San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-02

asked, my lips twisting in scorn.
al am jealous" Jim said simply
Il always have been. Ralph hardly
knows / exist. You are all that counts
And I've always thought that per.
haps you might have been happier
with him?" / asked.
Jim bowed his head for a moment
Then he flung it up angrily.
He couldn't have loved you as ]
have" jim protested. "He was a de-
voted friend. He could make lot
of noble gestures. But he hadn't the
power to make you care. That has
| been proven"--
Suppose We let that co." I said
YEARLY. II am your wife. i love
you. i liked Betty Winston despite
the fact that she was your friend be-
fore she was mine. You were never
jealous of Betty. 1t would have been
about as fair for you to resent Betty
AS to resent Ralph. Whatever he
felt. he was an honorable gentleman
above all-and he held himself scrupu-
lousy to friendship"
81 suppose he never told you that
he loved you," Jim sneered.
the tip Of my tongue. But it would
not have been fair to Ralph Lacy to
put that into words, so l held it back
and asked instead:
Shall l answer?'
"You wouldn't convince me il you
did," Jim mumbled.
Then you doubt me-" ] protested
angrily. ~
"Of course he has told you that he
loved you. Does it matter whether
or not he put it into words?" Jim
asked. Everyone knows that Lacy
loves my wife. And now they know
that he has smashed because-his
heart is broken. ] suppose they even
know that / didn't tell you in time
didn't let you do the right thing-go
to see him off-send him some fare
VII message. I'm cad, suppose.
Everyone knows that too, and is
laughing, no doubt, because I wasn't
brave enough-wasn't sure enough of
you and your love to let you see Lacy
before he went"
Dry sobs shook Jim's frame. ]
have never before seen him give way
to tears. The sobs that were shaking
his body shook me spiritually. l
knew that Jim was passing through a
terrific crisis. But I did not know
what it would be wisest to do or say.
Suddenly Jim raised n ravaged face
from the hands in which he had buried
it, and he asked in taut voice:
do you despise me completely"
Il am sorry for you," l said gently.
Don't pity me-" he protested.
"I'm sorry you are letting yourself
be the victim OK so many wrong emo
TONS" l said. you don't under
stand me. You don't even try to I'M
derstand me. You don't think straight
or fairly. You don't try to control
yourself"
THAT'S right! make me despise
myself more than ] do already Jim
cried. MAKE me feel like an utter
rotter. And the worst of it is that /
or even soon. / meant it when i
said to have him down here. But that
sounds so weak and hating now. You
can't believe me. How could you be-
lieve me?"
"But 1 do" I said.
How can your" gasped Jim.
"You don't lie. You never have"
I said grimly. "I believe you would
have told me if you had known
about Ralph going at once. But YOU
didn't trust me enough-or think
straight enough to tell me the mere
fact and let me decide what it was
right to do. The decision was made
for me. ! abide by it,
"But you'll never forgive me-" Jim
said. IF he dies. and you remember
that ] was the indirect means of keep
ing you from saying goodbye to him,
you'll never forgive me-
"He won't die" | said. Hell fight
back. He's tired. He's going TO get
a rest. Aunt May Hoadley will baby
him. Uncle Max will amuse him and
bully bim-and Betty will care for
him.
"By lingo! I believe you're lit
tie jealous" Jim said with one of
the rapid recoveries of which his boy
ish nature is so easily capable. Betty
may make him forget. She's a darn
good-looking woman, and Lacy is fond
of her.. Romantic surroundings ILL
ness. loneliness may do the rest. How
would you feel then, Amer
! stared into Jim's smiling, triumph
ant, relieved face and thought for a
moment. Then / said quietly:
81 don't know how I'd feel. jim"
For in that moment it came TO me
that perhaps Pat is right. 1t may be
that Jim gets a certain enjoyment out
of being jealous and that he cherishes
me the more because he is little
afraid Of my charm for other men.
Is this s0i Must | keep Jim's love
alive by making him afraid 20 lose
me?
Is love worth holding at such
priceG
Ito BE Continued.