The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-30
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festation of affection and considera-
ton for Cyrus, a man whom he
knew she did not love, and COM
pared it with BERTHE LOUIS treat
ment of him, whom he had believed
she loved.
He observed Cyrus closely for the
rest of his stay at The Birches.
There was nothing in his manner
to indicate that he suspected Lila's
true feelings toward him. Rod
asked himself if it we're not possible
that he too might be taking his
wife's love for granted.
Was there any such a thing as
love? Was it love to keep a man
calling his home every hour to in
quire if there was a letter for him?
And was it love that caused BERTHE
Lou to plunge him head over heels
into debt-send him begging his
father for a loan?
1t looked very much like indif-
ference and a shallow ambition,
rather than love. Rod did not want
to think so, but lila had set her
self to present BERTHE LOUIS char
acter and conduct to him in this
light.
And so sly, so false in her method
of putting her destructive efforts
in the guise of friendly advice and
sympathy was she that Rod found
himself thinking BERTHE Lou had re-
vealed herself as selfish and unlov-
ing.
1t did not come suddenly, his YER
dict of her; but as the weeks wore
on and she made no mention of
returning to New York, Rod was
compelled to believe that she did
not mind being apart from him.
Then there was her cold letter
when he had to refuse the money
she asked for. BERTHE Lou had hated
writing for it, but she needed funds
b. she had use1 practically all
her immediate cash for her fare
home
She did not want to appeal to her
father for a loan, since that would
cause him to wonder why Rod did
not support her with money.
Rod had replied with half the
amount and the statement that he
had no more to send. BERTHE Lou
was amazed. He must be spending
money like water!
Well, Lila's habits and tastes
could account for that. For any
man who aspHed to an affair with
her would soon find himself with
a lean pocketbook, BERTHE Lou be-
lieved.
Rod did not write for a week after
receiving her sarcastic letter. Dur
ing this period of waiting BERTHE
Lou had assured herself through a
hideouS night of alternating doubt
and still family surviving faith that
she did not care whether he ever
wrote again or not.
For she had received a letter that
fairly Scorched her heart and scared
her pride. 1t was a poisonous ano-
nymity.
But BERTHE Lou thought she knew
who had written it. The writing
was very much like Molly's, despite
an apparent effort to disguise it.
1t was brief. The writer merely
suggested that BERTHE Lou should
return to Rod at once if she wished
10 get him out of the clutches of a
certain bleached blonde over whom
ne seemed to have lost his head.
AS the writer had guessed, BERTHE
Lou was too proud to take any no.
tice OF the communication. She
did not return to New York.
Her letters to Rod grew even
colder and f'rther apart, and when
he fatty demanded to know when
she intended to return, she replied
that she thought she might spend
the summer with her mother.
The letter had done it's work. It
kept BERTHE Lou away from Rod,
as it was designed to do. Not as
long, perhaps, as Lila-for 1t was
Lila who was the guilty person
hoped that it would.