Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-21
CHAPTER XXI
Matthew Seeks Out Margaret

Matthew Seeks Out Margaret
" RADFORD PIERCE had at first felt
X sorry for Julie because she was So
- plainly out of her element. That was
why he had gone out of his way to pay
her attention. But during the talk with
her he had realized the latent possibilities
in the girl. He was quick to perceive that
innate fineness buried deep in her, and,
after all her faults were not glarlng ones.
Then, too, he hated the modern attitude to-
ward life, the laxity Of things, the false
ness He despised women like Margaret
Davenport. and to him Julie was fresh, I'M
spoiled, virgin territory, a clean palette for
his brushes of life.
Pierce knew Matthew we'll. They had
been at Harvard together, and although
Matthew had married early in life, Bradford
was still a bachelor. His mother presided
over the house, and Bradford often felt
that it was the fact that he had never mar
ried that made him so fastidious about
women. For he was fastidious, almost mar
row in his views, and in spite of jules lack
of social graces she had attracted him.
How she had lighted up under his careful
handling of her. 1t would be interesting
to take her to a concert and to watch her
under the spell of the music. There were
other things, too, he might do for her. He
might direct her reading, and later talk
things over with her. He might help to
educate her, for somehow he felt that Mat
thew never would.
To Bradford there was a GOODNESS about
Matthew he had never understood. During
Matthew's first marriage to Berenice Wells,
woman as cold and controlled as Mat
thew himself, Bradford had felt that he
and Matthew had little in common After
the death of Bernice there had come a
change, and once more he and Matthew
had drawn together, had come nearer that
friendship which had been theirs in college,
But he could not help wondering how this
second tvrn ood
to him that Julie would have great deal
to bear and that, for the most part Mat
thew would fail to understand her. He
would expect her to jump immediately into
Berenlce's place, to take charge of that
spoiled flapper,. Claudia, to be atmother to
Robert and, above all, to fulfill all the man
fold duties that would of necessity devoIve
upon her as his wife. Would the marriage
be success? Would Jalie be equal to it?
1t would be fascinating to experiment with
her mentality, to draw her out, to develop
the material that was in her
The reception reused no such trend OF
thought in Matthew's mind. His thoughts
were not with Julie, but himself He was
intensely sorry for himself, and the week
following the reception he left the office
early IN order to drop in on Margaret Daven-
port at tea-time.
He was in his element as he walked down
the long room to the table in the large dor
mer window. 1t was delicious to sink into a.
comfortable chair and to see her there, her
fingers Wavering SO daintily over the tea
service, her soft-throaty voice in his ears.
This is like old times Matthew"
She wore loose tea gown that fell away
in soft folds from her throat After She
mad poured his tea and handed it to him
she fitted cigarette in holder and light
ed it deftly Matthew had never liked to
see women smoke, but today there was
something finished about it that appealed to
MN, something that smacked of sophistica-
aon, something charming and restful.
You're looking very lovely, Margaret. -
he heard himself saying And as he spoke
she smiled at him, and he fancied he
gi1mpsed something in her eyes, an express
SION SION that was gone in moment, but that
had been strangely revealing. Margaret
cared He was sure of that now. 1t wasn't
a dream, then, and he might have had her.
The knowledge did not stir his pulses or
make his heart beat faster but it did soothe
ms vanity He must come here often There
was no reason, after all, why he and Mar
garet shouldn't be friends.