Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-06
CHAPTER L
Escape!

, a MOTHER crowded restaurant, blue with
~ tobacco smoke and filled with bored
looking men and extensively dressed
women. table for eight, whispered con-
ferences with the head waiter for the pro-
curing of drinks and Calls headache grow
ing steadily worse
frenzy of rage consumed her; she hated
these people; they filled her with disgust,
and as for Arch Kennerley, how could she
have made up her mind to marry him!
In the car, his response to her remark
did YOU enjoy kissing herr" had been first
to buster and then to fling out crudely,
almost vulgarly:
"WeH. what's kiss? Why all the fuss? l
knew Fay Morrison long before you appear
ed on the horizon.
In the moment of revuls1on that followed
Gail had been on the point of flight. She
longed for escape, but there had been no
chance. Arch had helped her from the car,
and with his hand under her arm had es-
corted her into the restaurant. She was
helpless, inwardly raging and outwardly as
of the evening, but after that she was
through. Better Dalesburg and the confess
sion that she had been a fool better love-
less old age than the thought of marriage
with Arch Kennerley and the knowledge
that all her life she would have to associate
with these people.
Gail was not jealous because Arch had
kissed Fay Morrison. She did not care
enough to be Jealous of his crudity, his lack
of consideration, his boring egotism. o, she
had been a fool and she would pay for it in
the years to come, but she deserved 1t; she
deserved every bit of suffering that happened
to come her way.
Gracia's voice pierced the somberness Of
her thoughts and brought her back to con-
seriousness of her surroundings.
"A penny for your thoughts, GaH. Our
little charmer looks worried. Have a drink
and forget about Arch's fckleness. Remem-
Der how you made me suffer when you cut
me out"
Gracia was overfush and her voice was
malicious. In fash Gail caught the trend
of her thoughts and realized what hao
prompted the speech. 1t was case of "tae
queen is dead, long live the queen" Gail
was damper on the gay spirits of the rest
of the party and Fay had taken her place,
at least temporarily. There was no room in
the lives of these needless young people for
weak sisters" and for the whole evening
Gail had been a weak sister. She had vio-
lated the code, she had surrounded herself
with gloom and not soul there sympathzed
with her nor wondered at all that Arch had
turned back to Fay for solace.
For a moment Gail was silent. She felt
as If the eyes of every one present were
turned in her direction and, strangely
enough they all seemed like strangers, peo-
pie she had never see before For just
moment she was facing her tormentors like
g. wild thing caught in trap and then
wave of fury swept over her
I'll tell you what I was thinking" she
said evenly, "since you seem anxious to
know. I was thinking how ashamed I am
to be here in this place. I was thinking how
l hate myself for aping your mannerisms
and trying to live up to your codes. I'm
not one OF you I never was one Of YOU. I'm
an impostor, I don't belong in your set and
now that we understand each other l think
that's ALL
Before any one present had any idea of
what she intended to do, Gail had sprung
To hnr fnn enfn 14
OF the chair and making her way to-
ward the door.
Saturday-"The Price OF Freedom" Tf
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