The Neshoba Democrat., 1922-11-23

| theH at savannah, SS orgia he said
he thought better know, first. So
he told me-"
''Yes-well, what did he sayfr
Dwight demanded irrftably.
"Cora Waters. said Lulu. "Cora
| Waters. She married him down In
San Diego, eighteen years ago. She
went to South America with him."
/ ''Well, he never let us know of Il.
| II she did" said Dwight.
NNo. She married him Just before
he went. Then In South America,
4 after two years, she ran away again.
That's all he knows"
That's pretty story" said Dwight
contemptuously.
"He says If she'd been alive, she'd
been after him for a divorce. And
[ she never has been, SO he thinks she
must be dead. The trouble is," Lulu
said again, "he wasn't sure. And /
had to be sure"
"Well, but mercy" said Ina,
couldn't he find out now?''
''It might take long time" said
Lulu simply, "and didn't want to
stay and not know"
| well, then, why didn't he say 80
herei" Ina's Indignation mounted.
'He would have. But you know
how sudden everything was. He said
he thought about telling us right there
In the restaurant, but of course that'd
been hard-wouldn't it? And then
he felt so sure she was dead"
why did he tell you at all, then?'
demanded Ina, whose processes were
simple.
| ''Yes. Welt Why indeedY' Dwight
| Herbert brought out these words with
a curious emphasis.
Il thought that, just at first" Lulu
said, "but only just at first. OF course
that wouldn't have been right And
then, you see, he gave me my choice" !"
Gave you your choice?" Dwight
echoed.
"Yes. About going on and taking
the chances. He gave me my choice
when he told ME, there in Savannah,
| Georgia"
"What made him conclude. by then.
that you ought to be toldf" Dwight
asked.
| "Why, he'd got to thinking about
It, she answered.
A silence fell. Lulu sat looking out
toward the street.
"The only thing" she said, "as
long as 1t happened, l kind of wish he
hadn't told me till we got out, to
Oregon"
"Lulu!s said Ina. Ina began to
cry. you poor thing!' she said.
| Her tears were signal to Mrs.
Bett who had been striving to under
stand all. Now she too wept, tossing
up her hands and rocking her body.
Her saucer and spoon clattered on
her knee
HE felt bad, too" Lulu said.
! "Hep said Dwight. "He must
have"
ITS YOU" Ina sobbed. Its you.
Ny sisteri"
well" said Lulu, ''but never
thought of it making you both feel
bad, or | wouldn't have come home,
knew" she added, it'd make Dwight
feel bad. mean, it was his brother
"Thank goodness" Ina broke in,
nobody need know about it."
Lulu regarded her, without change.
"Oh, yes" she said in her mono-
tone. people will have to know"
Il do not see the necessity"
Dwight's voice was on edge. Then
too he said do not" always with
Dwight betokening the finalitIes.
why, what would they think7"
Lulu asked, troubled
"What difference does 1t make what
they think?'
"Why." said Lulu slowly, II
shouldn't like-you see they might
why, Dwight, think we'll have to
| tell them"
"You do! You think the disgrace
of bigamy in this family is something
the whole town win have to know
about?"
Lulu looked at him with parted lips.
Say she, said, Il never thought
about 1t being that"
Dwight laughed. "What do you
think It was? And whose disgrace
Is 1t. pray?"
Ninian's," said Lulu.
"Ninian'sl Well he's gone. But
you're here. And I'm here. TolksIl
feel sorry for YOU But the disgrace
that'd reflect on me- Seer"
"But IL we don't tell, what'n they
/ think then?"
Said Dwight: "Theyll think what
they always think when wife leaves
her husband. They'll think you
couldn't get along. That's ALL"
| II should hate that" said Lulu.
"Well, | should hate the other, let
me tell You"
| Dwight. Dwight said Ina. Lets
go In the house. Pm afraid they'll
| hear"
AS they rose, Mrs. Bett plucked at
her returned daughters sleeve.
| 'Lulie," she said. twas his other
wife--was she there?'
NO no, mother. She wasn't