San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-02

dinner"
Her heart blazed at this. She VII.
instinctively on guard against Ma
talie Herbert-winning. compelling
personality. Why should she max:
it easy for her to impress her fas
cinations on his frank, unsophisti
Gated mind?
And, further. was it at all likel,
that he regarded Natalie non-cxistenl
as a woman? Does a man ever st,
an attractive woman merely as 8
scxless patron?
Certainly his attitude denied this
theory. Why, Natalie had already
builded up a haunting picture Of
herself. That lost love of hers. And
the tragic, desolate loneliness of her
life. She had, indeed, made him feel
these things. Every time he looked
at her he would be stirred with o
great pity.
Yet Nora Lees thought squirmcd
that he should regard her as meanly
, jealous. Her pride reared.
PLANS SPEECHES
The day wore on and she became
convinced that he would follow his in
clination, because of that stubbornness
in him-that be would certainly do as
he pleased and take Natalie to din
ner-. She became hard and frigid
with dignity. She planned cold. elab-
crate speeches she would serenely de-
liver.
VERY well. Dane, you have marked
out the course We are to follow.
and the baby and This home are yours.
1t is natural to suppose you treas
ure them: that you are not setting out
deliberately on a road that will end
in their tragic loss.
Il have said all ! shall say. You
are grown man and. no doubt. have
rs much or more foresight than !. So.
henceforth. l trust you completely
with the whole world of women. Don't
imagine that I'm going to excite nv
self with jealousy, because l simply
WON'T,
Unless our happiness toge. her
means as much to you as it docs to
me. it means absolutely nothing. And
| will certainly not worry about its
loss.
so CAN I"
Nor shall I be the one to take
special custody Of our future. What
you can do without harm, so can l..
give you free rem. but also take
the same for myself. No doubt ou,
love is such Gibraltar that We shall
be perfectly safe steering through
rocks where tho COMMONPLACE aver
age couples are wrecked"
She moved very quickly about the
mouse that day. She showed all the
furniture in the living room into diff
ferent places, making it look like an
other room. She sang blithely as
she did this. Now and then she
stooped to hoist the baby in her arms.
kissing him with a violent affection.
But when she pictured Dane sit
ting at a table. the merry, boyish
twinkle passing from his eyes to Ma.
lies-and Natalie growing Young
IN his admiration. she was a flash
OF towering resentment. She could
have dashed to his offices and STAMPED
ont an ultimatum "You 70. Dane
Herrick, if you wish. You won't
find me and you'll not find my son
waiting for you,,
IN SOLITUDE
At 9 o'clock she set the table her
self: She put on a rose colored linen
cloth, rose colored candles and low
basket OF cornflowcrs. She murmur.
cd, but glancing iestlessly and cease
lessly toward the door: II NAV rs
well have beauty with my solitude -
linen she took an old school book
OF poems and set it open at her pIaco.
The little boy was restless and
Kept calling for a "gink." He would
cake a little sip from the glass and
few moments later demand further
service. She was glad. 1t gave her
an excuse To postpone dinner
But finally he iell asleen. She
Went ont for walk-going I'D 10
orange sun dropping into the sea. She
IcIhehDered her mother and Andrew
sauntering along this same road
remembered now the tender looks they
would exchange. And sometimes that
Andrew took Margaret's fragile hands
pressing them and loving them.
AN IDEAL LOVE
She grew hot with a bitter fire
There was a love worth having.
love that didn't get stale and irk.
some
She remembered the ANNOYANCE in
Danes face and dashed hurting tears
from her eyes.
She walked homeward slowly. her
eyes westward, half blinded By the
glowing sky.
Some one walked at her side: some
one said sheepishly: 81 see you've
waited for me-"
"Oh, not ct ALL"
Come Off. Norry, ole kid Don't
let's bluff about il. The funny part
OF it is You always think you're the
only one that gets hurt. Don't you -
You were NOT hurt. Only angry
II got the hurt in due time. got
few other things you said as well.
You see I'm here"
She tried bard to hide the bub-
bling, glad exuberancc. but IL welled
upward like silver spring in
laughter.
Then be said: mora Lee-please
don't be jealous Of me. Because you
don't need to be. You must see that
I'm happy-that ] want nothing more
than bave-nothiDg
I've thought IL all out" she an
swered quietly. II never will be-"
She told him then, but in far diff
forent paver words that thar lave