in spite of many warnings from 7
her friends. Norman is the kind of a 4
man who has never known what it was
to care for o>~<woman more than few
weeks at time and he and Joan have |
been married only few weeks when |
Norman becomes infatuated with Alice |
Wilson, a mutual friend 0an is driven 1
into making an engagement with Herbert
Livingston IAN old sutton, Tut when she
admits this fact to Norman and asks /
him to tell her where he has been
on the same evening" he lies to her.
CHAPTER XXI I
Showdown
VXTHAT was there for me to do? !
NV sat there absolutely motionless
" just looking at him, and wheu
after his elaborate pretext of putting out his
rowed suddenly.
why do you look at me that way Joan?
Don't you believe me?"
Again a breathless silence, and then
spoke single, cold word.
'No!"
He got to his feet with clustering anger
that 1 had never seen him use before. very
we'll, then, there's nothing more to be said.
I'm sorry you think it necessary to take this
attitude. Perhaps you won't mind telling me
why you refuse to believe my word
A blessed calm had come to me, for, now
that L was about to do battle, felt a certain
amount of relief l glad that I could
speak without anger and l answered him
quite simply.
Norman, don't you know that every one
in Hilton is talking about you and Alice
Wilson? Did you think that l would be the
only person not to know about it,"
He rose to his feet. His face was blazing.
"Who is talking about it? What do you
mean"
Gust what I say. Every one knows that
you are meeting her in town"
That's the penalty for living in a town
where every knows your business" he
fumed "Of course people are only too will
ing to make trouble. Suppose have seen
her occasionally. Whose business is it?"
Then you no longer deny that you were
with her tonight?"
ono. I don't deny it," The words were
blurted out almost before he knew what he
was saying.
ooh, Norman!" The words rose to my
lips in swelling cry Of agony, and I turned
my face to the chair cushion to hide the
scalding tears that were trickling down my
face.
He crossed the room to me in a single
stride and sank to his knees at my feet, bury
ing his face on my lap.
Listen, Joan, I swear to you that have
done nothing wrong. Look at me sweet
heart. i love you. [ love only you. Alice
Wilson means nothing to me! If you say
the word, I'll never see her again. Joan, ,lear,
why are you crying like this? Don't you
know that had rather die than hurt you?"
Then why did you lie to me?' I moaned.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth when
asked you a direct question:"
Because 1 was fool" he said savagely
'Im through with Alice Wilson, swear to
you, l wish I'd never seen her. I wish neither
of us had ever known her"
There was so much concentrated wrath in
his words, so much of grave import behind
them, that involuntarily my sobs were
checked.
Norman, why do you speak like that?
You liked her up until now. Has anything
happened to change your opinion of her?
don't understand why you should speak as
you do unless she has done something to dis
appoint you"
81 can't explain it to you because you
wouldn't understand" he ierked out. There's
a questing streak in me, Joan. It's a weak
ness, I know, but it has nothing to do with
nv love for you. Alice is attractive, and she
rnows how to make the gam interesting.
admit that she attracted me, but it's all over
now and I'm ashamed Of my part in it. All
ask is that you believe in me again, for
love you, little Joan, more than any one else
in the world.
His arms reached up and encirc1ed me,
and in spite of myself my own arms went
around him and held him close. But even at
that moment l knew that his confession to
me had been weak. He had told me nothing,
and 4 had no guarantee for the future.
could not even be sure that he would not lie
to me again. And all the while my brain
was haunting me with questions. What had
happened between Norman and Alice and why
should be expect me to forgive him when he
had no excuse but his own weakness to oHerY
Next-The LulI Before the Storm.
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