Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-25
HER MONEY
BY CAROLYN BEECHER
CHAPTER LXXIV

49, her, and was contented and happy
whenever Althea was with her. And al
though Althea tried to hide it from both
Peter and Miss Howard, whom she still
treated coldly, Peter saw her devotion to the
child, her growing affection.
Often now she refused the invitations OF
her gay irresponsible friends, the people who
had helped her forget her unhappiness, so
that she might devote herself to the child.
She read to her when she was uneasy, told
her stories, played with her, showed her how
she used to combine the colors of the woods
and weave them into gay strands when she
was a little girl. But if Miss Howard or
Peter appeared she would quietly leave the
room and remain away while they were
there
"Why does Mrs Peter always run away
when YOU Gomez" she asked the doctor.
"She thinks one person named Peter is
enough for little girl, imagine Peter an
swered. But he also had noticed Altheas at
titude, her evident repugnance to be in the
room when he was.
Glow she dislikes me-" he SAID WITH
sigh.
Yet there were times when in talking OF
Doris they seemed nearer together than ever
they had BEEN when they seemed to forget
the barrier they had raised between them
selves. Times when for hours they would
each hope-only to pull themselves up with
a sharp recurrence of the old thoughts, the
habits that had become almost second nature
to them both.
Althea spent her money Iavishly for the
child. She never went out that she didn't
bring her a book toy, something to inter-
est her. Almost for the first time she took
pleasure in her money. She was making un-
selfish use of it.
you'll spoil her, Peter said. And Miss
Howard timidly told her SO also.
''You are too kind, Mrs. Graham she
said Doris isn't accustomed to having so
much You'll spoil her"
81 think not" she told the sister colby.
To Peter she had said: "Please let me do as
I like. The child interests me-
II didn't mean to interfere, Althea. But
you mustn't wear yourself out for her"
AS he said it he knew that Althea looked
better, happier than he remembered seeing
her since their marriage.
Ruth Williams had called several times to
! see Doris. She, too, had learned to love the
little invalid. Althea had been out the first
time and when she heard of the call she al
most regretted bringing Doris into her home.
Must she see this woman she believed Peter
loved? Receive her in her home? The next
time Mrs. Williams called Althea was in.
She saw her moment, then coldly excused
herself, leaving her with Doris
But the next time she caught her playing
game with Doris and the child pleaded with
her to finish it. Althea granted Mrs. Will
liams' abegrudging admiration for her savoir
faire. She realized perfectly that she knew
she was not cordial scarcely polite.
"She knows why, tool" Althea said when,
the game finished, she left her with Doris.
II shall not be able to visit Doris again."
Mrs. Williams said as she left. but she is
very happy and I shall go away feeling that
she is even better off than she was with me-"
"You are going away?" Althea asked in
differently, although her heart throbbed with
gladness.
Eyes, I sail tomorrow for short trip
| abroad"
They babe each other goodbye, then AL
thea watched as Mrs. Williams went into the
office instead of directly out to her waiting
motor.
"Of course she would say goodbye to
Peter, make plans to write Or something be-
fore she left" Althea said 1t was fully half
an hour before she heard the street door
| close, then the honk-honk of the motor as it
drove away.
She was with Doris when Peter came in.
mice Mrs. Williams is going away, Doctor
Peter" Doris said. "She came to say good
bye to me-"
"She said goodbye to me- too" Peter re-
piled, "and to Mabel. she will have lots Of
nice things to tell you, when she comes back
Eyes, she promised to tell me all about
Paris, and London, and all the places over
there where the soldiers went I was sad to
have her 60 but I have Mrs. Peter, so I
didn't cry. She told me I mustn't. She said
it wouldn't be right to be sad when Mrs.
Peter was so good to me-"
Fright she was! Mrs. Peter has been so
good to you, and you have been such a good
little girl that tomorrow some of that old
plaster dress is coming off,"
Honest Doctor Peter?"
Honest Injun. Cross my heart! You'll
have that nice soft wrapper I promised you
instead"
Continued Thursday. This story is nearing
the end. Renew now to avoid missing the