Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-05
CHAPTER xxx
Reimbursement

NNE loved Steele. She had not realized
~ until the night he had demanded to
- know the truth about her past, how
much she loved him and how entirely she had
been living in the present, and his sudden
suspicion of her had been like cold fingers
closing around the warmth and trust in her
heart
| Afterward he had humbled himself. He
had said that .it didn't matter, that nothing
mattered save that she loved him. He had
been eager to make amends for the havoc
| that his words had wrought, and W>Im9nlike
she had responded to his arms, to his eager
kisses.
He had wanted everything to he as it had
been. He wanted to forget that he had bro
ken his word to her The past was dead he
said so over and over, and he had promised
never to refer to it again. But long after he
had fallen asleep, Anne had slipped out of her
berth and had sat for long time before the
open portfolio listening to the swish OF the
water against the side of the boat.
She loved him still, but that was the
tragedy of it, because she loved him so much
more than he loved her.
Not only had he the power to make her for
get the world when she was in his arms, not
only did she love him that way, with all the
selfshly with a love that did not make de-
mands she loved him enough to sacrifice her.
self, if by doing so she could bring him any
lasting happiness.
loved. She would never have thought to ask
about his past, she had never thought of the
women he might have loved before he met
her. Her love was simple, it took into consid-
Grafton only the things that affected both of
them at the present time, and Steeles sus-
picions that night, coming out of clear sky,
were a revelation to her
She shuddered now as she thought of Nor
ris. Before, she had accepted his attentions
as she would have accepted the attentions of
N-,.l,o al - har hui
Steele's words had attached new meaning to
everything.
What was that he had said? There s
something about you that draws menu
The hot blood surged into Anne's face at
the memory of the words. But the next mo-
ment she had thrown back her head proudly,
and mask of worldly Indifference had set
tied down over the softness of her features.
Because of her love for Steele she had cast
aside her armor. She had allowed the world
to see into her heart, but never again. She
had been kind to Norris and it had been a
mistake. From now on she would flay men
with her tongue, she would keep barrier of
ice about her, through which no one could
penetrate. AS for her husband, it was too
late to do anything about her love for him.
She had given him her heart, all of herself.
She would go ON loving him always but the
happiness, the care-free joy that had been
hers ever since that night when she had gone
willingly into Steele's arms had been shaken.
She had been sure of him then but she could
never be quite SO sure of him again. UncoE-
sciously, matter how she struggled against
it, she would be waiting for something to hap
pen, something that would rouse his sus-
picons against her and bring UP that ques-
ton of the past.
For much as she loved him, Anne did not
believe that Steele would keep his promise to
her. He would intend to, but the time would
come when he would forget, and when that
time came she must be ready for it,