Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-17
CHAPTER xxx
HunlbICd
GXTOU mean that, Anthony"
I I "Mean What?"
ST hat baJo u n wv


THAT l have adjustments TO
make before our marriage, that there NAV be
somethmg in my life that l want to conceal
from yOu?" ~
How do know what to think? What
90 know about your life before | came info
IT? You're a woman living alone. Ieadin ~
thoroughly unconventional life What do 7
nno"' AFTER ALL about your standards of
IlSHt and wrong, tell me that?"
You should know" Miriam said very
slowly and as She spoke there fickered
across her consciousness the memory of 2
night long ago. She and man had stood
!acIh8 each other on the porch of a rustic
Inn. That man had been considerate of her
ana she had hated him for it, she had tried
10 put him out of her memory and now. lie
man she loved better than ANYONE in tho
world was hurting her cruelty. was SAVING
tnLllSS mat were unWaTranted, worse than
IHao' UNJUST, for no reason. What would he
Soy IL ne knew about that episode in the
tnI5 now would he Judge her if she
tod him that? The thought was terrifvino
and lnVoluntariy she shuddered
Watching her, Anthony saw the girls face
go Whlte, he saw her lips CULVER If she had
oeen defiant and cold, he might have per
sisted In MS treatment, he might have gone
on hlngIng singing sarcasns at her but the
SlSllt OF her. tremulous and uncertain went
TO his heart and melted the ice around it.
Il don't know" he burst out suddenly,
strlding across the room to her. II dom
know what possessed me to talk that way |
must have been mad" His arms closed
around her and she clung to him, but the
strain had told on her, for all of a sudden
she was cryinG. She tried to choke back
her sobs, but they came faster, her throat
feIt hot and CONSTRUCTED, her eyes were burn
ing, she sobbed wildly, Historically, with a
complete loss Of control that was somehow
strangely alarming.
Don't ever talk that, way to me again,
Will AOthOOV2''
don't think | could bear it. Your eyes were
so cold and hard when you looked at me
and your lips were drawn into a straight
line. You seemed like stranger to me, and
the thought that you could believe anything
wrong of me was somehow horrible"
But l didn't believe anything wrong of
YOU" Anthony assured her over and over.
Il was jealous call it what you will, but
certainly | was not myself"
He was frightened at the girls intensity
Of emotion, but back of his alarm was a
feeling Of triumph. He had bent her to his
will, it was she who had Weakened who
had come to him. Never again would he
feel her remote from him; for now there
was nothing he could not do with her. He
was sure of her love whore before he
had felt respect for her individuality. Now
he was certain never to lose her. she loved
him enough to give up anything for him. He
had frightened her with his anger, he had
given her a foretaste Of how he might be If
generous, to take the blame on himself, now
that he was sure Of being her master.
But what Anthony did not know was that
he could not drive Miriam too far. She
loved him and because Of that she tried to
forget the things he had said to her. She
did succeed in relocating them to her sub
| conscious mind, but after that she was
never quite frank with Anthony. She
was careful Of what she said to him, she
considered her speeches beforehand, for
! there was always the fear that he might fly
into rage, and Miriam never wanted to
see him like that again.
CHAPTER NNXI
An Afternoon Tea
IA N RS. BREEN was having after
M noon tea to introduce Miriam to
some of the best people 1t was the
first social affair held in the old house in
many years, but Mrs Breen having decided
to sponsor Miriam for Anthony's sake, wished
every one to believe that she thoroughly APP
proved of the match Miriam had told Mr..
Carson Of her engagement and she planned
to @iye up her work the following week
Anthony had been somewhat put out because
Miriam would not give up everything imme-
diately. He wanted her to accept his moth
! er's invitation to stay down at Laurelton
! until the marriage, which was to take place
! early III September.
"Why not plan to stay down there when
! We 80 down on Saturday for the Week-end?"
! Anthony had suggested.
But Miriam had been firm. She could
/ not leave Mr.. Carson like that, the firm had
/ been too good to her for her to walk out
i without finishing up her work. They had
! been going to send her to Europe in the
/ fall.
Europe. Anthony. think OF IT." Miriam
had said with shining eyes. Whereupon An
/ thony had retOrted, wen go to Europe on
/ our honeymoon so YOU can have that to
! look forward to, anyway"
Miriam had been almost happy as she and
J Anthony had jOumeyed down to Laurelton
! Anthony was in his incest mood, and when
+ they reached the house it seemed to the
girl that it wore an unusually festive look
/ OF gayety, as though for a time it had
shaken off its gloom.
She went Immediately to her room so as
to have plenty OF time to change her things,
and all during her dressing she felt happy
/ and excited at the thought of meetingi An
/ thongs friends Her gown. of dull red ma.
teriaL was made simply, but cung to hel
slim figure in long, graceful folds. As she
/ came into the drawing room Mrs. Breen
/ who sat in state in large carved chair be
+ fore the tea table. nodded approval
After all, the girl looked well-bred, she
really had quite an air about her, and heI
manner was charming 1t might be posi-
. bic to palm her Off on people by limiting
/ that She came OF the Massachusetts Fol
. wells Good blood, OF course. but nc
. money! This thought. together with the
fact that Miriam looked so unusually pretty
put Mrs. Breen into quite a good humor
and made her treat her future daughter-in-
E.. law quite affaby. Miriam responded eager
. ly, and again that little feeling OF happiness
surged up in her. Afterward she remem-
+ bered those few moments before the guests
j began TO arrive, as the luII before the storm
. lof no slightest premOnition warned her oil