Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-12
A WOMAN OBSESSED
BY CAROLYN BEECHER
CHAPTER LVI


~ the way to the library. He told Bruce
= and Muriel what he had done, the
amount he had given Bruce outright.
81 want you to enjoy 1t while live" he
said quietly, mot to wait until I am dead. You
have proved yourself full-sized man. son.
and can be trusted, deserve trust / hope 1t
will make you and. Muriel happy and give
you as much pleasure In the spending as it
has me in the earning. / have worked always
for you, son, and made the work a constant
delight
Bruce's face showed his emotion. Rising,
he threw his arm over his fathers shoulder,
and kissed him as he hadlwhen he was a little
boy. Muriel sat silent. her face expression
less.
II don't deserve muchskindness, IA
ther-" His voice broke. II haven't always
made you happy" Both knew he referred to
his leaving college to marry Muriel.
"My disappointment was only temporary.
You have made me forget it by the way you
have carried yourself since"
Still Muriel had not spoken, although Mr..
Conway had looked at her expectamly sew
eral times and Bruce had flushed, embarrassed
at her attitude Now he said:
"You haven't thanked father yet, Muriel.
What will all this money mean to me?9
She spoke to Bruce tWiA it make you do.
what L want you to--give up your Office work
and devote your time to me? If so, 1 shall be
grateful to Mr.. Conway" She never yet had
addressed him in any other way II not 1t
means absolutely nothing to me-"
Mr. Conway looked from one to the other.
He was puzzled. What did she mean? More
embarrassed than ever, Bruce answered the
question in his fathers face
"Muriel has silly notion that when man
has money enough to live on he shouldn't
work he explained lamely.
What others do doesn't interest me in the
least. What you do, does. What / want to
know is, will you do IT."
Surely you don't mean, daughter, that you
would have young man quit working be-
cause he has a competence? Why, it would
almost make me want TO be an Injun giver
and take my gift back if | thought it would
lead to such thing. Men were made to
work. not rust; work was made for them.
When Bruce is as old as / am then perhaps
it might be feasible. Yet I still keep my
hands on the reins and look after all my in
vestments. No, daughter, work is mans
salvation
I'm sorry we can't agree" Muriel replied
quietly. II hold a mans duty Bruces duty
is to his wife above all else. II he is poor he
has to be away from me while he is making
"a living. If that isn't necessary he is neglect
full of his duty If he does not accede to my re-
quest and give up work that takes him from
me-"
Bruce shifted from one foot to the other
He was embarrassed, angry. How ungratefuI
Muriel was! He noted the light of sudden
comprehension in his fathers face. Muriel
herself had told him the cause of their failure
to be happy.
have money enough to live on that Bruce, at
his age, should be an idler? You would have
to live very plainly to get along on the inter
est. l haven't given him enough to play
gentleman on
II don't care how plainly we live SO we are
together" Then she pleaded: make him
promise to do as I ask and I'll be very CRATE
full, very happy love him, and sharing him
with others is agony
Share him? You surely can't call it shar
ing him because he has to be away from you
while he is working!'
cit is! Those men are continually in1u-
encing him. He stays out with them when he
should be at home with me. They urge him
TO play golf and tennis without mel won't
give my approval by going to the cMb-and
they are weaving him from me. never should
have told you this had you not given him
money that if he uses it as / want him to will
make me happy. am not complaining. /
am only asking you to make him see his duty
to me. I want to leave Westfeld. / want
to make home in the country somewhere
away from people where we can live our own
lives without interference.
'But. my child, you are both young. 1t is
natural for youth to seek friends and com
partnership" Not yet could the old man be
lieye he had grasped Alright her idea of what
constituted happiness for her.
"Bruce's companionshp is all want. Mine
should be sufficient for him and would be If
we were somewhere by ourselves.
I'm sorry for you, Muriel,' Mr. Conway
said after pregnant silence, more sorry
than can say. You are wrong, my dear. We
still need companionship friends. Bruce was
always popular and made friends easily even
as little boy. I should hate to see him
change.
80 you are against me! Very well Then
am not grateful for what you have done. 1t
only makes my position harder. Bruce now
has the means to make me happy if he will,
to repay me for my love by loving me and de-
voting himself to me in return. That he will
not use it for that takes all value from your
gift. Good night. am tired. Come soon,
won't you, Bruce?"
Continued Saturday. Renew your stlbscrip-
ton now not to miss a chapter OF this