Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-10
THE BREAKING POINT
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

and she went up with him to lunch, and aft
erwards they played golf They had rather
an amusing game, and once she had to sit
down on a bunker and laugh until she was
weak, while he fought his way out of pit.
Crushed, indeed! 81
So the weaving went on, almost completed
now. With Wallie Sayre biding his time,
but fairly sure Of the result. With Jean
Melis happening a two-days' old paper,
and reading and over notice addressed
to him. With Leslie Ward, neither better
nor worse than his kind, seeking adventure
in a bypath which was East 9Th street, And
with Dick wandering the streets of New York
after twilight, and standing once, with his
coat collar turned up against the rain, out
side of the Metropolitan Club, where the
great painting of his father hung over a
mantel-piece. 40.
Now that he was near Beverly, Dick hest
tated to see her. He felt no resentment at
her long silence, or at his exile which had
resulted from it. He made excuses for her,
recognized his own contribution to the ca
tastrophe, knew, too, that nothing as to be
gained by seeing her again. But he deter
mined finally to see her once more, and then
to go away, leaving her 10 peace and to
success. 20
When he finally went to the 56th Street
house it was on impulse He had meant
to pass it, but he found himself stoppng,1and
half angrily made his determination. He
would follow the cursed thing through now
anu get 1t over. P6rnapS ne HdQ ulSCOunC6I
it too much in advance, waited too long,
hoped too much. Perhaps it was simply
that that last phase was already passing.
But he felt no thrill, no expectancy, as he
rang the bell and was admitted to the fathil-
lar hall. -
1t was peopled with ghosts, for him. Up
stairs, in the drawing that extended
across the front of the house. she had told
him of her engagement to Howard Lucas.
Later on, coming back from Europe, he had
gone back there to find Lucas installed in
the house, his cigars on the table, his pho
tograph on the piano, his books scattered
about, and Lucas himself, smiling handsome
and Triumphant on the hearth rug, dressed
for dinner except for a brocaded dressing
gown putting his hand Familiarity on Bever-
ly's shoulder, and calling her "old girl.
He wandered into the small room to the
right of the hall, where in other days he had
waited to be taken upstairs, and stood look
ing out of the window. He heard some one,
caller come down, get into his overcoat in
the hall and go out, but he was not inter-
ested. He did not know that Leslie Ward
had stood outside the door for minute, saw
and recognized him. and then slammed out.
| He was quite steady as the butler preceded
him up the stairs. He even noticed certain
changes in the house the door at the land
= ing converted into an arch, loaded glass in
the dining windows beyond it. But. he
caught a glimpse of himself in mirror, and
saw himself shabby contrast to the former
, days. ON
He faced her, still with that unexpected
composure, and he saw her very little chang
ed Even the movement with which she
came toward him with both hands out was
familiar.
judi" she said. ooh, my dear!" ~
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