New Britain herald., 1928-03-20
CHAPTER II

Jack went into the sitting room. The silence held here, too, The girls he recalled, had this afternoon off, and the boys. Peter and Paul, would be at their srandfather's house But where was Jill and the two babies , He stepped across 10 the open door ot the room where Jill still slept with her two youngest,
 Suddenly. as he stood there star ing around the place. lis deserted. vacated appearance struck him. Then his gaze Tell on an envelope lving on the table, He crossed over and saw that il was addressed 10 him in JiIl's handwriting.
 With fingers that shook, Jack stuart picked up the envelope and tore it open. Fear uneXpialnable, with q grim dread. clutched at his heart Us he drew out the iucyosed letter. It read:
 To my once-Dcloycd husband:
 You told me last night I should have more respect for myself than to call my loved endearMs namys for everybody to hear.
 That was your last utteranCe 10 nc. If my respect for myself does not keep mc from calling my lover pot names IL will at least make Y impossible for the lover oi another woman to cali Inc names. elthyr di- r~ctIy or hy suggestion.
 When you read this l shall hc gone. Where. or with whom i go. i9 nO concern of yours. You may mo- fico that I am not writing any Wlin- ing, heart broken letter all wet with tcarS, etc. Your treatment during the last year has dried up all the tears in my system. l think. And so, when you go 10 Nita for con-rdtula Hons, don't forget there arc others. Am sending the childrcn to bad. Clara will taho care Of them. That's an. ]. $"
 He stared 4t the written words "rhat'a all.r Could letter pc writ fen with mor" studied Hlttins? toul1 it Ice that a woman of Jill's raiuraI qualities had SO changed in disposition that she could writ" such d letter %ith an honest int'nt' Was Il Jill who had written that crucl. insolcnt lhiue, or Was il inc devil of jealousy that had taken !cdgmcnt in her heart"
 How long h" stood there staring at inc astounding scrcod, Jack Stn- art couldn't have told. over ami over again he read 1t. Cursins on" momeHt and sohbing the next; hat ing the woman who had pennod II, llilc he read tho acrid insults, and then bcmoaning her loss, as he rc- called the happy days they had known together.
 She had let him. That Was clear, at last. The realization finally tij- tered through the numb ache in his heart: she had left him, She had gone away. Where had she gone and with whom so ran the iusol"n' scra wl-"Was no concern of his"
 We'll. so be it then. he told him self. She had made her choice: lot her keep it. He would go his way, she could go hors.
 Thus he ca ioloj his hurninC. wounded Spirt-at first. While the pain was still partially du|lc1 by his scething anger at the flippancv of her written words, he could hate her.
 Later, when his anger had cooled q little, ho began 10 read between inc lines Of that letter. and loaI- ing. 10 see and understand some thing Of the agony Of her own heart and mind. The coldn"ss, tho in snlt.a. were masks to cover the hurt she. herself, felt.
 Two hours after reading Jill's let fer Jack Stuart tclephonnd Peter Justin. Yes, the latter told him, the children were there. Clara had brought them, in accordance with fills instructions. He had seen nothing of Jill. he said.
 Follow ing this move. Jack called rp Mike Sweeney with q view to getting line on Jill's intentions
 lou doll lHtalH ip say Ja'h' that Jill has left you,' came the eX- clamatory answer 10 his query. in a voice that shook with feeling.
 That's what she--she says in tn short s-sWect note she left for me," replied Jack, jorkily, scarcely able 10 talk. Says she's.-sbe's gone where or With-Wiih whou's no concern of mine, Those arc in words. She sent Clara with tn children 10 her fathers house. He hasn't seen her-docsn't know here she wrnt'p