The Glenwood post., 1922-09-21

then at Savannah, Georgia he said
he thought l 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 1t,
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"
"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, she wasn't sure And 1
had to be sure"
"Well, but mercy" said Ina,
couldn't he find out now?"
at might take long time" said
Lulu simply. land 1 didn't want to
stay and not know"
"Well, then, why didn't he say so
here?" 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, hut 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.
eyes. 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
"rhe 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
up her hands and rocking her body.
Her saucer and spoon clattered on
her knee.
"He felt bad too" Lulu said.
He" said Dwight. HE must
have"
"It's you," Ina sobbed. "It's you.
My sister!"
'Well," said Lulu, but never
thought of it making you both feel
bad, or I wouldn't have come home.
1 knew" she added, ltd make Dwight
feel bad. 1 mean, 1t 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"
81 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 think?'
Lulu asked. troubled.
"What difference does it make what
they think?"
"Why," said Lulu slowly, 81
shouldn't like-you see they might
why, Dwight, I think we'll 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?"
Lulu looked at him with parted lips.
Say" she said, II never thought
about 1t being that"
Dwight laughed. "What do you
think 1t was? And whose disgrace
is it, pray?"
ANlllull ., Sdlu
'Ninian's! Well, he's gone. But
| you're here. And I'm here Folksll
feel sorry for you. But the disgrace
that'd reflect on me- See?"
''But if we don't tell. what'n they
| think then?"
Said Dwight: They'll think what
they always think when II wife leaves
her husband. They'll think you
couldn't get along. That's ALL"
81 should hate that" said Lulu.
"Well, / should hate the other, let
me tell you"
'Dwight, Dwight" said Ina. Lets
go in the house. I'm afraid they'll
hear"
AS they rose Mrs. Bett plucked at
her returned daughters sleeve.
"Lulie." she said was his other
wife-was she thereT'
mo. no, mother. She wasn't
there"
Mrs. Belts lips moved, repeating
| the wOrds "rThan that ain't co hod -