San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-23
CHAPTER XXI
A TRIANGULAR CLASH.

Andrew dashed toward his wife,
the move so unexpected she
crouchcd. Crouching, she leveled the
pistol, terrible little animal sounds
coming from her lips.
He swerved quickly, backing her
against the wall, wrenching the pis-
toll with a sharp. abrupt strength from
her hands.
She struggled silently, her lips bit
ten together, flaring red stains pol
ishing her cheekbones, the bleached
yellow hair falling.
Suddenly she began to sob, her
hand flinging out in wild gesture
of accusation toward Margaret
You she devil :"
Andrew clapped his hand over her
mouth. His voice struck with ashen
deafness: SECT up, Lily, you're COM
ing home. Don't struggle. There's
1 no use. Put your hands down. No,
l won't release them. I'm going to
take you home, now. Come quietly"
A long, shuddering moan. Home I.
Home :" the beating of her fists on
his chest. She let herself sink in
dead weight against him.
He lifted her in his arms, turning
to Margaret a glance of asonized
supplicatiOn.
She went over quietly and brought
his hat, lifting the trailing purple
cape from under his feet. Doing
this she smiled at him-a light of
holy peace, like candles CLOWN" at
shrine.
He lowered his head before it,
bearing his heavy, sobbing burden
to the car. He propped her gently
on the cushions.
On the long ride back to Fairdalc
Lily Stewart huddled in the corner,
her choking gasps subsiding in NUT
tered plants like a dirge. I'm the
wife-the one to blanche wifcl
warned you! ] told you. Oh, /
asked you to be kind-tO remember.
Why did / want you to take me with
you? To give you chance to save
4 your soul. / knew-that's why /
gave you the chance. Take me with
you. Save your honorl Would you?
You were busy" A prolonged. shiv-
ering cry. You'll go back! You'll
try again. Don't, Andrew, don'tr'
The shrill fury mingled with the tn
/ AAAlN III AAHNAf" anu lAlo
mingled with the infinite booming of
the sea; the roaring of the wind rs
| they sped down the naked road. For
/ lorn, puny whimpers they were in the
vast, pitiless, unheeding song of the
universe.
The moon rode blue and high; its
image floated in cold serenity on the
| cleaning bosom Of the waters. An
| 1vorr 111I-nI
seemed at peace, yet desolate, like
one who bears his breast enduring
while the winds of mortality strike
against him.
To Andrew IL seemed that he was
riding out of life; that all had now
become unreal and dark. Through
/ all the future he would go cropping
ly, feeling neither warmth nor light.
Lily had become silent. She re-
fused 10 move when he opened the
door at Fairdale and waited for her
TO step out. She made a clumsy
lunge forward. then crumplcd in OBJ
stinate immobility in the corner.
! He said quietly: I'VE are home,
Lily. 1t is late and turning very
cold. Get out, will you please?"
Sobs answered him.
Are you unable to move, Lily?"
She had her face hidden in the
cushions. He finally lifted her to
the ground. She slumped in his
arms. dropping his head against his
neck, her wet eyes touching his chin.
He was exhausted when he reached
her room and laid her on the bed.
She remained inert, regarding him
with red, glazing eyes.
"Do you want anything, Lily?
SENSE OF DOOM.
She beat her two hands together,
her body shaken with bysterical
sobs. When he drew the blankets
about her, she clung to his arm.
letting her face sink down against
him. He was forced to sit on the
edge Of the bed and comfort her.
He sat there feeling her fingers
driving into his flesh, till they
seemed TO squeeze at the blood in his
veins. 4 sense Of appalling doom
fell upon him.
She had known Of Margaret, must
have Swallowed him. In all those re.
cent scenes she had been planning
this. She would have shot Mar
garet.
He loosened her fingers with an
involuntary SILVER of repugnnncc.
She mistook it for cold and tried n
wrap the blanket about him.
I'm tired, Lily-let me go-good-
night"
She said in frightened whisper /:
"Andrew-don't leave the house.
Something frightful will happen"
He scarcely heard, but went TO his
room and laid the pistol in his grip.
Yesterday he might have escaped
today he was a prisoner.
His mind reconstructed in score
Of ways the scene in Marguerite
dining room. Margaret white and
beautiful as a thing OF marble; Nora
Lee fiinging her arms about her
} mothers neck.
LEAVING ME?"
Then he saw Margaret PROSTATE
on the floor, blood streaming from
that lovely face, the spirit going
this might have happened.
Fear piled on him. heavy and cold
Sunday morning he was going e
p ! his office. There we're papers b