New Britain herald., 1929-07-22
THIS HAS HAPPENED

in love with Morgan. His Deautlfui wife, Iris, elopes with Bert Craw- ford, q family friend, whom Morgan | never suspects. Morgan is in despair and Nan cleverly diverts him by ! forcing him into his work, For six months. she acts as long ! distance housekeeper for him, l bringing comfort and health to him and his child. little siN-year-old l Curtis. Morgan breaks the news to | her he is diNorcing Iris and, stress ing his and Curtis need for her, , asks her 10 marry him Sho con- sents. Their farcical marriage continues three months when Iris, tilted by Crawford, returns She tries to bring the bewildcred Morgan 10 his knees by feisning illness. Nan crushed, determines to fight and asks the doctor to remove Iris 10 hospital. Morgan gets Mans consent to pro- vide d monthly allowance for Iris. Curtis sees his mother daily. She feeds him forbidden sweets, He awakans Christmas morning with an attack of appendicitis. While Morgan is in the capital on busi- ness, Iris strips the house Of her belongings and rents the cottage across the street. She tries by many pretexts to lure him 10 her. Nan looks on with a breaking heart. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER NLN
 Looking back upon that hideous week, Nan Morgan relized that it was the Blackhull case which made it possible for her to endure the miseries which Iris Morgan inflicted upon her. Hours spent in the office were not so bad were even almost happy ones, for she was serving the man she loved as no one else could serve him.
 There Iris as rival ceased al- most to exist for the man as wei, as for the second wife. Trim 10 tu five, whether Morgan WAS in the courtroom or at his desk. the junior and senior partner of the firm of Morgan X Morgan were united by bonds so strong that it seemed ab- surd that q red -haired, green eyed woman who cared nothing for the career of the man she had be,n married to and deserted could dis solve them.
 But the longest, most intensely exciting work day inevitably came to n,,l to tt,+r, ,,.l V,, been one in work had to return to their home and become two trag- ically divided creatures.
 Not that Morgan did not try His efforts to play the role of devoted husband were even more painful to Nan than the spells of black de- pression 10 which he invariably sue cumbed before the terrible evening was over. The breakfast and din- ner hours were the hardest of the day, for it was then that the alarm ing change in Curtis was most olo- vious. The child whom Nan in less than year had transformed into a cheerful sturdy little boy reverted with the suddenness Of black magic to the whining, ob- strepercus,t sickly Curtis he had been under his mothers care.
 Nan knew. and was fiercely wretched that she could not say so to the father, that Iris was de- liberately using the child as one Of her most powerful weapons in her fight against her successor. She knew and did not see how Morgan could fail to see, that the child vas acting under orders from the woman across the street when he petulantly refused to eat the Wh hole- some vegetables set before him, when he said bitter. ugly, unchild- ish things to the girl who had been more than a mother to him; when he dragged in his real mother. .; Lame at least three times during every meal; when he asked pre- cocious, searching questions as to why his own mother could not come home again to live and be with him nights. as well as afternoons.
 If you don't eat what Nan tells you to, and speak to her with cOur- tesy, you will have to leave the table and go right to bcd," was a remark which the harasscd, tragic eyed father was forced 10 make at least once during every dinner that was served in that miserable home.
 "Won't eat spinach Hate is, Wont drink milk. neither" Curtis would scream. his pale face Coin@ livid with rage. "Won't be nice te Nan, Hat1 her, She won't let my mother core home"
 And Nan, white-lipped nauseatcd would have to sit Wordlcss before her own scarcely touched plate arf witness the dreadful finale: Curtis banishmcnt 10 his own room, howl. ing, kicking.
 Perhaps. under tho circum- stances. a private school would bt better" Morgan said somerIN after his return 10 the table iron one such scene.
 "Docs-his mothcr wish it." Nal asked roldly.
 "Yes.' Morgan answered. Thr flush on his thin, drawn face deep. encd. "She-lris stopped me oI the street yesterday She-aecn; very much concerned about the boy thinks boarding school might bo . more-wh Wholesome atmosphere, if since" He fJoundered 10 | stop and Nan saw jhat the hand whicl held his forE Nas shaking like { sick old mans.
 Nan did not answer aloud bu her lips twisted with that cynical bitter smile, which came so ire ouont1y now, as she finished h sentence mentally; "lf l Won acknowledge myself beaten ar,