San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-13

before l. could make up my mlnd
whether or not / was willing to see
Jim again, before 1 could decide
whether or not to send my address as
he requested in the telegram he sent
me ON the last day at the Birches, l
had letter from him. This is what
it said:
Il have waited for a week to hear
from you. 1t seems inconceivable
that you have sent me no MESA &c.
But perhaps that is not so surprising
in view of the fact that you have TAX
en- up your quarters with the very
woman who traduced me to you
Knowing what a man-hater Madame
Petruzzi is, you might have taken all
she said with a grain of salt. But
when ] said you had judged and con.
demned me, / was right. You have
lost all faith in me. When a woman
makes it as clear as you have done
that she regards her husband as q
complete rotter. she can do nothing
better than get entirely away from
him and his influence. You think me
Il cad. / do not blame you too much,
A series of experiences with me has
made you think me capable of the
most despicable acts. / have come
darn near spelling your life. l have
presented myself TO you as a cad and
a rotter. l cannot live with a woman
who despises me. You cannot live
with man you do not trust. There
is no need TO discuss this. am wary
of endless explanations. I prefer not
to see you now. Sepa ration is the
right thing. Let us make our separa-
ton complete. Perhaps in months tC
come when both Of us are calmer, We
can get together amiabIy and discuss
our divorce. / will not permit you
to drag poor little Arlette into IL. II
can be managed without smirchinI
the child's name. In the meantime
| am sure you will manage nicely
with the friend you have chosen. You
never needed my aid or assistance, 81
do not blunder by offering them t.
you now. 1 hope you will do nothinl
further TO discredit me. Going Il
Madame Petruzzi was enough. Keel
well. jim"
The letter Infatuated me. I started
TO tear it in two. But l caught my
self as the swish of tearing papel
brought me TO my senses.
I'D better keep this" / told my
self bitterly. I'll need it in case
start getting sentimental about jim
and imagining we could be recon
ciled."
But his harsh GOODNESS made me SC
miserable that ] almost let myself gel
mysterical over it.
Not a friendly word" 1 moaned
This is the end. I've known mnr,
riages could-smaSh like this. But
didn't dream 1 could lose my hus
band to a little flapper like Arlette
A child! The sister of my servant
The daughter OF a namelesS woman
It's too degrading"
For q while L was sick with self
pity. L was an outcast-the sort Of
pathetic creature who couldn't hold
her husband. L began to think of the
women of India, who die in the flames
of "suttee" on the biers of their hus,
bands. l started TO think what il
meant-of the whole history of WON
en-, and of how, even today, in ouI
civilized country, a woman who j:
deserted by her husband is worse off
than one whose husband has died.
My thoughts frightened me. l pull
ed myself up short. i didn't want
to harm Jim. Thoughts might &c
out over a wireless
ANNE. you're morbid" / told my
self. You mustn't sit here and
think. You don't want to pity your,
self like this. You surely don't want
others 20 pity you So"
But for a long time 1 couldn't stir
myself to action. / felt finished
done for.
The thing that hurt most Of all was
the consciousness that even now
when l knew-when / had come to
live with Madame Petruzzi. who knew
how little protection Arlette deserved
from me, could tell me, cOld-bloOded,
ly, that he wouldn't permit our di-
vorce to Smirch her. ITO smircl
her." indeed 1t was too late to think
Of that.
"And he doesn't want to see me,
I told myself. He doesn't want to
see me. He cares so little for me he
doesn't even want to meet me for a
moment"
Then. in a binding flash. rccog.
nizcd the truth.
still love Jim. l want him. He
is my man-the only mau for me.