Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-04-02


living in the same large apartment
they had, taken. Apart from
solemnity and reserve which sprang
from a wounded and disgruntled
spirit, he pretended an Indifference
and satisfaction with his present
state which did not square with his
past love for her. She had gone, yes,
and with another man. He was sure
| of that. although he did not know who
the man was. 1t was all due TO one
Of those two women about whom he
had told me before that Mrs. Drake.
! She had interested Bessie in things
which did not and could not interest
him. They were all alike, those peo-
| ple-crazy and notional and inSincere.
After a time he added that he had
been to see her parents. | could not
guess why, unless it was because he
was lonely and still very much in love
and thought they might help him TO
understand the troublesome problem
that was before him.
There was no other word from him
for much over a year. during which
time ne continued to i've in The apart
ment they had occupied together. He
had retained his position with the
agency and was now manager of a
! department. one rainy November
night he came to see me, and seated
himself before my fire. He looked
well enough, quite the careful person
who takes care of his clothes, but
! thinner, more tense and restless. He
said he was doing very well and was
! thinking Of taking n long vacation 10
visit some friends in the West. Gle
! had heard that Bessie had gone to
| California; Then of sudden, noting
! that studied him and wondered, he
grew restless ana finally got UP 10
/ look at n shelf OF books. Suddenly he
wheeled and faced NE, eyclaiming: Il
can't stand il. That's what's the mat
ter. I've tried and tried. l thought
that the child would make things
work out all right, but it didn't She
| didn't want children and never for
gave me for persuading her 90 have
! Marie. And that literary craZe-but
that was my fault. was the one TINT
encouraged her to read and 90 to the
theaters. l used to tell her she
! wasn't up-tO-date, that she ought 10
wake up and find out what was going
on In the world, that she ought to get
cut with intelligent people.
But il wasn't that. either. If she had
been the right sort of woman she
couldn't have done as she has done"
| He paused and clenched his hands
! nervouSly, as though he were de-.
nouncins her to her face instead Of
to me.
"Now, Wray," I interposed chow
useless to say that. Which Of us is
as he ought to be? Why will you talk
sO?"
"But let me tell you what She did"
he went on iiercely. you haven't an
idea of what I've been through, not an
idea. She tried to poison me once
| and here followed Il sad recital of The
twists and turns and desperation Of
one who wished TO be free. "And she
was in love with another man. only
! could never find out who he was"
| And he gave me details of certain
/ mysterious goings to and fro, OF Sc
! cret pursuits on his part, Of actions
and evidences and moods and quar-
rels which pointed all too plainly 10
breach that could never he healed.
| "And what is more, she tortured me.
) You'll never know-you couldn't. Put
| l loved her And l love her now"
once more the tenSely gripped fingers,
the white face, the flash of haunted
eyes. "Once | followed her to q res
taurant when she said she was going
| to visit friend. end she met Il man.
! | followed them when they came out,
and when they We're getting into cab
l told them both what l thought Of
them. / threatened To kill them. and
then he went away when she told him
to go. When we got home I couldn't
do anything with her. All she would
say was that if l didn't like the way
she was doing ] could let her 90. she
| hN4il't sll| ~ -iNt AiNA "a NAN"'' - -'''N-
! I couldn't let her 20, even if | had
wanted TO. I loved her too much.
Why. she would sit and read and
ignore me for days--days, without
ever word
"Yes." I said, "but the folly Of It
all. The uSelesSness, the hopeless
ness"
ooh, know. but couldn't help IT,
I was crazy about her. The more she
disliked me. the more I loved her.
have walked the streets for hours,
whole days at Il. time, because
| couldn't eat or sleep. And all | could
do was think, think, think. And that
IS about all do now, really. | have
never been myself since she left It's
I almost as bad right now as it was
two years ago. live in the old apart
ment, yes But why? Because think
she might come back to me. | wait
and wait I know it's foolish. but
still l wait Why? God only knows.
OH" he sighed, cts three years now