San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-18
THE MAKING OF A HUSBAND
A SERIAL BY Ann LisLe
Chapter SO.

lures syndicate. Incorporated.
rather he drove me up from the sta
ton in his tin lizzie," said Jim.
Thought he ought 10 come" he add
ed with q note Of caution in his voice
as il he were eager to protect me from
any ugly knowledge i did not already
possess.
Because Tarasov is back?" / asked
brusquely..
whats that got to do with Zeke's
fetching" Jim began, but he switched
to an abrupt: "Who told you about
Tarasov?"
May Valleau." ] replied in the
same quick staccato in which Jim had
spoken.
"She would" Jim commented. cts
natural. We seem to have stepped into
a hornets nest when we picked this
quiet retreat, Anne. Do you want to
pull up stakes and return to the secur
ity and order of the city," :.
"We attract excitement" l laughed
1--WE run away from a world in which
Brooke De Courcey upsets the serenit!
of Pats days and threatens the happl
ness of Jeanie's life-and we come
walking into a sylvan retreat where
illicit love and emot:on-crazed lovers
seem to flourish. There's no escapins
it"
There's no escaping life," Jim said.
quietly.
"But this time you won't feel called
on to be quite so much of champion
for ladies in distress, will you?" J
asked.
"Meaning?"
Meaning that you were noble in
your attitude toward Jeanie. j have
nothing but honest admiration for thr
way in which you shouldcred the
blame for Pats wrongdoing and hill
from jeanne the cruel facts that might
have driven her insane il she had been
called on to face them when she was
almost mad with grief over her baby's
death. / think you were n brick and a
wonder. / can't help grieving because
you didn't feel sure I'd try to be. as
square as you had been. IL you hal
taken me into your confidence"
"You couldn't have stood up under
Jeanie's Kidding OF me and all / did,
Jim broke in. IF you had known that
I was absolutely innt cent you couldnt
have endured her taunts. 1t was hor'
rible to sacrifice you. But knew what
you were made of. / knew you'd stand
I'D under the fire. / felt so sure OF
your love that I knew it would endure
and try to go on believing in the face
of the ugliest circumstantial evidence
in the world"
"Well. once was enough" said
grimly. "Don't put me through thai
sort of trail by fire again. If there are
any heroics to be gone through with
in this house. where BERTHE Lingard
and Tarasov lad so much of sorrow.
please spare me the unhappiness OF
uncertainty. If you're going to be a
hero and rescue Rosine's ghost OF
Lisa's memory, let me be in the know.
please. I'll try to be a heroine and at
least hand you the weapons you re-
auire as you need them. Rut l dont
care to be on the outside of a mystery
looking in and wondering what Dy
husband is up to-"
"We're too much one in spirit TO-
that-now." said Jim. 81 sometimes
feel as if we'd had only dream mar
riage, a make-believe, pretended mar
riage. until we came here. That's why
I'd like to stick it out ut the Birchrt
in spite of ghosts and crazy men.
We've found such beauty here. We're
really together as we've never been
before"
Suddenly Jim came and flung him
self down at my feet, reaching up and
taking me into his arms. He held m"
close. / felt that we were indeed to-
gether. married in all the most beauti'
full sense of the word.
There was an abrupt tug at my
foot. ] felt a queer sensation in my
ankle and then | became aware that
the kitten was demanding attention IN
the only way she knew how-by set.
ting her little claws in my foot.
Dinner she serve" said Mays
voice from the far side of the big
studio.
Jim rose sAeepishly. A kitten arL
the announcement of dinner had
spoiled the lovelicst moment in my
life., / wonder il such n moment eau
be recaptured. or il the kitten and
May Valleau are the symbols Of the
inevitable imperfection Of human lifHf
Ito Be Continued)