Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-12
CHAPTER XVIII
NiSaE,xy


AS soon as l gave the operator my num-
Der, I had moment of misgiving, but I
resolutely crushed it back. After all, why
shouldn't 1 call up Herbert Livingston. We
were old friends, and there was no reason
why we shouldn't continue our friendship.
But when his voice came to me across the
Wire felt panicky 1t was difficult for me
to talk as / had planned to talk, as l knew
Alice would manage to be cordial and friend
~, the more certain / was that l sounded
gushy and that Herbert would think me
fool.
Ny excuse that I was in town shopping
sounded pitiful in my own ears but Herbert
was reassuringlye ca ger.
Had [ lunched. Perhaps I would lunch
with him He had been too busy to leave
the office earlier
II had lunch before left Hilton, was my
response, and then to my amazement Herbert
suggested tea 1t seemed SO incongruous to
think Of Herbert taking any to tea.
Never once during our friendship had we ever
gone out to tea together, but gathered my
wits about me and said as casually as I
could that it would make me late getting
back to Hilton, but would chance 1t.
The time and the place of meeting decided
upon, rang off and stepped out of the tele-
phone booth. 1 felt flushed and warm and
as L continued on my way out of the station
the weight of the engagement began to
press upon me.
Why had I done such thing? I knew
now that had been wrong to yield to such
an Impulse. 1t wasn't like me- didn't want
to 60 l had no desire to keep up my per-
sonal friendship with Herbert, and it was
hardly fair to retaliate to make Norman
jealous and to retaliate for his Irritation with
Alice Wilson
Left with nearly two hours time on my
hands l wandered through several of the
shops, bought some small purchases, and
worried as the time drew near for me to meet
Herbert When at 4:3O 1 entered the lobby
n nf he TO- hnfn 7 yoI1Ire
miserable If it hadn't been so tragic it
would have been funny to think of myself
keeping an appointment for tea with a/man
who was not my husband BY rights should
have felt a thrill of excitement at meeting
an old lover. Instead could think of moth
ing but Norman. What would he think If he
reached home on the train before mine, and
how could I explain about having tea with
Herbert without saying that / had called him
up, unless told a lie and said had happened
to meet him?
1t was CHASTITY effort to smile at>Herbert
as he rose from one of the leather touches
to greet me. And, seated at one of the
tiny alcOve tables in the tea room with
Herbert opposite. | could think of only one
thing, and that was how badly he was cut
out to play the role of the other man in
domestic triangle.
He was kind and considerate, but too
heavy, too business-like, too efficient. His
manner toward me was too anXioHsly solic-
itous. | felt that any minute l would burst
into hysterical laughter, for I expected him
to ask me if 1 were in any kind of trouble,
or If 1 needed his advice. 1t was painfully
funny! And what fool was! l had de-
luded myself into thinking that I could use
Alice's weapons, that I could laugh and be
aluring and forget my troubles in the excite
ment OF light Irritation. Anu all the time
| was thinking Of Norman and my duty to
him Even il Herbert had been fascinating,
l think / should have felt exactly the same
about our engagement. I was that kind of
a woman, and nothing in the world would
make me any different.
(TO be continued