Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-24
THE SUPERIOR SEX
BY HAZEL DEYO 'BATCHELOR
An EnthraI1ing Romance

John Steele enters his taxi, which he
has deserted during a furious rain
storm, and finds a beautiful girl asleep
there. She awakens and demands to
be set down Immediately, but faints
on the sidewalk when she has gone
only a short distance. Steele takes
her home with him, and the sheer
force of his will holds death at bay
during the fight for her life. His APP
| parent interest in her worries Marcia
Steele, Johns mother, and she con-
fides her fears to Katherine Cleveland,
whom she has always hoped John
would marry. The girl gives her name
as Anne Temple, but refuses to tell
anything about her past During her
convaIescence Steele goes away to
Washington on business, but on the
night of his return he finds himself
eager to see Anne. She asks him why
he saved her life when she hadn't
wanted to live and acting i'm
pulse, he asks her to give it to him. ]
Instantly the girl is seized with the
most terrible fear Steele has ever
witnessed. Afterwards, when he is
alone, Steele realizes that he loves her.
Now go on with the story.
CHAPTER XIII
''You Must Be Mad!''
N n ISIS HUDSON, the nurse, interviewed
MI Marcia as soon as she returned from
the opera, and told her as much as
she knew of what had happened
"Of course 1 couldn't hear what they
said,' she explained, 'they were talking in
low tones but the first thing I knew, Miss
Temple was crying out and when l reached
the bed she had tainted"
1t seemed to Marcia as though Fate had
been against her from the start. If she had
known that John would return that night
she would have managed to prevent an
interview between him and this girl, or at
least she would have gone in with him and
listened to what was said.
"she probably was oyer-excited," she said
to Miss Hudson, you're sure she's all
right now? You don't think we ought to
send for DR.. Henderson,"
Miss Hudson shook her head. "No, she's
asleep now and I don't think she has any
fever. I'll take her temperature again be-
fore I go to bed, but thought you ought
to know what had happened, Mrs. Steele, in
case anything developed from it.
Marcia nodded, said a crisp goodnight.
and went along the corridor to Johns room.
In response to her knock he opened the
door himself He was fully dressed, and
as he stopped to kiss her he drew her into
the room.
For a moment she forgot her disquietude
in the pride she felt in him. and the ex-
preston on her face as she stood with her
love- But the next minute her hands drop
ped and a worried little frown appeared be-
tween her eyes.
John, 1 want to talk to you a moment"
she said abruptly, dropping into a chair.
what is this Miss Hudson tells me about
you and Anne Temple? What on earth
did you say to the girl to make her faint?"
He laughed, little exultantly, Marcia
thought.
Something I shouldn't have said to her
until she is stronger he said quickly, II
admit that
John" Marcia's voice was sharp, what
do you mean?"
81 mean, mother, that am going to
marry her. I love her, 1 think l must
have fallen in love with her that first night,
and didn't know it, In his voice there
was triumphant note. This was John
Steele when he wanted something, when
his heart was sent on certain goal. In
all his life no one had ever been able to
prevent him from having what he wanted.
He laughed at obstacles, he refused to adj
NIT their presence in his path, and as Mar
cha realized what his words meant, it
seemed as though a cold hand closed sud-
denly around her heart. She sat there
as though turned to stone, and she was
silent so long that John was impatient
when he finally spoke.
"WeH?"
John, you're not in earnest, you can't
be. How can you love this girl when you
know nothing about her, and not only
that, but I have told you that she has
some terrible secret in her life, something
that may bring discredt on all of us if it
ever comes out. Surely you didn't mean
what you said. You must have lost your
senses to dream of ever doing anything
so utterly mad"
Again he laughed. "Do you think 1 care
about her secret past? Why you have only
to look at her to see what she is. AS for
being mad, think 1 must have been mad
all my life until now, for I assure you I
am perfectly sane. I intend to marry
Anne Temple, I love her better than any
one else in the world" And as his brilliant
eyes met her, Marcia realized with pang
that already she had been relegated to Sec
ond place in the heart of her son.
Next-Marcia Tries Again.
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