Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-05
CHAPTER XXI
II Love Lou

~ LUCKILY Gloria led the way into her
} sitting room and closed the connect
X ing door. Then she wheeled about
and said evenly, 'What do you want?"
Looking at him, her heart suddenly con-
tracted. His face was very white and his
eyes blazing. The arrogant manner had
fallen from him, leaving him appealingly
boyish She had never before seen him
like this and it affected her strangely
Il had to see YOU" he began quickly
1--WE been driving around in the car burn
ing UP the roads. 1 couldn't wait till
morning.
'Well?" The single word was not en-
couraging.
Gloria, I suppose it's useless to ask you
to be friends with me-" He spoke very sim
ply, with quiet sincerity. For just a single
moment Gloria almost believed him sincere,
and then memory rushed over her together
with the realization that this must be some
kind of trap.
"Friends'' she repeated scornfully,
friends with you? The idea is absurd
Friendship implies trust. Do you think l
could ever trust you?"
He was silent, and after a moment she
went speaking. 'Since you have forced
your way in here tonight you might as
we'll hear what I intend to do l made up
my mind after the intolerable scene you
made before your friends that I have
reached the limit of endurance I think
must have been mad to stand it as long
complete her sentence he had INTERRUPTED
Just a moment. Perhaps it would be
interesting to you to know something that
you probably don't suspect, something that
| myself didn't realize until tonight That
is why couldn't sleep that's the reason [
woke you at this hour in the morning.
Gloria, | love you"
She would have Interrupted here, but he
held up his hand. wait, you must listen
to me- Don't you see that I'm giving you
tn n
myself in your power? If it weren't true,
q never do that, but it is true l swear it.
l dldnt know it myself until tonight When
first met you, it irritated me to know
that you disliked me, that you believed 7
couidnt act L kept thinking about it, I
mlnd' and because you avoided me I hit on
the idea of asking you to play with me in
stranger Souls. Then that day when we
played the wedding scene I held you in nv
arms. After that l wanted you. 1 was de-
term1ned to have you. [ wanted to hnmhIe
you, | wanted to make you paw for the vav
you mad treated me, | wanted to hurt Won
because you hated me, but in spite of eyerv-
thlng loved you. l know that now" His
voice was unsteady, he was pleading with
neI' out ms words aWoke no response in
the woman VINO stood staring at him incred-
ulously Her eyes were hard, Bitter LITTLE
Smlle curved her lips, and then she was
speaking, and all the suffering of the nast
lew weeks was revealed in what she said
1ou say you love me. If you had loved
me would you have forced your love-mal[-
ing on me? If you had cared for me
wouldn't you have been content to WOO me
70 give me time to realize everything? You
nue." thaC regretted the step | had taken
Tue minute we We're married. If you had
.oVed me, there was your chance to prove
1t. instead, you forced me to go home with
you' you humbled my pride at every chance.
you eAplolted me before your friends and
then worst of all you made love to me. and
THINK L know why you did that"
because L was mad about you" he in
terrupted hotly, because 1 couldn't keep
away from you when we were alone"
"Oh, no, that wasn't the reason. It was
because you wanted to make me see you as
other women have seen you. You had the
Idea that If you were persistent enough,
couldn resist you for long. You placed
Such high value your charms that
sooner or later you expected me to sur
gender to them, but you see 1 never did"