Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-28
CHAPTER XIV

r N the days that followed Lorry realized
| that Courtney's attitude toward her had
- perceptibly changed. If she had but
| known it, that scene between them had
| penetrated deep into his consciousness. He
could not quite forget the look in her eyes
when she had said. so hopelessly and with
such childishly trembling lips, When have
you ever thought of me?"
The fact that there was truth behind her
accusation made Courtney the more severe
with himself, and yet how could he have
proceeded otherwise? He loved Lorry with
love that was overmastering There were
! times when he was, hardly aware of what he
was doing, so blinded he by the sweet
| ness of her, and long before Lorry had
I learned the truth about Tom Ransome,
Courtney had all the facts he needed to be
| certain that Tom was not the man to make
! her happy.
| Having made up his mind on this point,
his one desire had been to make Lorry his
wife. He brought to his pursuit of her the
logged persistency that he always used
when he striving toward a goal. 1t was
| what had brought him success in life and
j because he wanted this one woman so much
more than he had ever wanted anything else
! his method had been to sweep her off her
| feet
! Now as he thought back over the days
since Lorry had been his wife he wondered
| if he had not been wrong in overwhelming
her with his love- Perhaps if he had waited,
| perhaps if he had tried wooing her, she
might have turned TO him; she might even
| have loved him as he wanted her to love
! him. not submssively, but with all the
young ardor that she could bring to her
l chosen mate.
Courtney was still sure that Lorry was
warm and vital. He was sure, too, that her
love for Tom Ransome had been senti-
mental, girlish love, rather than q deep
seated passion. He had been so sure of this
that in the beginning he had had no doubts
of being able to arouse her; but now, with
the passing of weeks he was nearer to
winning her love, and il she did not hate
him she felt deep Aversion to him. He had
read 1t in her eyes when she had faced him
the other night, and now as he thought back
he remembered other times. He recalled
that day during their honeymoon when she
had sprained her ankle and her shrinking
when he had lifted her up in his arms. She
would have preferred Barry Andrews to him,
| and he subcOnsciously had realized it at the
! time, only he hadn't wanted to admit the
! truth.
Well, he had married her. 1t was too late
| to do anything about that now-above all,
since the revelation of the other day. Lorry
was to have child, his child, and until aft
| er that event things would have to hang fire.
Afterward-but Courtney reached this
point in his thoughts he refused to push his
ina gination further. If afterward she want
ed to leave him he couldn't in decency keep
| her any longer But life without Lorry
! stretched out in such unlimited track of
gray waste that Courtney refused to visual
ize It,. He shrank away from the thought of
such thing.
But there was one thing he could do In
somuch as it was in his power he could re-
frain from showing her how much he cared.
He could restrain himself from giving her
even the lightest caress; he could make her
| understand that she was free from his
| touch, that he asked nothing from her, and
for time Lorry appreciated this change in
him and was grateful for it. Her depres-
sion lightened; she began to feel more like
herself, and the gay plans for Coralie's we'd
ding were interesting enough to claim her
time from morning until night. There was
| her dress to plan, and there were. all kinds
of festive occasions to attend. constantly.
Lorry was glad enough to let herself drift
and to forget, if possible, the fact that she
had ever married Courtney Harrington.
| Tuesday, "COralie's Wedding" Renew your
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