San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-02

gether were wrapped about my lie.
And it isn't easy to lose tendrils-
even when you are prepared to break
the vine. The tiny tendrils cling like
little fingers, and the things you have
shared weave in and out of your lives
until they are so intertwined and con-
nected that it is hard to find two sep
arate entities that must be cut apart.
$50 you're sorry you ever married
me-" came from my lips at last, re-
CARELESS of whether or not l really
wanted to speak those words.
Il think it was a mistake" Jim
said gravely.
"You can tell me that now" /
reproached, after all we've been
through together-after the way
stuck in the face of the most condemn
ing evidence. You don't know the
meaning of appreciation or graft
tude!"
go on" Jim sneered. at doesn't
much matter what you say now"
Lord it over me-" 1 protested.
Next thing you'll be saying it was l
who sought the separation"
at was you who made it newt
able" Jim replied. "You and your
pious, self-righteous judging and con-
demning. You and your own stand
ards which don't know what the diff
ference between gray and black is"
why I've stood by you when you
seemed as guilty as" l began to
be interrupted by Jim's scornful:
"Yes, and felt darn noble doing it.
Don't blunder about yourself, Anne.
You thought me guilty every time. l
see that now But you felt that you
could keep the world from knowing
the worst if you stood by. You
weren't willing to have folks see that
your husband was seriously interest
ed in another woman. And so yUu
put up your little bluff. 1t was never
that you were sure / had done no
wrong, but that your pride demanded
you keep others from guessing you
hadn't been able to hold me back
from philandering."
perhaps that is true" ! confessed
sadly. But don't you see the other
side to it,"
"Is there another side?" Jim
scoffed.
Eyes, this one. I believed in you.
I was sure that even if you hal
strayed, you would come back. / was
sure that you wouldn't have strayed if
| had known how to hold you. And
when the evidence against you pile !
up most horrible in the De Courcey
case, / forgot myself because l knew
you needed me. You were in danger
and / couldn't let any harm come to
you. And nOw-behOld my reward ~
Your rewardT" Jim asked.
Eyes. A scandal here in the cOun-
try where we fled from the scandal
of the city. The horrible humiliation
of having d woman like Madame Pet
ruzzi know the facts. The whole
shameful, degrading business. May
Valleau was my maid servant. Ar
lette is her little sister. And that
young, ignorant little woodland crea-
ture with her lack of words, of ideas
takes you away from me-
80 that is what you believe" jim
cried out furiouSly. You think me
an avid creature who has been SHARED
by some second-rate charms. Maybe
you think me n doddering fool, who
chases the skirts of youth and is
laughed at for my pains. You are
making your own self-righteouS, snOb-
bish Judgment and putting me dowa
for a fool. Your pride is hurt. But
mine is in the dust. Faugh, Anne! If
your mind is as murky as that you
need to get away and suffer and
learn
II won't suffer- I protested. am
90 back to my office. I'll lose myself
in business. I'll make something Of
myself. l won't be tarred by the
brush you've chosen to let smirch
YOU. I'll get somewhere in the world
and patch my life together. You
needn't think you've ruined it."
II don't" Jim said coldly. You've
done that yourself. You've destroyed
the most precious thing in my life
tonight. You've made me see that in
stead Of precious, simple, honest,
clean-souled angel, you're a foul
minded woman who can think I'M
thinkable things. won't defend my
self"
perhaps you wouldn't II you
could" ! tainted, goaded to FRENZY.
mo, I wouldn't Jim said grave
". 1T isn't worth while. You've made
me see it doesn't matter what you
think"
And then he got up and went into
the house, leaving me TO face the
realization that my bridges were
burned behind me.
IT. NJ rc.fss.s,sd