The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-23

her aunt
 Manville rose and walked back and forth. The struggle he was having showed plainly in his bearing as he paced up and down the little room Finally he stopped before me:
 ''That is your ultimatumY'
 "Yes, Manville. I told you you must choose between us. I meant it, then mean it now. will not live in the same housewife her. l. know you love her and am sorry. But because you do is no reason should be made un- happy, figurehead in my own house, ordered about, and my baby nearly killed. No! will either be your wife, the mistress of your home, or I shall not go back"
 "Will you stay here in the little hotel for a week while I think out what l can do? You are making it very hard for me, Susan. love you, strange as you may think it in view of your unhappiness with me. I love our baby dearly'-it was almost the first time he ever had called her baby" f-"and also love and revere Aunt Cynthia. What should have been, what become of me had it not been for her, l cannot conceive. She took me, poor orphan boy, educated and cared for me. It seems rank ingratitude to refuse her a home in her old age"
 T do not want you to refuse her a home; simply refuse her one under the same roof with me. She doesn't like me, Manville, any more than I do her. She looks upon me as poor creature without any mind, just as any one would who allowed what I allowed in my own house to keep peace-because l wanted yoU-to love me. Get her an apartment in the hotel or in some house and l will gladly come back to you. Gladly try once more to get a little happiness with you"
 "You will promise to stay here until decide? You won't run away again ?"
 "No, Manville. I promise to stay right here as long as you ask me to-"
 "I will be back two weeks from to- day. But Susan, want to tell you one thing. Perhaps no matter what I decide about aunt it will win forgive ness for much that I have uninten- tionallyi done to hurt you. You never shall be parted from Anna. You love her too dearly not to be good mother even if you do spoil her. And she loves you"
 IFS, loves my mamma, I does,' she said, gravely looking up at us.
 You have given me a hard task, problem hard to solve. I have prom ised aunt a home with me. She will be very disappointed" I think Man vile up to this time thought I might give in and go with him regardless of what I said anent his aunt. But now that he saw my determination was not to be changed he suddenly looked old, worried, anxious.
 That he honestly loved this hard, un- compromising woman who had brought him up and in the process made him i nsome ways almost as hard as her self, well knew. So now I took his hand in mine and said quietly:
 Tt is hard for you, Manville-I know it now. When left did not think so. did not believe you cared for me"
 "Oh, Susan p he interrupted me.
 And hardly thought you cared very much for Anna. Now 1 know otherwise. Did you not love us the danger we have been in would not nave affected you so deeply. Perhaps one has to almost lose what one values be- fore they know how much they appre- ciate it. never shall complain f you spend part of your time with your aunt. And I will try also to be kind to her-if she will let me- But never can I live with her. That is final, Manville. You must choose. But 1 am so glad this accident happened. The bitterness toward you is all gone, Man vile. feel toward you as I did when we were first married and I thought you loved me-even when you were seVere.'
 T loved you then. I have loved you always. l am not demonstrative man. And after reading your letter I can scarcely see how you can forget all you claim have made you suffer- even if I did it unwittingly."
 q do forgive you, Manville.. Shall we have dinner together before you go%
 q ants my dinner, too !'' Anna scrambled up and taking hand of each of us we went in to dinner.
 (To Be Continued)