San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-17

CONTINUED From Page I. Part -
joy and she had come home and insult
ed him, They would see that.
No matter-no matter. She would
be free of him now. They couldn't
stop her.
She lay rigid. her hands over her
face. Was it hard 20 get divorce:
If be fought, might she lose it? Could
the law compel her 10 remain with
him:
She saw herself running away, push
ing off her mothers soft. warm hands,
shutting out her mothers voice
She grew weak with emotion.
All morning; all afternoon she wait
ed. Breathless and stifled with sus-
pense. He would release her. She
became certain of this. He would get
the divorce-perhaps was already get
ting it. He would cut her off without
penny and think he was revenging
her.
She became light-bearted imagining
this. What else could he do? Even
a mailman would realize it
The third day she was in the gar
den.
He came: Languid, assured as
though nothing had happened. The
| formal, half sneering quiet of his man
ner disarmed her.
Good morning." he said coldly.
I've come TO talk over important mat
tiers. Would you mind coming 10 the
living room: You needn't be afraid"
She answered hsughtily: I'm not
afraid" and followed him.
He sat at the oblong table. mo-
toned for her to sit opposite. He
smiled. tried TO pull his coat sleeve
over his cuff.
Watching, she could hardly keep
from crying. Once she had looked at
this man romanticauy. She had fan
cied him kneeling at her feet. kissing
her hand. pleading with poetic fervor
for her love. And finally his dreamy
eyes would move her because Of their
tenderness. In beautiful pity she
would at last yield TO him.
She shrank from these terrible mem
cries as from shames. She turned her
face 50 that she wouldn't see his red.
parted Inns and the lank hair falling
over his forehead.
"You want TO be free:"
Eyes"
'I'd like to hear your demands"
81 ask you 10 free me. You can
charge desertion. You can say | re-
fuse TO live with you. ask nothing
except my freedom.
He held his long. yellow hands be-
fore him. the fingers touching. He
said. smiling with insinuation: "Rath-
er clever in~you to wait until you had
three thousand dollar vacation,
wasn't it,"
Hot blood stained her cheeks. She
said with violent quiet: 81 wouldn't
have needed that vacation If you had
treated me right
He leaned across the table. his long
mouth curling: "If / he'd treated YOU
right: You would allow me to sup
port you, but / mustn't regard you as
my wife / must be glad to build a
home for you. clothe you. feed you,
give you my name."
With each phrase be pushed nearer
to her. "And you'll give Inc nothing
Sacra-, You married me! You
weren't drugged. You sit there and
tell me ] didn't treat you right
She closed her eyes. turning her head
10 avoid the heat of his chugging
brea.s.
Speak, Answer me, Did you
| think / needed TO marry you if ! was
only 10 look at youf What did you
think it meant 10 be my wife,"
She pushed her chair. accOsted him,
flaming with humiliation. Her voice
rose and sobbed, growing wild with the
stormy repetitions.
Il knew what it meant to be your
wife when came back 10 you,
/ knew what il meant when | came into
this house, I would have stood it.
/ Oh. God. ! would even be your wife
/ ! did stand it. i was your wife.
I never denied you. ! would BE- wife to
Won vet. That wasn't enough, You
had 70 kill it-you killed the child
You think III come back 70 you now
after that"
He leaned on his hands. his jaws
dropping apart. blue notified pallor
going like a wash over his face. H.
began to nod slowly: you tell me
killed the clIildT'
She backed from him, pressing her
hands against her mouth. She shiv-
cred. remembering the little cold body
laid against her breast. 'Yes-yOl
killed it
II IL znt NJ. and ralked arnnna tha