Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-30
CHAPTER xxx
ClaUdia'S LITTLE Game

vi sld1Ous suggestion was instantaneous
Claudla, what are you saying?
Don't be ridiculous Such an idea is utterly
ABSURD, and you have no right to even think
such a thing"
perhaps not, dad" she said quickly
But l couldn't help noticing that Bradford
Plerce was not at the club tonight, and I
wondered"
But he was at the club, I saw him"
"Only for short while. Then he left
and didn't return
well that has nothing to do with the
SUBJECT in hand. Better go to bed now and
don bother with things that don't concern
you"
Claudia, summarily dismissed, rose lam
gudly, and with short GOODNIGHT. left
the room. Matthew, his eyes following the
slim but well-deveoped figure Of his daueh-
ter, was vaguely troubled. Sometimes CIau-
Ola worried him. She seemed so much older
IMAM she was, and he knew so little of what
was golng on in her mind. If Julie had
been different she and Claudia might have
grown to be FRIENDS, and it wou1d have
been possible for her to discover what he
never had. AS it was he knew nothing of
what went on in Claudia's mind He did
not even know what she did or anything
ABOUT her friends Of course, she played
around lot with young Eddie MontgOmerv
but then he was all right Of good people
and if Claudia married him she could hardly
do better.
His thought leaped from Claudia to Julie
and Just Claudia had known it would
happen, he began to ponder on the subject
OF julie and Bradford Pierce Of course
the thing was utterly ridiculous Brad, good
old chap, was one of his best friends Fur
thermore, he was merely being kind to Julie
he felt sorry for her and having noticed
how things were going, he was showing his
friendship, that was all. AS if he couIdn' t
trust Brad! Why, they had been together
In college and there had never been such an
honorable friend. Claudia like most girls
of her age had a wild Imagination; she read
things into a situation that were not there
at all. But as he went on thinking Mat
thew began to turn the thought of Julie
over and over in his mind.
He could trust Bead, but could he trust
Julie? What had Claudia said about Julie
not being one of them? That was it, She
came from the cOmmOnest kind of people
Common blood ran in her veins and even
with the slight veneer she had managed to
acquire, there was no reason for him to sup
pose that her instincts were not one with
those of her terrible family
Suppose Julie came TO believe that Brad
cared for her? Suppose she led Brad on?
After all, in spite of honor and tradition a
man was only a man. If Julie encourag aged
him, if Brad came to know that she cared
for him, anything might happen. There
might be a scandal and Julie might think
herself justified in creating a scandal merely
because OF the fact that he, Matthew, had
neglected her. She mieht plead that as
reason. The fact that he had avoided tax
ing her to the club tonisht was a case in
point.
Quite suddenly Matthew was ashamed of
himself After all. he had no right to think
such thoughts Of Julie. She had never given
him cause for anything Of that kind He
would put the whole thing out of his mind;
he must not allow himself to become sus-
pieious.' 1t was degrading, sordid.
Shrugsins his shoulders as if TO dismiss
the entire situation from his thoughts, he
actually succeeded in RELOCATING the thing TO
his subconscous mind. 1t was then that he
found himself remembering Margaret. She
had been lovely tonieht and she had plainly
shown her preference for him. The mem
DRY Of her was pleasant, and over the last