New Britain herald., 1929-07-03

| Nan could feel in her own heavi- fly throbbing heart the mans hor- rified recoil from all that the word meant days stretching endlessly ahead The need to annihilate those two feet of space between them that small yet infinite dis i tance that had always separated Nan Carol, private secretary, from John Curtis Morgan, employer and married man-became such an | unbearable ache that the girl was | impelled to her feet, was bending | over him, her arms outstretched in | a passion of tenderness and pity to clasp his beloved head to her breast, when Morgan strengthened in his chair.
 Mans hands dropped to her sides. She stepped backward just in time to prevent his head striking her, Thank God, she hadn't betrayed herself; he hadn't seen. He would think she was simply leaving the room at his implied bidding. =.
 "I apologize-for accusing you of curiosity, Nan"
 Amazed. then more profoundly moved than she had ever been in her life, Nan halted on her way to the door, waited, scarcely daring to breathe. He was not buckling up weakly under the blow. Not he! Not he. Oh, she might have known he would be like this.
 His voice was jerking on: But I-want you-to know. I'm afraid can't-talk about it-yet. Will you-read this letter, Nan?"
 From the expensive pale-gray sheets rose the faint but unmistali- able odor of Iris favorite perfume, flagron of which had been one of John Curtis Morgans Christmas gifts to his wife. Now it's seductive odor was helping Iris to enslave the senses of another man.
 Hot anger cleared Nan's vision. Her eyes leaped down the page:
 Dear Jack: I am not coming back. You must have suspected for long time that I did not love you. My chance for freedom has come at last and I have taken it. You told me the s20,000 was mine to do with as l pleased, and I am using it to start life over You must not worry about me, for l am safe and happy. If l told you my plans you would try to find me. and that you posi- lively must not do. Of course wanted to take Curtis with me, but and l did not think it would be fair to take your son from you. l know that you will take the best care Of him and that you will not teach him to hate me. No man could have been a better husband than you, Jack. It is not your fault that I do not love you. But it isn't mine either. is it? DO one last generous thing for me, Jack: do not try to find me. It would be worse than useless. Iris.'
 Mans first reaction 10 the letter was deep, quiverng breath of relief. Whatever her motive-and Nan knew that Iris Morgan had not been actuated by pity-the desert ing wife had not mentioned Her bert s. Crawford. Morgan was stiI spared the supreme humiliation. He need never know now that the man he had called friend, and whom he had defended against a criminal charge, had been planning all the time to use the freedom which Morgan had won for him and the money he had stolen to run away with his defenders wife. For that Nan was profoundly grateful.
 But oh, the diabolical cleverness of the woman! In a red flare of anger, Nan saw Iris's motive as clearly as If Iris had written it ont in a detailed postscript. If Iris had mentioned Crawford, either by name or anonymously, as the man who had won her love from her husband, Morgan would have hunt cd down his false friend, and the despoiler of his wife, if it had taken him the rest of his life to do so.
 Iris must have been sure ot that; if not Crawford himself. standing over Iris and censoring the letter she wrote, had taken no chances. She had not even dared suggest that her husband get a di- vorce, for fear he would jump to the conclusion that she wanted legal freedom in order to marry anothe" man.
 And how cleverly the letter had been worded, to appeal to every generous and chivalrous instinct of i the deserted husbands nature. No man could have been a bette" husband than you, Jack. It is not your fault that l do not love you, But it isn't mine either, is it? Do one last generous thing for me, Jack" Oh, the bitter cruelty of hcr-holdinG his love, making de mands upon it, even os she flung it back at him as a burden she could no longer bear.
 Morsan's swivel chair creakcd as he strengthened his bowed back ana squared his shoulders slowly, like a man adjusting himself to receive and carry an intolerably heavy load. The faint sound aroused Nan from the welter of emotions and specula- tions into which Iris'S incredible