The Little River news., 1922-11-01
That "Old Flame"
 of Yours
By ELLA SAUNDERS
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e, 1922 Western Newspaper Union.)

and Lawrence had not known any thing of her intentions until he came home from the office and found the little note on the table, written in Dora's scraWling hand.
 Lawrence cut hinis&lf some bread and butter and boiled, two eggs, eat ing off the kitchen table. Dora was not coming back till the last car ar rived He went back into the living room and sat down by the fire, his unread newspaper across his knees.
 He had been married year now, and he was looking back on that year with concentrated bitterness, and on the period of his engagement.
 Dora was a little, joyous thing, for ever ready with a laugh carefree, ir- responsible. They had taken to each other from the beginning and they But there had never been anytnlng serious in their companionship, and when Lawrence asked Dora to marry him it was still all fun and romance. They were going to be happy together In cottage all their lives.
 How quickly romance's fairy light yanishes under the stern searchlight of matrimony!
 There had been trouble from the first. Dora was hopeless as a house. keeper. She was always running into debt, she always wanted clothes and couldn't be made to understand that one had to cut ones cloth according to ones income.
 But worst of .ll vas the impossibil- ity of any spiritual coming together. Dora's mind was as far as possible from Lawrence's. They never really shared anything together. They drifted further and further apart, and when Dora cried, Lawrence would pet her all with dull sense of ache at his own heart
 Of late he had ceased trying, and Dora cried very much less. It could not go on much longer
 Then there had been Mary Bates Lawrence and she had been all but engaged the year before he met Dora. Mary Bates was dark, tragic-looking, Vel-read, she understood everything. They had really been soulmates, and no tortuous or fleeting thought that passed through the mind of either but they could analyze and dissect.
 How close they had come together! Mary Bates was temperamental. They had fearful quarrels, and terrible recOnciliations. The girl had shook him to the very depths of his being. Only-she had met somebody else.
 How he had pleaded with her for that love she had once given him How scornful she had been How bit ter it all was!
 That was why Lawrence had taken to Dora. But now the memories of Mary Bates ran through him like burning fire.
 He must seek her, tell her he loved her, even though she had married the man who had come between them. She was life of his life, soul of his sOul-he would love her to the end of time
 The whining street car stopped out side the house. With a sigh Lawrence got up and opened the front door, Dora came running up the path, car rying an armful of parcels, half un- done, disgorging all sorts of things. It was just like Dora.
 She ran into his arms. Had such lovely time in town, honey" she panted. And supper at the Chinese restaurant. Darling'-she gripped his wrist-"do you really think they put rats in chop suey?"
 "Of course not" answered Law. renee, smiling. How like Dora!
 She came into the room. You poor boy, I have been bad to leave things in such a mess for you!" she said.
 She fell to tidying up the room, and suddenly stopped. "Oh, what do you think" she exclaimed. "You remember that old flame of yours, Mary Bates?"
 He almost hated Dora at that mo- ment. "Yes, I remember her." he an- SWered.
 "Well, what do you think? stopped in at Mrs. DeXters this afternoon, and she told me the most dreadful thing. Mary's left her husband-you know they haven't been married much more than a year-and run away with an. other man. A painter, and such a hor- rid little man, everybody says. She was simply infatuated with him, and he's got wife and three children. And Mary's left her own baby. Isn't it ter rible, dear? l knew that woman was false all the way through"
 Lawrence sat by the fire while Dora hustled about the room. It was quite true. Mary would have treated him ,n the same way. And Dora was a loyal little person, even if she was ire. sponsible and couldn't understand. And one could not have everything.
 He called Dora to him and sat her down on his knee. Dear, Pm going to try not to be such a trouble to you, and to make you happier" he said.
 Dora kissed him. "Why, I'm always