Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-14
HIS BROTHERS WIFE
BY RUBY M. AYRES
CHAPTER NIL
nnlIy'c otter
Dolly's letter

~ HE had stood by him Loyalty in spite of
it all. She had listened to the solemn
~ words that's had made him the husband,
till death should part them, Of a woman
who cared nothing for him. She had been
that woman's true friend through all the
petty chickering's and establishments that
had followed.
No matter how her heart ached for Nigel,
and his bitter disappointment she never
allowed one word or sign of it to escape
her She might have been Dolys friend for
all those four years, instead of his.
And now he dead, and Dolly had
married somebody else, and forgotten him.
1t seemed so utterly incredible
Even now she would sometimes sit with
eyes tight shut and tell herself that when
she opened them she would find life all
going on as usual-Dolly lolling about the
flat, Disconnected, silent both of them-or
it only she notwithstanding for the
postmans knock with bated breath.
There was no longer anything to dread,
nothing even to hope for. Life seemed to
flow past her, leaving her standing still in
the place where Nigel had fallen.
She awoke from dream of him the
morning following David Bretherton's visit,
to find a letter from Dolly awaiting her.
1t had been written on board ship, and
posted at sea.
81 never knew what happiness really was
till now" SO wrote Dolly with dull pen
and many understandings. Robert is so
good to me- I believe he really worships
the ground I walk on. So different from
Nigel!
MARY, I was fool not to have realized
to begin with how utterly unsuited we
were. He never troubled to understand
me.
Write to me if you can; Will send you
an address as soon as we land.
1--WE have had glorious weather so far,
and | haven't been i'll at ALL l am so glad
as seasick bride must be too awful
mustn't it? Robert is quite we'll off, you
know, and gives me heaps of money. 1t is
such change after having ones income
doled out by a stingy brother-in-law. l
wonder if the sanity David has turned up
at the flat yet, and what he said when you
told him?
MARY, mind you tell me everything that
happens, and what you are going to do. I
said in my letter I left for you that you
might sell the things and keep the money,
and | still hope that you will. You were
very kind to me, and I don't like to think
have treated you badly
Mary, you ought to have married Nigel
instead of me. You would have adored
him, I know. Robert sends his love to
you, and hopes to meet you some day. Per-
haps you might come out here to stay with
us for little While. Would you like
that?
I'VE are going to live in hotel to start
with; houses are so frightfuly dear and,
anyway, 1 hate housekeeping and having
to look after seryants
what lot of things have happened in
these last few months! I am glad to say
that on the boat we don't hear much
about the awful war; people seem to be
trying to forget it. There are some Ameri-
cans who sit next to us at table. They
have taken great fancy to me. Robert
gets quite jealous, poor darling
MARY threw the letter down with a little
shudder. She could not believe that it was
indeed Dolly who had written it-DolIv. whom
ion1 hoH
how horribly cruel and unfair!
She could not touch her breakfast She
wandered restlessly about the little flat. un
able to settle to anything
The door of Nigel's room had been kent
locked since he went away She deliberately
turned the key now and entered.
1t still smelt family of smoke. It was still
Uttered with his possessions There was
WORKOUT pipe on the shelf, and jar half filled
with tobacco; shabby slippers were kicked
carelessly beneath chair.
Mary sat down on the sofa where she had
so often seen him lolling to read and smoke
and looked round the room with mournflll
eyes so full of his presence the room was
still, and yet-he would never come back any
more. She would never hear his laugh. or lis
CHEEKY whistle He dead wiped out and
forgotten.
She was so lost in her own sad thoughts that
on the landing outside-never saw man. who
stood on the threshold hesitatng for moment
as if in doubt whether to enter, until he
spoke
May | come n?"
She started up with little smothered CRY.
David Brotherton stood there. She went to
meet him agitatedy.
Il am so sorry-I did not hear you-I was
dreaming"
He into the room, and stood looking
round him.
This was Nigels room?'
yes"
His grave eyes SWEPT her face, and sudden
kindness filled them.
you must not stay on in this flat" he said
at is killing work living alone with mem
cries"
She looked at him, trying to smile
Il am only staying till things can be ar
ranged. l don't want to live here; l couldn't
afford to- even if l did"
curious expression flashed across his face
Was this her way of leading up to the thing
he had been expecting? he wondered and was
ashamed of the thought even as it was born
She looked so unlike an aventuress It was
impossible, when the pallor and grief
of her face, to believe that she was exploiting
dead mans memory for her own gain.
Continued Tuesday. Renew your subscrip-
ton now to avoid missing a chapter.