The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-11

! band'S room. She heard nothing
had no intinaation Of her husbands
presence until his voice, directly
above her head, crashed through
her intense preoccupation with grief
and remuneration:
What are you doing, Nan?"
She dropped her pen, turned in
her chair and raised tragic, startled
brown eyes to his face. The fact
that he was smiling family seemed
TO her the most terrible Of all the
dreadful things which had hap
pened to her.
Writing to YOU" she managed to
answer. Then she seized her almost
finished letter, thrust it into his
hand.
He read it at a glance; then, to
her amazement, his long fingers tore
it deliberately across. doubled the
fragments and tore them again. The
bits futtered into the WastebaSket
beside the little desk.
I'VE mustn't have that-to remind
us" he said huskily.
6UL-DQL- NAH
slowly rising from her chair.
Her husband stretched out his
arms. then dropped them slowly.
There is just one question, Nan,
before throw myself on your
mercy: Do you want to be free-to
marry Willis Todd?"
The question was 50 absurd, so
unexpected, that Nan stared at him
blankly before she could gather her
wits to answer: willis Todd? Are
you crazy, John? Or-are you just
trying to save nny-pride
''Then-Why we're you going to
leave me?"
Anger at the mans stupidity
fared in her brown eyes and
clenched her small fists. IF you
will make me say tim leaving
you because I love you SO terribly
want you to have anything you
want-even Iris!" she cried furi-
ously.
His arms reached out again, and
this time they did not drop; they
closed about her rigid, angry little
body so fercely that she gaSped for
breath.
Darling, blind little Mani" Nor
gan whispered huskily, his lips
against her tossed, short brown hair.
Don't you know I don't want any
one but you?"
After an interlude in which words
had no place, Nan lifted her tear
wet face from his breast. II don't
think I'm such a blind little fool as
YOU say she insisted TREMENDOUSLY
THAT night-our night asked
you how you would feel toward Iris
if you ever saw her again, and you
said you didn't know"
1T was trying to be truthful" he
answered soberly. 81 really didn't
know. But I soon found out, dar-
ling. I felt sorry for her, a sort OF
plying affection. No man can feel
wholly Indifferent to a woman who
has been his wife for eight years.
But I knew that 7 loved you more
than ever. The contrast Was-n-
Illuminating. But was deeply
shocked-for all of us-when Iris
came back as she did, not knowing
she was divorced Then, when 1
wanted to talk it all out with you,
you shut me out of your heart and
your room"
ct thought you loved her." Nan
told him st didn't want you to
come to me out Of a sense of duty.
with Iris in your heart"
Poor Iris! I don't know what
is to become of her, but she must
not come between us again"
Poor Iris!'" a hooking voice
cried from the door which Morgan
had left open. eff you're really in
terested, Jack, read this! Read 1t
and laugh at what a fool I almost
made of myself Read it," she re-
peated, almost hysterical with tr1-
umphant joy.
NEORGAN'S arm did not release
vi Nan, so she was obliged to ad-
vance with him toward the woman
in the doorway.
ut just camel" Iris excited
voice went on, as she extended an
opened telegram toward her hus-
bands unwilling hand. 1.-THE boy
took it to my house across the
street, and I wasn't there. Wasn't
it lucky that one Of the neigh
bors saw him and sent him over
here with it? What a joke on me
if it had come too late, too late!
Read that, Jack, and don't worry
about Poor Iris again!"
Morgan held the telegram so that
both he and Nan could read its mes
sage It was day latter; filed in
Los Angeles:
Just received your letters for
warded to me here. Missed you ter
ribly. Ashamed Of the way treated
you. Please forgive me. Delighted
to hear of your divorce. Can you
Join me here Immediately? Of course
We will be married. Stopping at
Biltmore. Lining up new PROPOSE
ton. All my love, Bert"
Even then, Nan tried to spare her
husband. When she realized that
the telegram was from Bert Craw-
ford, and that the ugly secret from
which she had protected the mar
she loved must now come to light
she tried to cover up the signature
but John Curtis Morgan gently
lifted her head, and held it against
his heart as he finished reading.
May I congratulate you, Iris?'
he said, with curious gentleness, as
he gave back the yellow sheet. q
hardly dared hope that Crawford
/ would"
As he hestitated, Iris finished his
sentence for him: Would Go right
by our Nell?" She laughed hyster-
ically. Then, well, to tell you the
/ truth. Jack, I didn't either, or ]