Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-09
CHAPTER XVII
A Sudden Idea

CHAPTER XVII
A Sudden Idea
n MARGARET and I talked for over an
MI hour in the privacy of her bedroom,
and when it was all over I felt as if
the remnants of my pride had been stripped
from ne.
1t hurt to think that another person.
even woman I could trust felt / could
trust Margaret, should know the true state
of my feelings. l think 1 might have felt
better if had maintained e. proud aloof
silence, never limiting to any one that was
suspicious and afraid But it was too late
now. l had broken-down,, and Margaret,
with her clear-eyed honesty, had penetrated
to the very heart of the situation.
Her last words of advice to me were:
Hold on, and never let him suspect that you
are Jealous. If you are jealous. If you can
do that, you'll save, the situation, and don't
worry about my saying anything. / won't
even talk it over with Jim
felt that could trust Margaret and that
heIped, but on the way home I could not
keep one sentence that she had used out of
my mind. "You haven't the weapons that
Alice Wilson has.
The words irritated me, although I felt the
justice OF them. Margaret had spoken only
the truth, and l was aware of that fact but
just the same it Infatuated me to think that
Margaret was sure I couldn't fight Alice
with her own weapOnG.
| thought and brooded about this fact the
rest of the morning and during lunch and
the more I thought the more resolved I was
to force Margaret to retract those words
well as her opinion of me. wanted to prove
to her that l was very different from what
she imagined, but how was to do it, that
was the question?
My days had grown to mean nothing more
than long wait for Norman's return each
evening, and after lunch T found myself too
restless to settle down at anything. 1 tried
tt read, but my thoughts kept wandering
from the printed page. / took up some sew
ing, but that merely enabled me to brood
more deeply on my problems. Quite sudden
ly decided to go into the city and the mo-
ment the idea seized me I was feverished and
eager to be off. ~.
[ chose cool, gray linen suit and a little
flower toque, and / forced myself to dress
carefully and deliberately. When I was ready
| looked at myslef in the glass and was sat-
lstled with my appearance save r. the fact
that looked pale. This did not fit in with
my plans at all, and deliberately I rouged
my cheeks to becoming pink. I even used
lip stick to outline my lips carefully,
thing rarely did unless l was going to
dance in the evening. The result was graft
Tying; it made me fairly radiant.
l telephoned for taxi and made the I 80
was confronted with the fact that had made
no definite plans. Of course, there were any
number OF people I might call on, but felt
d1s1nclined for small talk and the strain OF
answering questions. was restless and nerv-
Gus, and even the idea of running in on
mother did not appeal to me in that frame of
mind
AS l walked slowly through the hurryinx
crowds that thronged the station an idea
flashed suddenly into my mind 1t brought
the color to my face in wave of scarlet and
my heart began to hammer atthe thought of
doing such thing, but could not get away
from 1t, 1t obsessed me. The more thought
about it the more definite the plan took
shape in my mind, and after all it could do
no harm. 1t might even do great deal of
good, and If it did any good at all it would \
prove to Margaret and all the others who
were SO Interested in my affairs that my
weapons were as good as any other woman's.
carried away with the idea, hurried to a
telephone booth and called UP a number.
(Next-Miserv)