The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1922-12-21

She went, klssiag them all good
night and taking her time about II.
Everything was suspended while she
kissed them and departed, walking
slowly backward.
"Marriedr said Mrs. Bett with
tardy apprehension. "Lulie, was your
| husband married3
Eyes" Lulu said, my husband was
married, mother"
MERCY" said Ina. think of any.
thing like that In our family
swell, go on-zgo on" Dwight cried.
TELL us about It."
Lulu spoke In a monotone, with her
old manner of hesitation:
"We were going to Oregon. First
down to New Orleans and then out
to California and up the coast" On
this she paused and sighed. swell,
then at Savannah, Georgia, he said
he thought | better know, hrst. So
he told me-"
"Yes-well, what did he sayf"
Dwight demanded lrritably.
Cora Waters" sal. Lulu. "Cora
Waters. She married him down In
San Diego. eighteen years ago. She
went to South America with him."
swell, he neve: LET Us know of Il,
II she did" said Dwight.
mo. She married him Just before
he went. Then In South America.
after two years. che ran away again.
That's all he knows"
That's pretty story" said Dwight
contemporary.
HE says II shed 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 l
had to be sure"
swell, but mercy" said Ina,
couldn't he find out nowf"
ut might take a long time" said
Lulu simply, "and didn't want to
stay and not know"
swell, then, why didn't he say so
here?" Inns 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 itf And then
he felt SO sure she was dead"
"Why did he tell you ut all, them"
demanded Ina, whose processes were
simple.
"Yes. Well! Why indeed7" Dwight
Herbert brought out these words with
a curious emphasis.
II 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 cholcer Dwight
echoed. a.--
"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 told2" 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, cas-
r long as II happened, kind of wish he
hadn't told me till we got out to
! Oregon"
"Lulu!" said Ina. Ina began to
cry. "You poor thing" she said.
Her tears were a 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
y her knee.
. "He felt bad, too" Lulu said.
Her said Dwight. "He must
Z have"
Its you" Ina sobbed. TITS you
, My sister!"
"Well," snid Lulu, but 1 never
thought of It making you both feel
bad, or wouldn't have come home
u knew" she added, "lt'd make Dwight
feel bad. mean. II 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
u tone. "People will have to know"
II do not see the necessity
Dwigbt's voice was on edge. Their
= !, too he said "dO not" always with
Dwight betokening the Qualities.
= "Why. what would they think ?
. Lulu asked troubled.
= "What difference does II make wha
= they thlnkT'
'Why." said Lulu slowly. I"
I shouldn't like-you see they might
why. Dwight. think Wen have (,
!. tell them"
a "You do You think the dIsgrnc,
OF bIgamy in this family is somethIn,