Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-24
THE BREAKING POINT
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

of David's Illness but who now suddenly
agreed with an almost startling unan1mfty.
Which unanimity was the result or careful
coaching by Dick.
He saw in David's absence his only possible
chance to go back to Norada without worry
to the sick man, and he felt, too, that
change, getting away from the surcharged
atmosphere of the old house, would be good
for both David and Lucy.
Watching him, Dick was certain that moth
ing further had come to menace his recovery.
He had carefully inspected the mail, but no
suspicious letter had come, and as the days
went on, David's peace seemed finally re-
established He made no more references
to Johns Hopkins, slept like a child, and
rallied almost pettishly at his restricted diet.
when we get away from Dick, Lucy" he
would say, well have beef again, and roast
pork and sausage"
Lucy would smile absently and shake her
head.
you'll stick to your diet" she would say
david, it's the strangest thing about Your
winter underwear. I'm sure you had five
suits, and now there are only three.
Or it was socks she missed, or night cloth
ing. And David, inwardly chuckling, would
wonder with her, knowing all the time that
they had clothed some needy body.
On the night before the departure David
went out for his first short walk alone, and
brought Elizabeth back with him.
''I foand rose walking up the street,
Lucy, lie p0IIOWSu up bI9 SldII51 du0
brought it home for the dinner table.
Lucy came down, flushed from her final eff
fort over the trunks, but gently hospitable.
''It's fish night, Elizabeth" she said ''You
know Minnies Catholic, so we always have
fish on Friday. l hope you eat it,
She put her hand on Elizabeth'S arm and
gently patted it. And thus was Elizabeth
taken into the old brick house as one of its
own.
Elizabeth was very happy those days, al
though things had seemed rather odd at home
since the night of Dicks visit and although
Dick himself puzzled her at times He came
every day, sometimes twice, indeed, and she
knew that her family was recognizing tacit
engagement
But for all that it was settled it seemed
strangely unsettled, too. BY some tacit, agree
ment even Nina had not been told, or jim.
She did not resent that, although 1t bewilder-
ed her. Her own inclination was to shout it
from the house-tops. Her father had simply
said: "I've told your mother, honey, and we'd
better let it go at that, for while. There's
no hurry And don't want to lose you yet"
But there were other things Dick himself
varied. He was always gentle and very, very
tender, but there were times when he seemed
to hold himself away from her. would seem
aloof and remote, but all the time watching
her, almost fiercely. But after that, as though
he had tried an experiment in separation and
failed with it, he would catch her to him saw
agely and hold her there.
She thought men in love were very queer
ried in other ways, too He boyish and
gay sometimes, and again silent and almost
brooding
Two days before David and Lucy's depar-
ture he brought her her engagement ring, a
square diamond set in platinum. He kissed
it first, and then her finger, and slipped it
into place 1t became rite, done as he did
it, and she had a sense of something done
that could never be undone. When she look
ed UP at him he was very pale.
'fFOTSaking all others, so long as we both
shall live" he said unsteadily. .fft
$50. long as we both shall live" she re-
peated.
However, she had to take it off later, for
Mrs. Wheeler it developed, had very pro-
nounced ideas of engagement rings They
were put on the day the notices were sent to
the newspapers, and not before, So Elizabeth
wore her ring around her neck on a white RIB
bon inside her camisole until such time as her
father would consent to announce that he was
about to lose her.
Continued in Next Issue.)
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