The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-25

InIee years, OF DIT less
DUT Morgan interrupted, giving
- the last line himself: 1T
wasn't a success. Poor Nan!
read no further than that first verse
and the beginning Of the next:
Thank God, that's done! I echoed
those words, Nan, with all my heart
Thank God, that's donen"
You mean-?" Nan quivered.
ooh, John, don't lie to me now?
I can bear the truth, if you love
me as we'll as Iris"
I'm trying to tell you the truth,
Nan" he interrupted gravely. He
held her away from him TOR mo-
ment, then stopped and lifted her
into his arms, carried her to the
one big armchair that the room Of
fered. But one was enough. She
lay, child-smal, in his lap, her
head against his breast, so that she
could listen to the beating Of his
heart as we'll as to his words. You
must know" he began haltingly,
"how it was with me. You saw
us together for three years. Would
you have said that I was a-happy
man, Nan?"
NO" she whispered. Her fingers
took fierce hold on the lapel OF his
coat. 1t was still necessary to con-
vince herself every now and then
that it wasn't all dream.
Il was a slave in bondage, Nan.
Lord I don't mean to sound pa
thetic, but it's so necessary that I
try to make you understand now,
so that we can forget the past and
be happy. You know, Nan, I used
to get a dim sort Of feeling that it
made you angry to see us to-
gether-'
1T did" she agreed, vehemently
nodding her shining brown head
against his breast. She didn't love
you, and saw you small, made you
small when she was with you. 1
loved you, and saw you big"
And made me big" Morgan in
terrupted, laughing eXultantly.
Don't you think I realize that Nan
has made me what I am today
whether she's satisfied or not? But
did you really love me them"
Won't you leave me a shred of
my pride?" Nan protested, blood
rushing to her cheeks. Butch,
what does pride matter nowP I
loved you from the first day I
worked for you. I tried to be de-
cent enough to resign, when I
found out what was the matter
with me-"
When was that?" he demanded
eagerly as boy with his first
sweetheart.
"Oh!-When Willis Todd wanted
to marry me and was jealous of
you, and tried to make me say 1
loved him and didn't love you," she
answered.
And for three months I've been
tormented by the suspicion that you
loved Willis Todd and married me
only because I needed you more
than he did" Morgan confessed.
"But-about Iris. It had better
be said-all of it, and then we can
talk about us. I did love her, Nan,
with the most painful, shameful, de-
grading, enslaving love that a man
ever felt for woman who could not
love him. She didn't try to pretend
that she loved me. AS I said awhile
ago. I don't blame her But I used
to pray to God, in my agony, to
wake up the next morning and find
myself free of my love.
Il knew Iris would be relieved,
even if her vanity would have SUI
fered. I must have bored her and
annoyed her unbearably with my
passion. 1t made her despise me
and hurt me in thousands Of little
ways. Butt couldn't cure myself.
My nalady was so malignant that it
required a surgeons knife-and Iris
elected to be the surgeon"
LIE paused and Mans heart
L L lunged sickeningly. Was he
living again the agony worse than
death which that major operation
had caused him? She held her
breath.
His arms frightened about her.
One hand cupped her little face
with such infinite tenderness that
tears sprang into the girls eyes.
II had a marvellous nurse after the
operation" he pursued the meta
phor whimsically. 'It was her de-
voted care which made the opera
ton a success, more than the sur
geon's knife. And as most patients
do, fell in love with my nurse.
And, oh, Nan! The wonder
of ito be free Of the malady!"
Are you-sure-you're cured?"
Nan whispered. Sometimes such
maladies break out-again-"
you can't frighten me-" Morgan
laughed, bending his head to kiss
her again. "Of course, if you want
to torture yourself You see,
darling, the whole thing was so
purely physical. I never loved
Iris mind or her soul .. don't
even know whether she had either.
I loved her beauty. With you, 1t
was so different No, wait, you little
devil" he commanded sternly as
she was about to take him up on
that. I was going to say that I
loved your mind and your brave,
fine soul long before I loved your
body. I loved you in those ways
from the very first, but physically
I was enslaved to another woman.
To BE Cnntinnedl