Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-08
HER MONEY
BY CAROLYN BEECHER

BY CAROLYN BEECHER
What has gone before.-Althea Cros-
by inherits a fortune on condition that
she marry before she is thirty-fve. She
falls in love with handsome young DR..
Peter Graham and marries him without
telling him about the condition in the
will. Eventually he hears gossips dis
cuss1ng 1t and assumes she married him
to get possession of the fortune. He
becomes cool and she assumes he mar
r1ed her for her money. She becomes
very jealous of her husbands attentions
to Mrs. Ruth Williams, wealthy pa
tient. Althea meets Kenneth Moore and
his gaiety attracts her.-Now go on with
the story.
CHAPTER XVIII
MYTH Moore's return Peter noticed q
w change in Althea. She was gayer,
brighter, even with him. The, man
acted like tonic upon her. He gave her a
feeling of self-respect she lacked with Peter
because he let her see she was attractive,
that he liked to be with her. 1t soothed her
pride, hurt by Peters attitude that so hand
some and clever man sought her. And this
without one disloyal thought toward Peter.
That he might notice and misunderstood did
not occur to her. He might notice-but 1t
wouldn't interest him.
Nell Langford was soon to be married to
a Ikable chap with whom she was very
much in love and of whom she talked con-
stantly, making no attempt to hide her hap
p1ness, gloating over his devotion to her. ALI
ways Althea had a dull ache as she listened
to Nell plan the home she and Rodney Black
we'll were to have and when she noted the
interest he took in everything that intrigued
Nell. Would it last? She wondered Or
would Nell's married life settle into the dull
affair hers had? AS she watched Rodney's
devotion to the gay, sweet girl she somehow
felt that it would not that Nell would be
happy. She would watch and see. Rodney
surely loved her now. But once she thought
Peter loved her-for few days. But Nell
had nothing to give Rodney-he was wealthy
save her dear self. He didn't need to
marry her.
Parties, suppers, dances were in order
Nell was extremely popular and her friends
wed with each other in entertaining the
prospective bride and groom Peter and
Althea were always invited and occasionally
Peter went. Althea really scarcely missed
him in the gay crowd, as Kenneth Moore was
always on hand to take her home.
You keep me from feeling as if I were
an EXTRA" she said to Moore, laughingIy. "A
doctors wife is terribly dependent on her
friends but when you are around I never
feel in the way"
81 should hope not! You in the way! or
course it is too bad DR.. Graham is unable to
accompany you, yet I can't pretend to be
sorry; 1t would cheat me of much happiness
were he always on hand to care for YOU
Nell had a wonderful wedding and after
a short trip went to housekeeping near
Althea.
I'm going to watch them Closely Althea
said to herself. Il must see if this great
devotion of Rodneys lasts"
And she did. Often she was with Nell
when Rodney came in and in his impetuous,
loving way caught his young wife to him
and called her pet names. At times 1t was
almost more than Althea could bear II
Peter would be like that to her-just once,
Why-she would be willing to die. And
Rodney instead of getting tired, seemed to
grow more fond, more loving, more tenderly
attentive as the days went by. Yet Nell told
her laughngIy:
"You should hear us scrap sometimes! We
both lose our tempers and talk at once, then
see the absurdity of it and laugh and make
up. It's great fun scrapping with Rodney.
l should hate to live with a man who never
lost his temper with me. I should be sure
he didn't love me enough to care about what
l did or said"' ,|'' 3
No, Peter didn't care enough for her to
scrap with her. He didn't care what she did
or said; didn't love her enough to have 1t
make any difference.
Rodney and Nell seem very happy" she
said once to Peter, her voice wistful. =,
That's fine! I thought they'd hit 1T off,"
he replied heartily, although Nell can be
maddening when she chooses" r. CO.
She says they scrap and that If they
didn't she would know Rodney didn't love
her" o.
Peter laughed heartily. Then said
"A new test of love, isn't it?"
"Perhaps," Althea answered dreamily She
might have known Peter wouldn't understand.
He probably thought scrapping undignifed.
Dear loving Rodney didn't and-how he did
love Nell.
Il won't go there any more when he is
home, Althea told herself. II can't bear it
to see the difference" She never thought
that it was she who made the difference as
much as Peter. Sometimes the longing to
throw herself into his arms and plead for
his love was SO strong she scarcely could re-
sist it. Afterward she would fay herself for
the desire. Where was her pride that she
would ask for love, knowing he had none
for her?
But despite her determination to visit Nell
no more when Rodney at home she kept
on going. In way their life, their freely
expressed love for each other, their caresses,
fascinated her. Then, going home, she
would compare her Ioyeless life to theirs AL.
ways re9retfully sorrowfully. "'
She was beginning to hate the very
thought of her legacy; to hate Althea Crosby
for giving it to her. The thing she had
thought would bring her so much pleasure
had brought only pain.
Continued Tuesday Renew now, so as not
to miss a chapter of this absorbing story.