Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-22
HER MONEY
BY CAROLYN BEECHER


lovelessness, leaves her fortune to her
niece and namesake, on condition that
the girl marry before she is thirtyfve.
Althea falls in love with handsome young
Dr. Peter Graham and they wed, but
Althea does not tell him of the strange
condition in the will Eventually ne
I hears of it and assumes she married him
to get possession of the fortune. His
manner becomes cool and she assumes
he married her for the money, Her
jealousy is aroused by her husbands at
tentiveness to Mrs. Ruth Williams a
wealthy patient whom he desires to
please for business reasons She meets
Kenneth Moore at a party. He attracts
her by, his gayety.-NOW go ON with the
story.
CHAPTER XXI
tn HAT Peter was fast nearing the point
when her legacy would mean little or
nothing to him made no difference in
Althea's feelings. He had married her for
what it could do for him, not because he
loved her. 1t had accomplished the pur-
pose, had paid the rent of house. put him
in the, way of getting patients, given him in
struments, etc. Also it had by doing these
things enabled him to succeed in his prac-
tice in manner that made it possible for
him to gain his desire for surgical work He
was now a cOnsultant in the hospital for
crippled children, a visiting physician to an
other large hospital.
She recognized that in time he might have
gained all these things without her aid bur
that it would have taken him much longer,
she also knew. He had often told her so.
We both got what we married for,'' she
said bitterly to herself. "My money! If
didn't love him I would be as satisfied as
he" She took his absorption in his work as
satisfaction.
He had absolutely refused to take any
vacation, to visit the home in Holden Miss
Crosby had left her, the home of which she
had been so proud. She could not know
that he hated the very sight of the place
because it was there he had heard why she
married him-that she must marry to get
her money. He knew nothing of the time
allotment, did not know that she might have
remained single until she was thirty-fve.
The will never had been discussed between
them. Both were too sensitive upon the SUBJ
ject to mention it.
She had gone up there once by herself
and again she had taken Mollie. But she
took no JOY in her visit, was restless, I'M
happy.
Il don't understand you at all, AIthea,"
Molle said. You made such fuss over
this duck Of a house and now you don't
seem to care for it at ALL
Il don't!" Althea said so fierce1y that Mola
lie stared in surprise. 81 hate it,"
Mollie could not know that it brought
back the few happy days of her HONEYMOON
the change in Peter before they left that had
afected her so poignantly. That she felt
his loVe-making had been a pose he had
maintained as long as he could or thought
1t necessary.
Then, too, the old lawyer had ioked with
her about marrying to get her legacy
You didn't let any grass grow under your
teet, did you?" he had said. 1t had ruf1ed
Althea but her pride would not allow her to
make any explanation. She Would--if she
SAID anything-be confessing she loved a
man who cared nothing for her.
Before she left Holden on her second visit
she had offered the house for sale. She
would cut loose from all that she could that
reminded her that Peter had married her
for self-advancement.
Mollie was Mortified when she heard AL
thea wanted to sell the house.
"Oh, Althea, if were only rich enough to
buy it," she moaned 'I don't see how Won
can bring yourself to part with it."
There are lot of things you don't see,
Mollie. I don't care for the house. the town
or the people. Why should L? They are
nothing to me. I shall take all the things
| care for then sell the remainder with the
house"
This she did, sending the things on to her
New York home and leaving the house in
an agents hands to be rented until sold
THANK God, I'll never see that place
again" she said to Mollie as the train drew
out of the station.
Mollie, almost in tears, replied:
ON, Althea!" then: 'I wonder what YOUR
aunt, Miss Crosby, would say If she knew
how you felt"
What difference does it make what she
would say? She was more than half crazy,
anyway" Althea was thinking of the will.
the diary. Had Miss Crosby been normal
she would have left her the money outright
left her unhampered. She would have taken
it at once, before she met Peter, and things
might have been different. Or she might
have left 1t to someone else. Peter would
have made his way in time without 1t. She
hated the money only little less than she
did the house. Now that she could do little
for Peter with it, the only satisfaction it was
to her was the feeling of independence 1t
gave her. She didn't have to be dependent.
didn't have to ask Peter for money for her
personal needs.
II have offered the house for SALE" she re-
marked to Peter after her return
Unless you have a sentimental fondnesa
for 1t | think you are WISE" he replied.
There is no one in that little town in whom
you are interested. 1t will leave you free to
spend you vacations where you like" She
had told him she felt she must go to Holden.
look after her interest there.
vacations spent alone aren't particularly
eXhllarat1ng, no matter where they are
spent" she returned
Perhaps I can get off for run down to
Atlantic City for few days later on-that is
if you would care to co.
"Oh, I'd love it," she exclaimed, then BIT
her lip with annoyance. "That is If you can
spare the time,' she added in another tone.
Continued Saturday. Renew your srbscripm
ton now so as not to miss a chapter of this
al or