San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-10


regular conference over at The Hedge
row. Then along came Zekc Schmid
and said he had seen her boarding
the train for town."
What has that to do with US
with mc?' asked Jim politely.
II phoned your office" / said witt
a great sense that I must deal will
facts in their consecutive order. Ant
your telephone operator-sort of gig
gled as she told me you had left with
a mysterious lady-and then your owl
secretary butted in protectively ant
said she would take my message"
My voice trailed off. 1t all seemed
so sordid--so trivial. / was bitterly
ashamed of myself for being jealous
and not in the least convinced thai
my jealousy was groundless.
"Ycs," said Jim overpolitely. "But
don't quite see of what you art
accusing me-now."
'Then Arlette came and lied-pre-
tended she hadn't been to town but
right in the woods, and that she had
only come here to The Birches be-
cause she had met May and Zekc and
he was hurt, and May was taking him
home"
go on" Jim said politely, as J
stopped stunned by the unworthincss
of it all. Evidently all this petty
rehash of a little serving-maids activ.
tiles has something to do with me. I'd
like to find out what"
II realize now that heard a taxi
drive up to the house--and voices
Just before Arlette came in" I said
lamely. "And Jeanie said"-I stop.
ped suddenly with a mental protes,
against telling Jim that Jeanne had
tainted me with Arlette's having q
kitten like my Persian, and that this
had started all my miserable jcai.
ousy.
"And so you arc insisting that Ar
lette did-have a rendezvous with me
at my office-and that / brought her
here at the end OF our-guilty day.
Jim inquired scornfully.
"You are twisting my meaning"
protested. You are making it sound
as il | had-horrible thoughts"
"You are insinuating that do hor-
rible things" Jim said coldly.
Not horriblc-inexplicable," said
sadly.
"You have always been jealous, sus.
picious. ready to believe the worst
Jim said grimly. "Yet, in spite Of all
you believed, you stood by in that
Brooke Dc Courcey business, where ]
wasn't in any way involved except
through my fool desire to keep Jeanic
from discovering that her Pat is n very
human mani
"You think all men philander," ]
protested.
II know they do" Jim said light
ly. only it doesn't havo 10 be
called by bighfaluting and accusatory
names. All men like variety and
amusement. So do women. So do
you. Didn't you get big kick out
of the whole blooming excitement
which deposited knives and guns on
our library table and might just as
easily have landed bullets and blades
between our ribs?"
Now you're trying to twist things
so We get away from the point at
issuc." ] cried. "Ncvcr mind about
human nature and other men and
women. / don't care what other peo-
pie do. l do care about my happi-
ness and your dignity. | think it is
horrible of you TO have our maids
sister visiting your office and to put
me in q position where your employees
can laugh at, me-
"You needn't have phoned,' jim
said lamely.
"See you're not denying that Ar
lette was at your office" / cried.
"Am / in the witness box that i
have to deny anything|a Jim asked
bitterly.
Don't you think you owe me au
answer" / asked.
II do not. Can't I have people
coming to my office-on business-on
business, mind you-without giving
my wife a list of the days visitors.
Since when do l have to account TO
you for every minute Of my day, Anne!
Since when arc you spying on me!"
Without another word, Jim turned
and rushed from the room. / stared
after him in amazement. SO he was
angry. So he was choosing to act
abused! Taking the wind out of my
sails by this pose of injured innocence
was n little too much.
l found myself getting cold with
a rage as black as that which had
sent Jim rushing from the room. And
/ ran into my own room and slammed
the door.
Impasse.
All our lovely understanding and
happiness, all the peace The Birches
have brought to us is gone. j Won
der il they can be recaptured. Or
am / at last weary of the whole
thing-bored by marriage-disgustcd
with Jim and intent on finding ms
own happiness instead of struggling
to keep his joy alive?
ITO BE Continued.)