Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-14
The Second Mrs. Strong
BY HAZEL DEYO BACHELOR

BY HAZEL DEY) BACHELOR
What has gone before.-Matthew
Strong marries his stenographer, Julie
Benton, and when he brings her home
after the honeymoon, his daughter
Claudia does everything in her power
to make things uncomfortable for her
new tepmother.-Now go on with the
story.
CHAPTER XVII
r OW was jules chance to enlist Mat
N thews aid, to tell him the truth, to
confess to him the way Claudia has
spoken to her, but she did not take it. She
was afraid, afraid of mourning Claudia's
enmity, and so she said quickly.
cts nothing at all, Matthew I guess
was lonely and gave way to a fit of the
blues"
A look of Impotence dawned in Matthew's
eyes He was suddenly irritated. Hadn't he
done everything for this girl, everything
possible? Hadn't he taken her from a life
Of sordidness and made her his wife? Why
should she be lonely? Why didn't she find
something to do? Why should she have
fit of blues simply because he hadn't been
with her all evening?
The more he thought about it, the more
annoyed he grew. This dependence of jules
this cinging to him. was foreign to what he
had expected of her. He had looked to her
to be efficient, to assert herself, and instead
she went about the house silently, meekly.
He never could bear a meek woman.
'Why didn't you find something interest
ing to read?" he asked somewhat brusquely.
His manner more than his words implied the
fact that she could be improving her mind,
which was after all entirely uneducated, and
Julie with the tears pressing hot against
her lips turned despairingly away. She real
lied that by her silence she had widened the
breach that was already existing between
herself and Matthew. He seemed farther
hor hon To uvn11 nrn h
ably never forget that he had taken her
from humble surroundings and surrounded
her with unaccustomed Injuries, he would
never forgive her for what was not her
fault, and yet he had made her his wife,
and she ought to be grateful for that.
"After the reception, you won't feel so
much alone Matthew added quickly, feel
ing somehow that he had hurt her. you'll
meet a great many congenial people then
and you can make your own arrangements
when l am not with you"
Julie nodded, and again panic seized her.
Didn't he understand how frightened she
was at meeting his friends? Didn't he real
ize that they would probably criticize her,
that this reception would be test she was
afraid to meet?
"But you haven't told me where Claudia
ISL" Matthew persisted. jules prolonged
silence angered him He did wish she had
more fire, more passion, that she would not
look at him with eyes that were so ridicu-
lousy pleading.
81 don't think I remember where she said
she was going" Julie stammered out.
"You don't think you remember" Mat
thew repeated "But you ought to remem-
Der. 1 don't want Claudia running out
every night, and when she does CO. l want
to know where she is
II know, Matthew, and I'm very sorry.
But I don't think you realize how hard it is
for me to interfere with Claudia"
II do realize it, but it's a job have
handed over to you. You are doing it for
me-"
Julie did not answer, and in the silence
that followed, there came the SOUND OF
Claudia's key in the latch.
She came into the library like a breath
Of fresh air, head held high and apparently
unafraid, although her heart beat fast when
she saw her father. She knew that she
must carry off the situation with a high
hand, act as though she had done nothing
wrong, and quickly she sought about in her
mind for convenient lie to explain where
she had been.
In contrast to Julie she was charming,
sophisticated welI-bred, and Matthew as he
looked at her felt surge of pride in her
beauty Even before she began to speak
Claudia knew that the situation was hers.
Julie had not pressed her advantage, she had
been afraid to take her chance.