Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-20
THE BREAKING POINT
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

sayre "And how do you keep a maid as
trim as that?"
az must have service" Nina replied the
buffers marching in a parade or sonetnlng
How nice of you to come and see our httls
place. It's bandbox, of course.
Mrs Sayre sat down, a gross ulSnaIMony
in the room but solid and not unkindly
woman for all that
"My dear" she said. 81 am not paying a
CALL Or not only that, came to TO Yak TO
you about something. About Waliace ana
your sister,"
Nina was gratified and not little triumph
ant. H.
Il see," she said. "Do you mean that they
are fond of each other?"
A half-hour later, Leslie, upstairs, teamed
over the railing to see if there were anyln-
dications of departure. The door was opeh'
and Mrs Sayre evidently about to takesher
leave. She was saying:
"Its very close to my heart, NINA ueaT,
and I know you will be tactful. / haven't
stressed the material advantages, but you
might point them out to her. 80,
few moments later Leslie went down
stairs Nina was sitting alone, thinking, with
a not entirely pleasant look of calculation
on her face. o.q !
"Well?' he said. what were you two
plotting?" ~ .
Plotting? Nothing, of course"
He looked down at her. Nov see here.
old girl" he said. you keep your hands
off Elizabeth's affairs. If know anything
she's making damn good CHOICE, anu uen
| you forget it.
Dick stood with the letter in his hand, star
ing at it, Who was Bassett? Who was "G"?
What had the departure of whoever Bassett
might be for Norada to do with David? And
who was the person who was to be got ont
! of town?
He did not go upstairs Instead he took
the letter into his office, closed the door, and
sitting down at his desk turned his reading
| lamp on it, as though that physical act might
| bring some mental light.
| The association between anxiety andsDa-
vid's illness had always been apparenti in
Dicks mind but now he began, to, surmise
| a concrete shock, a person. telegram,
telephone call. And after dinner that night
he went back to the kitchen.
Minnie" he inquired, "you remember the
afternoon Doctor David was taken sick. Did
! he receive telegram that afternoon?
mot that 1 know of. He often answers
| the bell himself
do You recall whether he had any visitor.
just before you heard him fall?"
| "He had patient, yes. man. = ,.a
who was it,"
! 81 don't know He was stranger to me-
| "Do you remember what he looked Hke?'
| Minnie reflected &et
HE was a smallish man, maybe thirty7five
! Or so' she said II think he had CATERS over
his shoes, or maybe light tops. He was a'nice
appearing person" 111
"How soon after that did you hear Dr.-Da-
vid fall?" Dick asked 1a4
Right away. First the door slammed, and
then he dropped"
He saw David before he left, and he was
very gentle with him. In view of this new
development he saw David from a. different
angle, facing and dreading something inn
minent, and it came to him with shock that
1 he might have to clear things up to save Da-
vid. The burden, whatever it was, was break
! ing him.s u.s.
He had telephoned and Walter Wheeler
thought he knew what was coming, and ne
had well in mind what he was going to say.
| He had thought it over, pacing the door
| alone, with the dog at his heels. He would
/ say: A
ST like and>respect you, livingstone IL
you're worrying about what these damned
| gossips say, let's call it day and forgetsat.
| I know man when see one and If it's all
right with Elizabeth, it's all right with me-
Things however, did not turn out just-that
way. Dick came in, grave and clearly pre-
occupied and the first thing he said was:
81 have a story to tell you, Mr.. Wheeler.
After you've heard it, and given me your
opinion on it, I'll come to a matter that
well, that can't talk about now"
"If it's the silly talk that dare say you've
heard r
NO That's part of it. That aloneI7d
stand ready to face, but there is soemtnng
else Something l haven't told Elizabeth, and
that I'll have to tell
Walter Wheeler drew himself up rather
stiffly. Leslie's detection still in Ibis
mind
Don't tell me you're tangled up with an
other woman"
mo At least I think not. 1 don't knoW."
Continued in the Next Issue.
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