Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-03
HER MONEY
BY CAROLYN BEECHER


Crosby, dying, leaves her home and
$4,000 in bonds to her orphaned niece,
and namesake The $4,000 becomes
the girls on the day she marries, pro-
vided it is before she becomes 35. The
condition was prompted by the Ioveless
and lonely last days of the old maid
Althea rents out the home at Holden
and resumes her work in a New York
department store, and her roommate,
Molly, tells Althea's friends about her
good luck. Althea begins to fret over
the condition in the will, and falls IN
love with young DR.. Peter Graham. 1,
They marry and Althea's fortune is
turned over to her, but she does not
tell her husband of the strange will.
Now go with the story.
CHAPTER XIII
DR. PETER GRAHAM had been to the
little Holden station attending to the
49, last shipment of furnishings to be
used in their New York home. AS he walked
now straying to his work so soon to be
taken up again, now to his bride whom
he loved dearly, words from two women
in front Of him came to his ears.
At first he paid no attention, then AL
theas name caused him to listen
She. had to marry him to get her
money" one said distinctly. Miss Crosby
left it to the village if she didn't get mar
ried."
cit was a queer will" the other agreed.
Shed lose all that money-had to marry
for money-her own money. Like as not
she don't care a rap for that doctor fei-
low, just wanted to get her hands on the
money"
HE looks like a decent enough fellow"
the first returned. But Peter had heard
enough and turning retraced his steps,
quickly getting out of sound of their
voices.
ESQ that uas wbv A1+boo ,,or1.o5 .p4.n
her aunt died" he unused, frown on his
face. 'That was why she was so moody
and changeable. Blew hot and then cold.
She wanted the money, had to marry to
get it, 1 happened to be on hand, so she
took me-to get the money" he finished
bitterly
She didn't love him!
mat thought stood out sharply in his
nina, took possession of him. He had been
the means to an end, nothing more. No
wonder she had been uncertain, exasper-
atlng In her changing moods. She was not
IN love with him, never had been.
win agony in his heart, dull, heavy
IeeLng OF incompetence sweeping over him,
ne turned again to go home-her home.
he mad loved her before he married her:
ne loved her now a thousand times more.
ne ne mad thought Of her money, when he
Ilrst heard of it, as a help stepping stone
Tor them to rise, but not once had he
thought of it in that connection since their
wedding day.
l., He had 5oyed with her over the lovely
things in the house, over the bouse itsoIf
which she had so gaiIy called their " sim
mer nome" their ESTATE in the countrv~
now ne felt he hated it, hated all the heau-
tltul antique things they had sent on to
Oed WcII the house in the city.
Ar Ie w. he had his Professionalism God!
ana she must never know how he felt
mat he had found her ont
ne squared his shoulders, lighted his pipa
and turned in at the gate p'Ro
in
long, dear?" Althea asked as she kissed him
her eyes GU eVaulns
They sat down to dinner and with an Of
tort ne chatted as usual. But once or twice
he caught AIthea looking at him q sort ~
questioning in her glance.
Afthea spoke of their home in New York
her delight that his office would be In the
house. ~ - 'iio
You must get acquainted go out" he
ooId her. you are young. You enjoy life
TOO much to be shut up with busy MD"
But you will go with me?" she asked
When | can-Aof course But I EXPECT
hope, to be very busy"
she looked at him with steady eyes, al
most as if she were regarding a stranger
Was he already pEanning-thfnking Of what
ne could do now that she had her money
thinking of his ambitions, not her?
After dinner while she was puttering
round the house, putting into her trunk the
appear
necessary at the final moment, he slipped out
and again walked about the village streets
trying to accommodate himself to this thing
that had come to him. Life with a woman
VINO cared nothing for him. who had weighed
him for long weeks in a cold calculating
way, trying to see if even to get her money
she could marry him.
II ever Peter Graham had any egotism II
departed during that walk Always his life
had been a struggle, quiet unconfessed
struggle to make place for himself in the
world But he realized that this new strug-
gle. this living life Of pretence with Al
thea and before the world, would be harder.
Again he muttered:
Ihank God for my profession!"
Uneonsciously-for he had determined
never to let Althea know he understood why
she had finally consented to marry him-his
manner changed. He withdrew more into
himself, ceased to talk of his affairs, to dis
cuss an interesting case with her And she,
hurt, also changed. She became uncertain
in her actions, at times almost moody, as she
had been when he courted her
NOW that we are married he Is showing
his real self" she told herself 1.-THE rea-
son he married me- He doesn't love me
he thought my money would help him get
on faster"
Not all at once did Althea arrive at this
surety Of feeling. But once she believed Il
she adopted an air-indiferent, cold
Continued Tuesday, Renew your subscrip-
ton now so as not to miss a chapter Of this