Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-25
THE WIFE CHEATER
NeW Romance
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR

Joan Stockbridge marries Norman
Wayne in spite of many warnings from
her friends. She chooses him in pref
erence to Herbert Livingston, who
loves her devotedly, but who lacks
Norman's charm. Norman has never
been known to care for one woman
more than a few weeks at a time, but
Joan is confident of holding him. After
marriage, however, she finds it diff
cult and he makes her miserable
through his attentions to other women.
When Edith, Joan's younger sister,
comes to visit them, Norman carries
on a filtration with her, and in des-
peration, Joan turns to Herbert Ltv-
lngston, who still loves her. The day
comes when Herbert asks her to go
away with him, and Joan, reckless be-
cause Of Norman's neglect, decides on
impulse to go. They start out in Her
berts car, but Joan thinks it over,
every instinct in her revolts. In
panic she seizes Herbert by the arm,
and he loses control of the wheel
CHAPTER XIV
What Happened
T OPENED my eyes to a sensation of sick
ening pain. At first I could not re-
member what had happened, and then,
as my brain cleared, I realized the truth
We had had an accident and the car had
run into ditch. With difficulty 7 raised
myself on one elbow and peered around me.
1t was very dark [ could hardly see a
thing because of the trees that grew very
thickly on either side of the road, but I
could make out the outlines of the car, and
1 realized that somewhere in that wreckage
Herbert was lying.
In some miraculous manner I had been
thrown free of the car, and as L fearfully
ness of my injuries, realized that, aside
from my arm, which hung limp at my side
and the fact that I was badly shaken,
could move.
Painfully I struggled to my feet, and,
although I felt faint and dizzy, I tottered
over to the car, calling Herbert's name
over and over
My voice sounded uncanny in the quiet
darkness of the countryside, and a very
frenzy of fear seized me when Herbert
did not answer. Suppose he were dead
suppose l should come upon him stretched
out cold and still! The thought sent chill
after chill creeping over me, and I trembled
with weakness.
I reached the car and found, to my sur
prise, that it was not SO badly smashed as
had imagined. It lay partly on one side
with the wheels of the other side in the
air, and as stood still, fighting with all
my might against the faintness that threat
ened me, I heard a half-stifled moan of
pain.
My heart leaped. Thank God, Herbert
was alive. And then, as I staggered around
the car, I found him.
I dropped to my knees and bent over
him agonizingly.
Herbert, are you hurt very badly? Speak
to me. It's 1, Joan!' Over and over
said these words, until finally, his eyes
opened and he looked up into my face.
"I'm all right, Joan. Don't be fright
ened, dear" And even as he spoke he was
struggling to his feet.
+ The reaction was too much for me and
began to cry weakly. My broken arm was
sending waves of pain from one end of my
body to the other ind as Herbert seized
me by the arms to lift me from the ground,
L tainted away with the pain.
When 1 came to I was lying in bed in
strange, Iow-ceilinged room. My arm was
strapped tight to my side, but aside from
a feeling of numbness, | no longer felt any
pain My head felt heavy, and my eyellds
seemed weighted down. I had pleasant
dangerous sensation, Discrimination to
think. which [ suppose was due to some
drug that had been administered to me,
but even as my eyes closed and l was
about to sink into sleep again, L suddenly
remembered and started up.
Instantly Herbert was bending over me-
He looked anonymously white in the
lamplight of the room, and the bandage
around his head added to my fears
stAre you all right, Joan? Don't bother
to talk dear, unless you feel like it,
But I wanted to talk, 1 wanted to make
him understand what was in my mind,
wanted him to know what had been in my
mind when I had seized his arm like that:
He mustn't go on believing that [ wanted
to run away with him, he must know the
truth, and at once.
1T was all my fault managed to SIAM
mer out, "but 1 had to let you know
wanted you to turn back, do you under
stand? That was why it happened.
was staring at him wild-eyed' ana at tne
look of pain that crossed his face my heart
smote me. What mess I had made of
everything, and how could ever hope Tor S5
happiness again after what had happened?