Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-05

y flush on his face. She had refused to
- go without even consulting him.
| 1.-THE devil you have!" he spoke at last.
"Sent regrets without even waiting to find out
| if I wanted to go! Well, now you can send
word we have changed our minds. I wouldn t
miss that party for farm!"
"I'lI do no such thing. l hate their old
parties!"
"Well, I DON'T, And I'm going. I'll tell
Mason so in the morning.
The evening passed in almost utter silence.
Bruce was too angry to talk and she said
nothing until with a yawn he declared his in
tention to retire. Then she threw her arms
about his neck and reiterated her love for
him, her unhappiness when he desired any
society but hers.
To this oft-repeated plea he made reply
but his lips frightened He knew to what she
was leading. She had determined he should
not go to the party
az will go!" he said when alone. "She can
stay at home if she likes but I won't let her
make me lose all my friends Such good fell
lows too They would have taken her up
quickly if she had been half decent. What ails
her, anyway? She's young. When she Wis
tied New Haven she was jolly enough" He
sighed, then repenting for leaving her with
out a word leaned over the banisters and
called:
Good night. dear! Better turn in and
get your beauty sleep
"See here, Conway Why can't you come
to our party?" Tom Mason asked him the next
morning Ann says your wife sent regrets. "
"She-she thought 1t would be impossible, -
Bruce stammered. But we're coming. At
least I am" he added, fearing Muriel would
not change her mind. $50 consider the re-
grets not sent.
Good boy! Ann was terribly disappointed
when she received your wifes note"
What nice people they were Bruce thought.
so friendly and unassuming. Why couldn't
Muriel meet them half way? His annoyance
increased She was so quiet he never knew
her reasons for doing anything. But surely
he wasn't unreasonable in wanting to be with
men and women their own age.
That night he told her he had agreed to
go to the party. At the look on her face -
| explained:
II made it all right about the regrets, said
| you thought at the time couldn't 60"
ooh, 1 was afraid you'd do something" she
moaned. 81 was so afraid of it! What can
[ do to make you love me well enough not %
want to be with anyone but me?"
why" he answered with an attempt 20
make her understand, "for one thing you can
stop being naughty, ungrateful girl and Try
to enjoy some of the good times were going
to have. And
"'Good times" she echoed. eff you mean
by good times; being with other people 10
rather be dead than have such good lines :"
How you talk! You'll be long time dead
Don't forget that"
live by ourselves to be together. That would
be beautiful to me-"
What nonsense! We can't live life like
that It's selfish and unreasonable in you to
talk as you do"
tits mott" she denied, hotly. Its not un-
reasonable at all. It's to me you owe your
time, your love, not to them"
who said anything about loving them
I'm sure didn't. But I'm going to that party
and to every one they invite me to. You tan
n
course" He took his hat and flung out OF
the house If he stayed they would surely
quarrel tiercely. He was more chagr1ned than
he cared to own that she refused to know his
friends, that she put him in the position of
constantly making excuses.
After tramping about for an hour he passed
a theater. He would buy seats for the next
night and take Muriel.- After that he would
take her to supper
1t all went as he had planned and Muriel
seemed pleased to go. At supper John CORN
ley and his wife joined them in response to
an invitation from Bruce. Muriel immediate
ly froze up and scarcely spoke to them, al
though Gormley had in mind the purchase or
house and was dickering with Bruce. After
they reached home he spoke bitterly:
'T did everything knew how to give you
a pleasant evening, an evening that would
take us out of the everlasting rut we are get
ting in, then you spent hours planning how
to make me miserable by refusing to be de-
cent to my friends. I thought it would give
you pleasure, wake you up. Instead you act
as if I had taken you to funeral 1t isn't
fair, Muriel. 1t ;sn't fair to me- l saw Mrs.
Gormley look at you almost as if disguised.
Come out of it-whatever it is-come out o.
it and be human!"
'If you hadn't spoiled il all by asking them
to supper"
spoiled it, For heavens sake brace up
and try to get mite of fun out of life. I've
got right to good time too. Why do YOU
always spoil everything for me?"
"I'm sorry" she replied drearily.
"Then why do you do it?" he demanded,
Jared by her martyr tone.
Because L can't help it. I don't want you
with them-with any one"
Continued Saturday. Renew your subsc"ip-
ton now not to miss insta1lment of
this splendid story.