San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-10
Nora Lee Waits But Dane
Avoids Her After
Harsh Dismissal.
CHAPTER LXXXI

Nora drew her hands sharply to-
gctlicr. waiting with strained, angry
heart. She expected him TO plead to
begin again.
He reached TO the chair and picked
up his hat. rubbing his sleeves in a
vacant slow way over the band. With
out raising his eyes, without one back
ward glance he went out of the room.
She felt twisting: sick, cold
dying in her thoughts. She heard the
door closc-lstcned. miscrably. to its
failing echo-waited expecting a re-
turn.
She crept to the window. FASTING
her face against the chilly glass, hold
ing the curtain that one looking up
might not see.
He had his hat pulled down over his
eyes. his hands dug in his pockets. He
went hurting himself with hostile
swiftness down the hill.
She raised the Window ordered il
the sound reached him. He swung
round the corner-was gone.
She had sent him away from her I;
had shouted: Go" After the three
full sweet years he had given her. Her
heart covered in shame; it sank
with miserable despair.
1t brought before her the tender,
laughing eyes looking down at her that
first time they met at the dance-his
young solemn dearness when he gave
her his picture and said he felt that
they we're already married-and again
when he put the little ring on her fin
ger.
She sank lower and lower in the
chair. turning her face against the
cushion. He would come back. He
knew she was only quick and impul-
siye-knew she wouldn't mean that.
She waited all afternoon. limping in
frenzy when the phone rang. 1t
was he to call her up.
VISIONS HARASS.
Hours passed in an unbroken still
ness; fear lodged in a living load on
her breast. She wondered where he
was: what he was doing. She re-
called ugly stories of men who went
out and got drunk. searching out des-
winds all pride and honor. She grew
weak fancying Dane. his hat pulled
over his eyes stalking through some
narrow. darkcned street, a girl in a
ribald hat at his side.
He might do this. Three years he
had remained true to those boyish
promises; kept his faith because he
thought she was keeping hers. Now.
when he went away in that murderous
dependence?
She pushed this fear frantically from
her. But she lay awake that night and
it walked upon her again and again.
No matter what he did. he was JUS
titled. No matter what he did, would
be her fault
But she cried with a sense Of ire
parable and cruel loss.
Sunday they were to have driven
to Los Gatos and look over the site
where Mickey Grant and Connie were
to build their little summer cottage
Ten o'clock-11 :00-12 :0O-no word.
Sally went to Belvcdcrc. Sun stewcd
throbbing yellow beams across the
walls; flowers dropped petals on the
rugs.
At 4 90 o'clock. the listening quiet.
VHc ulbNSy SuDDdtu ptdCc uuuullHE
from room TO room grew heavy like
an iron lid bearing her down and
down.
She went TO the phone and called
his house. He wasn't there. No
he wasn't expected later. He'd been
called away yesterday afternoon.
This news confirmed her stark
fears. He had done some unholy,
desperate thing.
is THIS LOVE:
Because her suffering gnawcd so
necessarily she turned its tooth on
him. Why had he come with those
accusations. giving her no chance:
And at time when she was in pain
and not equal to defending herself:
Why had he plunged SO headlons into
his abuse of her?
Was that love? Then she was
lucky to be rid of it! Free from one
who could lash her heart so burningJy.
But when she faced the future with
him gone she turned cold and longed
to die.
He was suffering too. He would
be going over the scene and recall