San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-13

The Making Of
a Husband
Hmm Lisle' s N I'D
Phase of Jim and
Anne'S Marital
Adventure
~ nv aNrNr Vvcu
Chapter 80.
By ANN Isle


Copyright. 1925. King Feature Syn, Inc
1t was almost shutdown when Jim's
secretary telephoned to say that he
had been called away on important
business and would not be back until
tomorrow. / went to the wide French
windows ON the north side OF the stu
do of The Birches and gazed out
over a misty gray atmosphere.
Jim leaves me alone here after
what took place yesterday" / thought
bitterly. He, saw Tarasov draw his
dagger. He knew that BERTHE Linsard
was on the verge Of firing his revol-
yer at Tarasov. Jim took the gun and
the dagger-but he has no way OF
knowing whether or not they have
more, He knows that both
of them are mad ON one subject-the
lost love which conferred around The
Birches. He knows that Zekc is i'll
and needs May-and he goes upstate
and leaves Inc here alone to face
whatever perils may happen to come. y
l put my hand to my eyes. They
were dry and burning. / was so hurt
j couldn't even Cry. l felt sick with
shame and disgust and resentment. Ii
seemed almost too horrible that my
husband would actually leave me like
this-for business-to face whatser
perils happened to come.
But you wanted to stay here, J." "a
voice within me protested. You said
this whole situation thrilled you. You
couldn't answer Jim when he pleaded
with you to tell him why you yearn
for such excitements as this and if 1t
is because his love is not enough to
fill your life.
He has work to do. What sort OF q
Nancy would you think him If he
didn't do it!
If he loved me I'd come first" q
voice on the other side of my brain
protested. HE wouldn't always make
me secondary to other things If he
loved me in the right way-the way
a woman needs TO be loved. he had
his secretary telephone. He could
have found time to do that himself
But he was ashamed. He didn't want
to talk to nc
My own thought hauled me up
short. | realized how angry both oil
us had been the night before, how jim
had whirled from the room in rage
antedating mine by only a few sec
onds. And then / recalled the words
with which he had given himself his
exit clue:
"Since when do l have to account
IN YOU for every moment of my day
Anne? Since when are you spying
on me?'
"Yesterday he went off on uncx-
planned business with Arlette Nalleau
who stole away to town and lied about
where she had been" | found myself
thinking bitterly. To-day he goes
Who knows where? And he leaves INC
to face whatever may happen. lie
doesn't care what happens. lie may
even hope"
There was a sudden sough OF win
that blew the draperies back from TN
omen window and then sucked then
out again in a round eddy. The tree
rustled and bent as the wind begal
10 moan among them in n dim minor
I felt cold. | went to the fire an'
nut on a great log. Little flames be
gan TO crackle about it. j poked u
AT the sulky embers beneath the log
glad TO have some occupation coloriu
enough TO absorb me for moment.
| brushed mp the hearth. kneclint
10 do my task well and warming N.
cold hands as ! knelt.
The wind moaned louder than ever
I slipped to my feet. and went to IN
window. 1t did not close easily. IN
sucking wind pulled the draperies GU
and they caught in the sash. Litti
puffs of snow were eddying about tn
air. / managed to close the window
and then / stood an. watched tn
snow. 1t was coming down more AM
more rapidly. The big flakes began t
whirl. =,
"There's a blizzard coming"
thought. II may be showed in
A new horror came to tcrrify me
To be alone at the Birches, cut of
from the world and with Taraso
proving around somewhere out il
the trackless white Of country snov
storm-how would | bear that? An
then | looked out and saw a giganti
figure outlined against the darkenin
sky. 1t was TaraSo;. He was strid
ing toward the Birches. I hurried {
Jim's room, and began rummaging j
his bureau drawers. | felt that | mus
find BERTHE Lingard'j gun. After Ions
breathless minutes, | came upon it.
slipped it into the deep pocket of m
working smock. Thus armed, | steppe
out into the studio and waited. IL
Tarasov come j was ready for-any
thing.