San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-11
Natalie's Letter Bursts
Nora Lees Bubble
Of Happiness.
CHAPTER XIII

IN the back garden, Dane
sat on a low stool before a
wooden platform he had
made At his side was a
little, black haired urchin
who watched with rapt,
flashing eyes-who sided
against his fathers arm with
sharp, astonished chuckles
as the wonder on the plat
form grew. A palace was in course Of
construction, with stone hedge and
terraced gardens and garages for the
toy automobiles.
1t was Sunday morning. Nora Lee
had the papers spread before her
but she kept looking from the win
dow to the yard.
He loved the boy anyway. She
often marveled at his happy patti
ence. Now. when he paused and lift
ed the child to his knee and the lit
tie fellow Struggled against him III
delight, she shut her eyes because OF
the binding pain in her heart.
She saw herself going away, TAX
ing Sonny with her. A sudden image
of Dane seeking the child, flinging
out shocked. bereaved arms and call
ing them back-this stricken image
of him assailed her. Take the boy
run away with him-shut him. OIL
from the father he adored? Had she
such a right? What would Sonny
think when the day came that he
could understand: that he could
quietly demand: "Where is my faith
er. l want him." She remembered
her own childish hunger for a faith
err: remembered her wondering pity
when she first came upon the hand
some, reckless portrait of Will
Meadows.
Or. no-she didn't want her son
to know that oching want! Tears
crowded under her frightened lids.
The terror of her thoughts crushed
her. Go away and leave Dane? Turn
her back on this cherished home?
Leave HIM forever? Never look on
that brown, shapely head again
never meet those dark, tender eyes
that had grinned at her-teased her
and loved her better than 10 years
now?
She murmured: II couldn't" and
she thought how easy and blessed
it would be to die.
LOVE LIVES
1t was January-nearly three weeks
since the evening she saw him driv'
ing away with Natalie at his side
since the blasting hour when he had
callously lied to her and she had said
to herself that her love was dead.
She knew now that it dasn't dead
that it would never die-that In the
thought of losing him he was more dear
than he had ever been. She never
looked at his cleancut face, with the
kindling warmth and sparkle Of youth
about it, without a melting rush Of
tears to her throat.
She asked frantically of her thought
"Wby did lose him? oh God-I won
der what 1 should have done! What
should | do now? There must be O
way-surely some way!"
At first she was certain that he
loved Natalie. The strain of this fear
and her own silence bowed her in ap-
palling melancholy. A dozen times she
decided to say: "Dane-I can't stand
this any longer. Let us be truthful
If you want freedom, say So"
But she pictured him with shamed
lowered face answering: I'm sorry
sorry. Let me go-yes, you must lei
me go." And she knew that she would
never have the courage or the hardness
to take gamely this farewell.
Bcttcr-better a thousand times this
anguish of doubt and torment than the
certainty that he was lost. Yes-bet.
ter be one of those women who close
their eyes, refusing to see the grow.
ing shadow. Better that and KEEP
him!
She grew distant and quiet under
this laboring oppression. When he
was late or phoned that he couldn't
come for dinner she said only: "Oh