Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-07
HER MONEY!
BY CAROLYN BEECHER
CHAPTER ITV

TIME discovery of her secret Jealousy Dy
Nell Blackwell, Molies blunt criti-
cisms, fingered with Althea disturb
ingly. She fretted over it and Peter
noticed.
He studied her with hidden tenderness
in his eyes. What did it mean, this nerv-
Gus disturbance? It stirred his really great
capacity for pity 1t shook him to his very
soul. Was the end approaching? He tight
ened his grip upon himself If she would
be really happy apart from him could he
let her go because of that-to make her
happy?
You're not looking WE'LL Althea," he
said. "Rest this evening and try and sleep
late in the morning" Then he walked the
streets long time before he felt he could
go home. She was suffering in way she
could not be articulate about. Was it up
to him to help her, to take the initiative?
Yet how could he, not knowing what was
in her mind?
"Shes gone to bed" he said as he en-
tered the house. But after he had tossed
for an hour, sleepless, he heard her come
in, then call:
Good night Kenneth, thank you for q
pleasant evening.
With sti1ed groan Peter turned rest
lessly his pillow.
Althea did not appear at breakfast. But
| as Peter slipped his coffee his mind wan.
dered; he reacted uncomfortably to his
| ideas of the night before. There was no
| clarity, no sequence in his thoughts.
With an impatient gesture he pushed his
| breakfast aside and went down to his Of
| flee. Here he found annoyances. An unde-
| livered message of the day before under
some papers on his desk. He deciphered
Miss Bundy's hieroglyphics, then taking up
! the telephone found that because of his nom
attention another physician had been called.
| He glanced at the clock. Nearly office
| hours and the nurse had not arrived. He
frowned, muttered impatiently. He was in
no mood, after his sleepless night, his inde-
cision, to be patient with Miss Bundy.
Patients came and went and still she did
not come He left for the hospital and to
call on Doris on his way home. The
thought came to him to ask Althea to take
any messages but he had not heard her
stirring and would not disturb her.
| Scarcely had he left, the house when Miss
/ Bundy appeared. Her eyes were red and
| bleared, showing plainly the cause Of her
| absence. Instead of going into the office
she mounted the stairs. She found Althea
! in her sitting room, looking idly out Of the
window:
"was the doctor CROSSE" Miss Bundy
| asked.
"Cross-what about?" Althea turned an
inquiring glance upon the nurse, then
looked away in disgust.
II was sick all night and just came.
thought maybe he had said something to
you"
I mo"
! well I'll go down and get to work.
I hope he amt going to be cross because
| I was late.'
Athea made no reply and Miss Bundy.
! throwing an angry glance at her, left the
room. But Althea stopped her on the
| landing.
eff DR.. Graham knows you have been
drinking again he will discharge you" she
| said CURLY.
"But you won't tell him, dearie," she
wheedled. "Ill be all right before he gets
back from the hospital and his visit to Mrs.
| Williams-he stays there long time"
| Althea turned away but the mention OF
Mrs. Williams name had turned her
| thoughts away from the nurse into even
more disturbing channels.
"He goes every day and-stays a long
time she said as she resumed her place at
the window. tits to be with her, not that
| child" Slow tears gathered In her eyes.
She whisked them away. She was too
proud to let Peter see traces Of grief on her
| face
| everything approaching; that they
| could not go on much longer as things
were. And, like him, she wondered If she
were brave enough to give him UP to make
him happy. Could she let him go for that
to make him happy?
| She was dressed to go out when she
| heard him come in and stop in the office.
| She recalled what the nurse had said, how
she looked. She stepped out upon the
| landing.
"You must go!' she heard Peter say
then sobs and pleading from the nurse. II
told you if I found you drinking again you
could not stay. I meant it. Here's what
| I owe you''
| The street door opened closed.
| A1thea started down the stairs, then
stopped midway. With Miss Bundy gone
! she would have no way of hearing about
Peter, yet she hestated to interfere, not
| only because of that. or late the womans
familiarity had become, offensive. She
| turned, removed her outdoor things then
! went down to Peter.
II was in the hall, heard you discharge
| Miss Bundy. If you will let mo, will look
after the office this afternoon"
THAT woman was drunk again. ! found
her drinking out OF bottle when I came
in. If you will answer the phone for today
III find someone to take her place In the
morning"
Continued Saturday. Renew now to avoid
missing a chapter.