Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-09-22


"Ain't Lulu Deacon" Ina's voice
rose and sweiied richly. "What you
talking"
Didn't he write to you" Lulu
asked.
"Not a word" Dwight answered
this. "All we've had we had from you
the last from Savannah. Georgia" J"
Savannah, Georgia" said Lulu,
and laughed.
They could see that she was dressed
well, in dark red cloth, with little
fitting hat and a dropping veil. She
did not seem in any wise upset, nor,
save for that nervous laughter, did
she show her excitement.
"Well, but he's here with you, isn't
he?" Dwight demanded isn't he
here? Where Is he?"
"Must be most to Oregon by this
time," Lulu said.
"Oregon!"
"You see," said Lulu, "he had an
other wife,"
"Why, he had not!" exclaimed
Dwight absurdly.
"Yes. He hasn't seen her for fif-
teen years and he thinks she's dead.
But he isn't sure"
"Nonsense," said Dwight. "Why,
of course she's dead If he thinks so."
81 had to be sure" said Lulu.
At first dumb before this, Ina now
cried out: "Monona! Go upstairs to
bed at once"
"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 1t.
Everything was suspended while she
kissed them and departed, walking
slowly backward.
"MarriedT said Mrs. Bett with
tardy apprehension. '"Lulie, was your
husband married"
"Yes;" Lulu said, any husband was
married. mother"
Mercy" said Ina. ."Think of any
thing like that in our family
"Well, go on-go on" Dwight cried
"rell us ebout It."
Lulu spoke in a monotone, with her
old manner OF hesitation:
1--WE were going TO Oregon. First
down to New Orleans and then nut
to California and up the coast" On
this she paused and sighed. "Well,
then at Savannah, Georgia, he said
he thought 1 better know, first. So
he told me-"
"Yes-well, wlG:. did he sayT
Dwight demanded irrltably.
"Cora Waters" said Lulu. "Cora
Waters. She married him down in
San Diego, eighteen years ago. She
went to South America with him."
swell, he never let us know Of 1t,
If she did," said Dwight.
"No. she married him just before
he went. Then in South America,
after two years, she ran away again.
IhatS 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 I
had to be sure"
swell, but mercy" said Ina,
couldn't he find out now?"
at might take q long time" said
Lulu simply, "and I 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 knew
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 1t? And then
he felt so sure she was dead"
"Why did he tell you at all, them"
simple.
"Yes. WE'LL Why indeedT Dwight
Herbert brought out these words with
q 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.
ayes. 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.
"Tl:a only thing" she said, "as
long as it happened, kind of wish he
hadn't told me till we got out to
Oregon"
Zulu" said Ina. Ina began to
cry. "You poor thing" she said.
Her tears were signal to Mrs.
Bett, who had been striving to under