San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-13
Nora Lee Determines to
Keep Dane From
Natalie.
CHAPTER Xiv

one knew now that she
had lost him. She was be-
trayed-completely.
She sat in her room, her
hands nerveless in her lap,
her whole being stilled in a
frozen despair. Tears =
large, heavy tears crept
slowly from her eyes and fell
unheeded.
He wasn't coming out to say good
b yto them. No! Because he was going
from her to another! And he wouldn't
want her imagine following him
wouldn't want her eyes to burn on
his 80
Unconsciously she moaned: ooh
oh"
The little boy, vigorously washing
the print from his blocks with a wet
rag he had found, came up and dug
his elbows in her knees with ca
ressing: "What a matter, muvver?"
Nothing. Why, nothing. I was
humming. What are you doing? Oh
washing the blocks? I thought the
letters were pretty"
HEARS SELF LAUGH.
His blue. merry eyes flashed rog-
uishly-a light in them like his faith
er's. He said, teasing: "Did, didja?"
He shook his head impudently: "Son-
ny don't! Don't like letters." Down
came violent little foot: Don't like
letters neverw
She heard herself laughing; she
tasted the tears at the corners of her
lips. Yet all this seemed remote from
her because of the cold, wintry mists
thatw raped about her heart; be-
cause Of the bleak, humming wind
that swirled and swirled in her ears.
She would go away, of course. She
would take Sonny with her. hSe
wouldn't even leave a note. Dismally
her mind went through the steps of
her departure. She would pack their
clothes-not many. But she would
take warm things for the boy. She
would wait until the night, then leave
in utter quiet.
Her mother had done this. An, yes
One lonely. terrible night she had
taken little child and gone out alone
to meet the world.
ALL FINISHED.
Now Nora Lee must do the same.
Turn her back on the glow and laugh.
ter: on tenderness and love. Margaret
had found sweetness remaining in
life. But there would never be sweet
ness for Nora Lee. All this was fin.
ished. She put her hand to her eyes,
asking dumbly, Why should / cry?"
1t had begun TO rain-fine, misty
rain falling in silence and sadly from
a leaden sky. No dance or buoyance
to its patter. 1t moved sodden and
forlorn-a ghostly army vanishing in
defeat. She saw herself running along
and lost in the gray, thickening mists.
How easy if one could but disappear
like that!
On her bureau a clock licked. For
n long while she counted its ominous
telling Of time gone-time going.
Gradually its sound took on the quail
ity of a human voice urging and urg-
ing. She strained acutely and listened.
The clock said: "Not yet-not yet"
1t swung to and fro with CHEEKY
"Not yeti"
TINE TO ACT.
She got up abruptly. impelled by a
sudden resolution. Her apathy of the
past hour appeared uncomfortable. She
asked herself, frightened: "Why did I
waltz o Lord-Lord ~ She ran to
the bath room and dashed freezing wa
ter to her eyes. dabbed faint layer
of rouge over the sick, ashy pallor of
her check. She moved in a breathless
hurry. whispering: "Not yet-oh, not
yet"
He was at his office. He would
work to the last minute. She would
reach him in time. 1t was her duty
her God given duty to hold him-save
him! Oh! to think that she had sat
there an hour and raised not a single
finger to beckon him back-that she
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IN Dogo An Dart Ol