The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-19

men; or that he would connect Muscle Shoals to Detroit by an Ohio river barge line, and to Mobile by raI- road. The Secretary. furthermore, was not impressed with the press Herb Richardson when I urged him to tell Gloria the things he had told me.
 Why not? You have told mo and I am almost a stranger"
 That is the reason. We often tell things to a stranger that we could not tell to those that we know much better. I cannot tell this to Raj be- ayse-because-well. yirgie, I think Ria loves me-"
 wanted to tell him that. but held my tongue, for l noticed that he did not say he loved her.
 After a few moments though I said, choosing my words carefully: If you think Ria loves you, and you know she Is as you have described her. the best girl in all the world why don't you just go to her and tell her so and tell her that you love her?'
 'I am afraid to-I am afraid to ad- init 1t even to myself" I looked at Herbert Richardson in surprise. l did not understand what he was trying to say. Then I asked: Why should you be afraid of a little girl like Ria?"
 T am not afraid of Ria, but I am afraid of marriage. You may not know it, but I have been married once. When my wife divorced me, on the grounds of cruelty. I made up my mind that l never would put myself in a position like that again.
 You remember that I told you of my first love-the woman who took away every illusion of my youth. the woman who planted in me the seeds of the sordid, satirica1 unhappy man that you saw last night at the Cocoa nut Grove.
 After awhile time number my hurt. My family was extremely anxious that I should marry my cousin, Cara l lie. We had grown up together and 1 she was at our house almost as much | as she was at her own. She was very | much like Ria-decided in her opin- ions and aggressive in fostering | them on you.
 T thought I was fond of her. At l least I had the habit of seeing her around. of calling for her to accom- pany me on rides and motor drives and swimming and tennis. Our friends l began to pair us off together and at last I came to the conclusion that | while I had none of the thrill. none l of the joy or torture which men call love- because of Coralie's nearness yet I said to myself this Is the calm affection, the habit of life which | makes for a happy marriage--and asked her to be my wife. After the wedding I found that the Coralie that I had played with in childish ac- cord, the Coralie that I had growr up with in seemingly perfect thought had brought back my faith in womer was totally different from the Coralie I had married.
 "Virginia, you read every day 1T the papers of the cruelty of men tc their wives, ,of the abuse they hear upon them and yet you seldom hear of the things that lead up to that cruelty.
 For two years Coralie Richardson harassed and exasperated me from morning until night. Nothing that could do suited her. I gave her al the money that she could possibly ask for and she flung it around like 2 drunken sailor--and yet her passion of extravaganza wasn't sated. I was true to her not because of love fol her, but from an inner sense of honol to myself and my name. and yet she accused me of making love to every woman we met-even her dearest l friends.
 At last I could stand it no longer and one morning when she had goaded me beyond control raised my hand Before God I only intended to shake | her, but in some way 1 pushed against | her shoulder, and she. pretending that had struck her, fell to the floor
 T have always been ashamed of it It was the most unmanly act of my life and yet, since then, have had the greatest sympathy for men 1T like positions.
 Of course she applied immediatel, for a divorce and I did not contest 1t | When the decree was handed to mt | knew that I was more disillusionet than ever
 "The first woman had killed my l respect for women. Coralie had killed my respect for myself. She had made me a man who had raised his hand against a woman and I said: Never | again! Since that I have had many flirtations. many affairs, many light, of love. They have come and gone | like shadows, unregretted and unre i membered.
 Ria is the only woman who has ever stayed in my heart for long, anc yet am afraid, afraid to marry her afraid l will find her different. afraic of myself If I do find her different Again he was silent, and counted the time only by the fast revolving wheels of the motor.
 "We must go back" I finally said
 Herb locked the brake abruptly and the car skidded perilously He turned 1t around and started back without speaking. In half an houl he stopped in front of our apartment house.
 Without word he followed me tc our door and. before I could put my key In the lock. 1t was opened b, Ria
 Where have you been?" Ria. voice quivered with emotion.
 I took the question for myself ant answered: Herb Richardson came tc the studio for you. Finding that yo, had gone, he drove me home"
 You must have come the long way around" Ria answered tartly.
 We did" put in Herb quietly as he attempted to come into the room
 Don't come in I never want tc see you again."
 Wait, Ria! Let me explain" in. terrupted
 I She whirled on me. demanding What do you know about ft?' A.