Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-20
HER MONEY
BY CAROLYN BEECHER

she marry before she is thirty-five. She UT
falls in love with handsome young s%,
Dr. Peter Graham and marries him EE
without telling him about the condition i%
in the will. Eventually he hears gossips E
discussing it and assumes she married "a,
him to get, possession of the fortune. 8,
He becomes cool and she assumes he Mt
married her for her money. Sh6 Ma
becomes very jealous of her hus- Afs
bands attentions to Mrs. Ruth Will 3
liams, wealthy patient. Althea meets x
Kenneth Moore and his gaiety attracts =
her.-NOw go on with the story. "a
CHAPTER XXXIH
a idea neither new nor original had
~ come to Althea; the same idea that
- n had been the undoing of many younS
wives-she would accept Moore's attentions
more freely, more openly. Perhaps if Peter
saw that she was admired, was sought after
by others he might become jealous, might
learn to care She would be as gay and live
ly as possible; she would make herself at
tractiye, not only to Moore but to other
men of their acquaintance.
On the heels of her thought Moore was
announced. She received him with unusual
animation, hoping in chidlike way that
Peter would come in while he was there.
But soon she forgot to listen for Peter,
so interested was she in her companion.
Moore talked we'll and brightly, occasionally
telling her how charming she looked or
deftly paying other compliments.
to be natural with Peter, that suddenly her
intimacy with Moore took on new delight.
Almost, she felt, that she could be happy
with him, that she could lay Peter aside
Il child lays down it's old toy when "a
new one is at hand.
She saw by the way the color came and
went in Moore's face, by the blaze in his
eyes, that he would put into words all he
had been telling her in other ways for
months if she discarded her inhibition OF
far m in
Should she? Not fully, but to certain
extent?
The temptation to bind this fascinating
man to, her was great. The temptation to
show Peter she admired, even loved,
was greater She became aware suddenly
that she wanted to hurt Peter, make him
feel some of the pain that SO often had rack
ed her.
Moore called few days afterward
Il am so fortunate to find YOU" he said
with his winning smile where's the doc
tori" -.
Where would he be but with his pa
tients or at the hospital?" AIthea answered
with a laugh. He's too busy to have any
time for so uninteresting a creature as a
wife" A."
And such wife!" He bent and kissed
her hands, first one and then the other,
with lingering lips 1t was his first caress
and 1t brought the color in flood to ALI
thea's cheeks. She had a curious sense OF
having expected it, and yet not having ex-
pected it. -'.
Emboldened, Moore said more than ever
before. He told here how he looked forward
to the hours spent with her. And all the
time restrained but half-laughing her words
meant more and more to him-and she knew
it.
When he rose to go she did not try to
detain him.
Alone, her mind was curiously divided.
Half seemed to bask in the light of appre-
citation when she thought of Moore: the
other half in cold gray shadow held the
image of Peter, her husband
Moore seemingly possessed all of the
qualities that were necessary to a woman's
happiness At first the qualities that had at
tracted Althea ITO Moore had been his looks,
his features, his gayety and air of distinc-
ton Probably, too, that he was sought by
women, hostesses seeking clever bachelors
to give cachet to their functions helped to
intrigue her.
Moore had told her she was good to
him"
Good to him! Grateful because she had
given him little of her time! Allowed him
to kiss her hands! She had given herself to
Peter-and was he even grateful? She
thought not.
When Peter came in she looked at him
and saw that his face was pale and drawn.
The light was strong and the gray hair at
his temples showed plainly. At first a wave
of pity swept over her but it was Immediate
ly followed by one of resentment. For years
he had her beside him hungering for his
love, and for all that time he had treated.
her love with a cruel disdain-had ignored
it. a.
II am free tonight. We will go anywheref
you like" he said he sat down. ~
81 really don't care to- go out, I think
she replied in low voice. eff you wish to
go, go without me. Take someone else
"No-I thought you might like to be
amused, roof garden, a play. don't want
to take anyone but you!" He spoke savagey.
II have had a very amusing afternoons:
Kenneth has been here. I haven't had dull
moment He is so interesting" She had said
Kenneth" lpurpOsely. Never before had she
spoken Of him to Peter save as mr..
Moore Tf
II am glad you have not been dull" he
replied apparently not noting. But under
his downcast lids his eyes held world of
pain-and Of fear. Was she is love with
Moore?
She had spoken blithely but suddenly
gray Darkness came over her thoughts; her
unrequited love for Peter made her feel that
nothing, in life was really worth anything
to her His face repealed her just then She
wished he would go away and leave her
alone. Then she could think of Moore. She
couldn't with Peter before her. :
Continued Saturday. Renew your ~ubscrfps
ton now not to miss a chapt II of thu
absorbing story.
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