Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-03-05

CHAPTER III
Jack vent into the sitting room.
The silence held here. too The
girls, he recalled, had this after
noon off. and the boys. Peter and
Paul. would be &c their grandfath-
er's house. But where was Jill and
the two babiese He stepped across
% the open door or the room where
Jill still slept with her two young
est.
Suddenly. as he stood there. star
ing around the place. its deserted.
vacated appearance struck him.
Then his gaze fell on an envelope
lying on the table. He crossed over
and saw that il was addressed to
him In Jill's handwriting.
with fingers that shook. Jack
Stuart picked up the envelope and
tore IL open. Fear unexplainablc.
and n grim dread. clutched ne his
heart as he drew out the inclosed
letter. IL read:
To my once-beloved husband.
you told me last night / should
have more respect for myself than
20 call my lover endearing names for
everybody 20 hear.
"Thet was your last u~tterance "a
me. II my respect for myself does
not keep me from calling INV lover
pet names il will at least make IL
impossible for the lover Of another
woman to call me names. either d.
rectly or BY suggestion.
when you read this shall he
gone. Where. or with whom | 20. IA
no concern Of yours. You may no.
tice \ am not writing my whining,
heart-broken letter sall wet with
tears, ETC. Your Treatment during
the last year has dried up all the
tears in my system. / think. And 50.
when YOU 10 20 Nita for c~onrratula-
tons, don't forget there are others.
I'm sending the children to Dad.
Clara will take care of them. That's
all. 60
He stared az the written words.
That's ALL" Could a letter be writ
ten with more studied cutting
Could it be that q woman ~ Jill's
natural qualities had 50 changed IN
disposition that she could write such
a letter with Al honest intent? Was
y Jill who had written that cruel.
insolent thing. or was IL the devil NJ
jealousy that had taken Judgment in
her heart?
How long he stood there staring
az the astounding screed. Jack
Stuart couldn't have told. Over and
over again he read it. cursing one
moment and sobbing the next: HAT.
ing the woman who had penned n.
while he read the scrid insults. and
then benoaning her less, Ms he re-
called the happy days they had
known together.
She had left him. That was clear
az last. The realization finally III
tered through the numb ache IN hia
neart; she had left him. She had
gone away. Where she had cone
and with whom--so ran the insolen,
scrawl-"was ne concern III his."
Wei. 30 be ID then, he told him.
SELF. She had made her choice: lei
hsr keep It. He would 10 his wav
she could 90 hers.
Thus he cajoled his burning
wounded splrit--at first. While tEe
PAIN was still partially dulled bv his
seeming anger &c the flippancv M
her written words, he could hate
Later. when his anger had ~oo,.d
y little. he began to read hatwaa-
the lines o. that letter. and readir~
70 see and understand SOMETHING ~
tne agony Of her y heart an
mind. The GOODNESS, TIA ~irrnit,
we're masks 10 cover tie hnrt wv
herself. felt. sue
Two hours after reading JiI1,. IL.
Ter Jack Stuart telephoned Pete
Snatin- Yes. the latter told him. ths
enlidren were there. Clara haS
brought them. in accordance w;th
Jill's r~struet5nn~ ~ L 1891