The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1926-08-27

Its so cOzy herew l declared
busying myself With the tea things
and remembering to give Barry
cream instead of lemon. | spoke adj
miringly of the potted geraniums, the
gay curtains of blue-and-white check
ed bingham and the highly decorated
tables, which were uncccupied, on ac-
count of the inclement weather and
the lateness of hour, most people
preferring their tea at four-thirty.
For some reason Barry did not re-
spOnd to- my enthusiasm. He wore
an absorbed expression and his tea
remained untasted.
81 won't offer you the proverbial
penny for your thoughts" l con-
tinued, because l know how must
clans scOrn anything so mundane as
money, but / will give you a piece
of this delicious French pastry
"Listen Sallie," began Barry, still
unable to enter into a gay humor, Il
might as well tell you what's on my
mind. / know all about your unhap-
by situation. l made Ellie tell me.
You don't mind my knowing, do you? 2"
he asked, anoxiusly scanning my face
for an answer.
81 hat for you to bother yourself
with my troubles" l Tended. That
Ellie had confided in him only from
the kindest motives in my behalf l
was certain and yet l disliked him
knowing about the events of the past
summer.
"My dear, my DEAR" he was say
ing, don't you know that your trOub-
les are mine? l must tell you then
how very, very much / love you.
When l first saw you that night at
Monte Carlo you fulfilled all my
dreams and all my desires. At last
/ had found YOU only to learn that
you belonged to another" For a
moment he was lost in Renaissance,
''but that didn't keep me from caring.
/ tried to erase you from my life.
God knows l did, Sallie; but /
couldn't, l couldn't! l decided |
could rather be in love with you and
never possess you than to have, per
haps, the whole affection of any 9th
er woman. l would be satisfied with
expressing my love for you in my
music" his dark eyes burned with
emotion, 81 would go along, like
Dante with my ideal ever before me-
and like Beatrice, you would be my
guiding star-my Inspiration
ooh, Barry, you must not say these
things, don't you know that you
shouldn't?" I interrupted for l was
strangely alarmed at his ardent WOO
ing.
6'I know. You still think that yOt
are in love with Curtiss. You tOlc
me how YOU felt toward him, in nc
uncertain words in Paris, and haC
resolved never to speak of my love
for YOU again, Salie, but after Ellie
fold me what she did I couldn't helI
but think that he had forfeited your
admiration. 1t seems to me that Il
is now a question to be settled De
tween you and me-nOt as Curtls'
Wright's wife-but as woman free
to choose her future, unhampered by
any bonds of matrimony."
/ avoided his intense gaze anC
fastened my attention on my cup anC
saucer. "But he's still my husband,
I demurred when / felt that he wa!
waiting for an answer.
"That hasn't anything much to dc
with the subject" he startled me b!
saving, "iust because you took par
in a ceremony which was instituted
in the beginning to protect the pro
perty rights of children, I suppos'
YOU think that ties you, irrevocabl!
to a man regardless of his neglec
or whether or not he lives up to hi
part of the agreement" 1 gasped a
his modern viewpoint of matrimony
because I felt that my marriag,
vows were very sacred. 'In my
opinion" he concluded, che has sac
rifced the right to any consideration
in the matter"
''But really don't think thing.
are as bad as they look between hin
and.
"The fapper in Birmingham" h,
finished for me, "but that isn't tn,
point I'm making. Whether he il