Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-03
THE BREAKING POINT
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

on the telephone, prepared to lay the founda-
lions of the excursion by some manipulation
of business interests. For months, however,
he never went further than the preliminary
movement.
But by October, he began to delude him
self with a real excuse for going, and this
was the knowledge that by a strange chain
of circumstance this woman who so doml-
mated his secret thoughts was connected with
Elizabeth's life through JudSon Clark. The
discovery, communicated to him by Walter
Wheeler that Dick was Clark had reused in
him totally different, feeling from Nina's.
He saw no glamour of great wealth. On the
contrary, he saw in Clark the author of a
great unhappiness to a woman who had not
deserved it. And Nina, judging him with
deadly accuracy, surmised even that
But on the whole, they managed to live
together comfortably enough.
Nina and Leslie each had their reservations,
but especially after Jim's death they tacitlX
agreed to stop pickering, and to make their,
mutual concessoe.. What Nina never sus-
pected was that ne correspondent with Beverly
Carlysle. Not that the correspondence
amounted to much. He had sent her flowers
the night of the New York opening, with the
name of his club on his card, and she wrote
there in acknowled gment.
AS he replied to her notes of thanks a
desultory correspondence had sprung up, let
tiers which the world might have read, and
yet which had to him the SAVIOR and interest
of the clandestine.
He did not know that that, and not infatu-
alton, was behind his desire to see Beverly
again.
Probably Nina knew that, as she knew so
many things; why he had taken to reading
poetry, for instance. Certain it is that when
he began, early in October to throw out.
small tentative remarks about the necessit~M
of business trip before long to New York.
she narrowed her eyes. She was determined
to go with him, if he went at all, and he was !
equally determined that she should not.
1t became, in a way, sort of watchful
waiting on both sides.
Then there came time when some slight
excuse offered, and Leslie took up the shuttle
for forty-eight hours, and wove his bit in the
pattern. 1t happened to be on the same eve
ming Dicks return to the old house. He
was little too confident, trifle too easy to
Nina.
HAS the handle of my suitcase been re-
paired YETI" he asked. He was lighting a
cigarette at the time.
Eyes. Why"
"Ill have to run over to New York tomor-
row. I wanted Joe to go alone, but he thinks
he needs me-" Joe was his partner.
ooh! So Joes going?"
That's what said"
She was silent Joe's going was clever OF
him. 1t gave authenticity to his business,
and 1t kept her at home.
She Leslie off in the morning with a
perfunctory good-by while cold anger and
suspicion seethed in her. And later on she
uation before her mother. Mrs. Wheeler was
out, however, and she found only Elizabeth
sewing by her window.
Nina threw her hat on the bed, and sat
down dispiritedly.
ri suppose there's no news?" she asked.
''No.'
Nina watched her. She was out of patience
with Elizabeth, eXasperated with the world
Are you going to go on like this all your
life?" she demanded Sitting by a window
waiting? For a man who ran away from
your"
That's not true, and you know it,"
ooh, wake up" Nina said impatiently.
"The world isn't made up Of good, kind, vir-
tuous people. It's rotten. And men are all
alike. Dick Livingstone and Les and the
rest-tarred with the same stick. AS long
there are women like this Carlysle crea-
ture they'll fall for them And you and
can sit at home and chew our nails, and plan
to keep them by us. And can't do it."
Continued Saturday. Renew your subscrip-
ton now so as not to miss installment.