San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-09

her promise to drop around very SOON
and see her.
She said uneasily: swell, I'll be
gone some time. You've been wonder
full to me--well-good-bye II
She went tiptoeing through the
the house, locking the doors and draw
ing down the shades. talking distract
edly to herself. Why was she doing
this? What did she fear? 1t was all
a bluff-ridiculous The shameful
thing couldn't happen to her. An
drew's wife wouldn't dare!
THE MISSING LETTERS. =
But she dared to come with pistol
and aim it at Margaret's heart, She
had dared-oh. how had this escaped
her?-she had dared to break into their
living room and steal that packet OF
old. beloved letters. The loss OF them
had crushed her mother so that she
phoned frantically that Saturday at
Belvedere.
Andrews wife had those letters. So
she had Something" on Nora Lee.
She would give up the bonds in a
moment to get those letters-to pre-
vent Lily Cornish from desecrating her
mothers love. -,
II occurred to heI that she would
phone to Fairdale-but might that
make the woman more vindictiye!
Might that intensity her sense of pow
er? Give her more relish in her
cruelty?
She would find out. Anything was
better than this maddcning suspense.
She would very tactfully plan her
questions pretend that she was
not at all alarmed-adopt an AFRO
CANT, contcmptuOus air.
She would say lightly: "Do as yoT
please-I'm off for the East-you
can't hurt me-" She would out-bluff
her.
She gave the number TO the opera
tor. While waiting for it, she picked
up the Sunday comic strip, read il
from end to end. n fixed determined
merriment on her lips.
LILY ON THE WAY.
When the phone rang, she flew
into the hall. shaking and tears rush
ing to her eyes. She paused to remind
herself that she had no fear-no fear
at all. She said in a very lofty tone:
Hello, Is this Mrs. Stewart
"Mrs. Stewart is out Of town. She
is on her way to San Francisco and
won't return for several weeks"
Coming up to bring the charges!
Very well! Nora Lee went about hum
ming. She Strengthened a picture on
the ball. flicked dust from n book,
stood in the center Of the room, pre-
tending to read. Her heart thumped
in its SCATTERING pace. But she flung
her head back and snapped: "Ridicu.
lous :" Her eyes olazed ut the shadows
forming in the corners and on the
walls.
But finally she went creeping to her
mothers room. She knelt at the bed,
reaching her arms across the pillow.
Somewhere Margaret must know OF
this. From somewhere she would come.
She pressed her face against the
covers, waiting with shut eyes and
dumb. pleading heart. There would be
hand touching on her hair, a voice
whispering gently. Out of the stiffness
Margaret would come smiling-yearn-
ing-cemforting. A grave can't close
away such love as hers. Peace
strength-counsel- mother
HOUSE OF MEMORIES.
She got up quoted. If this violent
outrage could possibly be done TO
her, she would have to bear 1t. Joan
OF ATt WIS DuTutu Ut NilN GAtAhNs NM
of the Scots was beheaded-She would
wait quietly and if they came to arrest
her she would -Talk out, making no
murmur. If she were sent to prison
she would write a book about it
But as it grew dark and the shad-
ows moved and the silence pulsed as
with multitudinoIs echoes, her veins
raced with fear. Loneliness advanced
against her like an assault. She said
aloud: 81 will be all alone here to-
night" and rushed TO the phone to call
M SalIie. She would go out! Get rid
Of this laboring time. Hire taxi
she and Sallie would 20 to n theater.
She would take n room in a hotel
downtown.
And perhaps they would come while
she was gone. They would inquire of
neighbors. Everyone would know. She
put the receiver quietly back on its
hook.
She switched on lights in every
room, but yet the house brooded in its
memories. She passed her mothers
room and hurried. closing the door TO
shut in the phantoms nighttime
brought. No sooner had she done this
than she fancied her mother would be
wounded. Her child trying to forget.
Margaret looked down sadly. She
went back and opened the door, whis
pering into the gloom: "What shall
/ do? What would you dO?"
But it didn't matter what she did.
Andrews wife might decide her fate.
She began to trcmbe and, raising
the window, let the cool January air
blow on her face. She could see the
trees on the top Of Mount Davidson
green against a starless, cobalt sky.
Only few weeks ago she and Dane
had fingered here. She had known
then that she was going to be left
alone-known then that Margaret was
to go.
She saw him with the laughing eyes
darkened when he told her how dear
she was and wouldn't she look often at
his picture and think Of him? How
he wished they could be married; how
he loved her and what care he'd take
Of her and she knew all this
She wiped her eyes. II she gave
up the bonds she couldn't go to Dane.
She couldn't have love.
She stared into the Darkness and
knew that it was encOmpassing her.
CONTINUED Tomorrow