Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-10-19

ITS only quarter to-" said Monona,
with assurance.
"Do as mamma tells YOU"
"But--"
"Monona :"
She went, kissing them all good
night and taking her time about IL.
Everything was suspended while she
kissed them and departed, walking
slowly backward.
"Marrled?' said Mrs. Bett with
tardy apprehension. "Lule. was your
husband married?"
"Yes,7 Lulu said, my husband was
married. mother"
"Mercy," said Ina. think of any
thing like that in our family
"Well, go on go onw Dwight cried
Tell us about 1t"
Lulu spoke in monotone, with her
old manner Of hesitation:
1--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. "Well,
then at Savannah, Georgia, he said
he thought | better know, first So
he told me-
"Yes-well, what did he say?"
Dwight demanded irritably.
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 it,
If she did said Dwight.
mo. She married him Just before
he went. Then in South America,
after two years, she ran away again.
That's all he knows"
"Thats 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?"
at might take long time" said
Lulu simply. land l didn't want to
stay and not know"
"Well, then. why didn't he say so
here?' mas 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 Well Why indeed?" Dwight
Herbert brought out these words with
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 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 told?" 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 it 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 signal to Mrs.
Bett, who had been striving to under
stand ALL Now she too wept, tossing
MP her hands and rocking her body.
Her saucer and spoon clattered on
her knee.
Gle felt bad, too" Lulu said.
He" said Dwight. He must
have"
ITS you" Ina sobbed. "It's you.
My sister,"
well" said Lulu, "but never
thought of 1t making you both feel
bad, or l wouldn't have come home.
knew" she added, "itd make Dwight
feel bed | mean, 1t was his brother"
THANK goodness" Ina broke in.
nobody need know about It,"
Lulu regarded her, without change.
ooh, yes" she said In her mono.
tone. people will have to know"
II do not see the necessity"
Dwights voice was on edge. Then
too he said "do not" always with
Dwight betokening the finallties.
"Why. what would they think p
Lulu asked. troubled.
"What difference does II make what
they think?''
why" said Lulu slowly, 81
shouldn't like-you see they might
why. Dwight, l think Wen have TO
tell them"
you do You think the disgrace
Of bigamy in this family is something
the whole town will have TO know
about?r
Lulu looked ut him with parted lips.
Say she said, II never thought
about IL being that"
Dwight laughed "What do you
think it was? And whose disgrace
ass