Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-30
HIS BROTHERS WIFE
BY RUBY IA. AYRES
CHAPTER l.
a Woman Scorncd"

TIE was sorry as soon as he had spoken
II The Wilderness of her face touched him.
a. He tried to take back his words or
soften them; he began a stumbling explana-
ton, but she cut him short.
Us this true-really true?"
He answered miserably that ii was.
She stood for a moment staring at him
with blazing eyes, then she turned and left
him; and he heard the shutting and locking
of her door
He hesitated not liking to leave her, and
yet longing to get away; he listened. but
everything was quiet and he went softly to
his own room.
After all, it was just as we'll she should
know now as later; the shock would only be
made worse by delay
But behind her locked door Dora Fisher
stood with clenched hands, and blue eyes
blazing in her white face.
Bitter jealousy set her heart on fire; not
jealousy because she loved David. but jeal-
ousy to think that another woman, not so
beautiful fascinating, should have sue
ceeded where she herself had failed.
For now she knew that it had not only
been her ina ination that David was unusu-
ally attentive to Mary; that it was reality
that in all probability David was in love with
her.
In love! With that white-faced, silent
woman. She ground Der teeth savagely~ She
should never have him! She would prevent
it if it cost her everything she had!
SO that was the truth at last! This wom-
an was not Nges wife, but an adventures
who had schemed for her place!
She paced her room half the night; She
would marry David whatever happened she
would be mistress of Red Grange in spite OF
this White-faced interloper!
She did NOT trouble herself with details of
the story; she never gave Nigel's real wife
thought; all that mattered to her was to
inc ma
wanted.
Monty glanced anxiously at her when they
met at breakfast, but apparently she was
smiling and unruffled. She made herself
charming to David; she spoke to him sympa
thetically. as if she understood without being
tAd that he was unhappy and in trouble; she
tactfully left the two men together as soon
as the meal was over.
But they went out of the house almost i'm
mediatey David could not rest, he said; he
must be up and doing; every moment of de-
Law gave Mary a better chance to get away.
But there was so little they could do. He
followed Monty about the whole morning,
doing everything that possible; his hrst
outburst of anger only came when Flshef
said smiling:
Nov, we can only sit down and wait pa
tiently."
David caught up the word with passion.
wait? When anything may be happening
to her, Surely there must be something we
can do! can stand anything but this mac
ton. You don't know how l blame myself
I ought to have guessed what she would do.
Fisher protested
Il am to blame if any one. 1t was l who
drove her away
David dismissed the thought; b had been
to blame, and he alone, he told himself.
He had had his chance that last night
when he and she drove back together from
the station; he might have told her. then,
that he knew all there was to know; he might
have told her something else, too-that he
loved her, and that because he loved her, he
could forgive everything.
But the moonit hour had passed; he had
let it slip through his careless fingers; and
now it was too late
He left Fisher at his office, and went Oft
alone He felt that he must Walk-Walk, 10
outstrip the giants of remorse and anxiety
that Swallowed him.
Mary was somewhere in LOndOn-Of that
ne was sure; perhaps one day he would come
face to face with her when he was least eX-
pecting it. little thrill warmed his heart
How fast he would hold her if that day
ever came She should never escape him
again.
But it is only in dreams, or between the
pages of romance, that such things happen.