Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-05

AIALlE returned dIter an nour, en-
" thusastic in her praise OF the car. Be-
fore he left Uncle Robert proposed to
keep it in his garage, saying there was plen-
ty of room for it.
Perhaps 1 could manage chauffeur aftes
ALL l thought. But to my surprise Natalie
said nothing about having a chauffeur and
after uncle left nothing more about the car
or him.
She quickly learned to drive but said moth
ing about taking me downtown Or calling en-
me. On Sundays and when we went out in
the evening 1 drove, Natalie sitting quietly
beside me, pleasant, imperturbably cool and
distant.
I knew by the speedometer that she took
long drives, yet she rarely mentioned where
she had been unless she invited companion.
But she was less restless and astonished me
occasionally by saying she preferred to re-
main at home when I proposed going out.
Grown keen because of what | had learned
from her brother, 1 noticed she had done
nothing toward replenishing her wardrobe.
She did not want to go out for that reason,
l thought. Yet her allowance was ample. !
Could she be saving it to repay him the re-
mainder of what he had borrowed from ms
to pay her mothers bills!
1 had spoken what 1 believed to be the
truth when I told Uncle Robert that Natalie
might be happierM away from me. Often the
question trembled on my lips yet never did
it pass them. I was afraid to ask her
afraid of baf answer.
One thing delighted me. Natalie no longer
refused to go with me to call or dine with !
Uncle Robert, and often now he came to us. !.
Yet even my joy in this was tempered by 4
sadness as it made her GOODNESS to me the /
more noticeable.
Her brother had returned the other $500. /,
Natalie sent me most of it and / scraped /
the rest together he said. 1 was right. She /
had denied herself new, clothes to pay for
her foolish extravaganza when she dressed
up her mother.
Garth and Diana were to be married. It /
came as a surprise to every one, although /
knew he was fond of her. I gave Natalie a
check.
"You will need a new outfit for the we'd /
ding and expect you will need more money
to fit yourself for the OCCASION" They were
to have a large church wedding followed by
a reception.
THANK you" she said quietly as she took
the check 1 don't know just what l ex-
pected but turned away with the feeling
of disappointment l so often had when did
something 1 thought would please her.
She used the money for the purpose for
which l had given it and was exquisitely
dressed at the wedding. Heads turned and
whispered comments on her beauty reached
me as we walked down the aisle of the
church together. But they brought me no
Joy only a feeling of pride that l might have
felt at owning some lovely and fragile orna-
ment She was mine and-not mine.
Now that my financial affairs no longer
gave me cause for uneasiness my thoughts
turned still more often to the unsatisfactory
life we were leading together. Often | al
most wished 1 never had interfered, had let
her go on with her eXtravagances, her
misunderstanding, her moneywasting ways. !
At least she had appeared happier then Yet
l knew it could have gone on but little /
longer and that it might have brought
crash, trouble to me in my relations with the
firm.
often I made up my mind to once more
try to talk with Natalie, try and find out
if possible-how she really felt toward me. !
to try to make her declare herself. But al
ways when the time came | either had not
the courage or she, in that subtle, perfectly
pleasant way she had, evaded me. had
made up my mind she cared nothing for me.
My home was perfectly kept, my food de-
licious and my friends were always made
welcome. l was counted very fortunate
and happy man. No one except Uncle Rob-
ert dreamed that all was not well with me
and he had not mentioned it again, although
often 1 caught him looking at me in
yearning, commiserating way when ne
thought I was not looking.
AS the holidays grew near a firm resolve
was maturing in my mind. Before the New
Year came around I would plainly put all
my fears into WORDSWORTH ask Natalie IL
she wished to be freed from me.
1--WE live like brother and sister, not hus-
band and wife," I told myself bitterly. We
were polite to each other, never disagreed
chatted together of inconsequenttal things
but always with that wall between u.s. l
knew no more Of her thoughts her feelings
than I did Of those of the veriest stranger.
That she knew as little Of mine goes without
saying. was sure that she did not care to
and there lay the difference. She never
showed desire for my society. II | proposed /
going out she went along willingly, but just I
az willingly did she remain at home when
composed myself for an evenings quiet.
The thought of Rupert Hughes story or
the woman imbedded In ice came to me.
That woman was no more unresponsive than |
was my beautiful wife who smied-and with
her smile held me from her.
I never had crawled to Natalie, never
begged her to give me what believed was
impossible for her to give. 1t wasn't in my I
nature. Yet no man ever 1onged more in
tensely for womans love than I did.
Concluded in the next issue.)
well" said Farmer Briggs to the artist,
chow much will you charge to paint my
at dO0r2'