Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-11-23
Chapter 26
THE GREATEST MISTAKE

THE doctor suggests that Mack
come home"
For a moment she could find no
words; this was the last thing she
had ever dreamed of or desired.
Mark home again
That would mean that everyone
would know of their marriage
the cramped, uneventful life in
suburbia which she had always
dreaded rose suddenly before her
eyes.
She broke into hurried, angry
speech.
"But Mark can't come back
he mustn't mean well,
| can't be made to live with him
if | don't want to-"
Anderson looked at her steadily.
81 wonder if you ever consider
anyone except YOURSELF" he said.
The color rose in her face. ats
all very well for you-you don't
understand. | thought Mark was
going away for several years"
as it because you are afraid he
will be a sick man that you have
suddenly discovered you no longer
love him?"
II discovered it weeks ago .
almost as soon as he went away.
1t was a mistake. IL :" she
laughed shrilly. "Well, / can al
ways do as Flora did, and run
away"
She looked at him defiantly. 81
believe you've done this purposely.
] believe you knew all along that
l.. that we that We were
married, and you've done this
brought him home-to make me
pay for what / did,"
A little flame crossed his eyes.
eff hat had been so, do you
think I should have taken the trou-
BILE to come here at all?"
Il don't know why you came
/ don't know how you found me. |
didn't want you to find me. I never
told anyone where | was"
"You told Glass;"
She CAV a little cry Of rage.
"He promised to keep it a secret
Il thought | could trust him."
"Perhaps his friendship for me
is greater than his friendship for
you"
81 don't believe he could be a
friend to anyone. / suppose he told
you hoping you'd pay him for his
information" she said with sud-
den passion.
'If you were not such a child,
Sondra, | should consider that ex-
tremely insulting" Anderson said
quietly. "You know well enough
why | came here-I have just told
you. However, that is all over and
done with. You are Merriman's
wife, but if you still care for my
friendship -"
81 don't want your friendship.
| don't want anything from you at
all. Leave me alone and go away
She began to sob, deep, fearless
sobbing that shook her slender
body from head to foot.
Anderson put his hands on her
shoulders and gently pressed hen
down into the big chair again.
cts no use upsetting YOURSELF
he said in a matter of fact voice
/ intend to be your friend whether
YOU want me or not. What do yos
suppose Merriman will do if he is
never fit enough to go back to th'
West Coast?"
She checked her sobbing WITT
difficulty.
81 don't . know"
"Well, it's a point worth consid
e%ration," he told her evenly. :"
shall do my best to find him an
other post of course-perhap'
somewhere more congenial this
time. where you will be able to g
with him." !.
81 have told you that | dom
want to go with him-anywhere.'
Don't you think it will be WISE
to wait until you have seen hin
before you make such a sweepini
assertion?" !,
She looked at him with Devil
dered eyes.
81 thought you said you love-
me" she broke out.
81 don't see how that affects tn
subject at all, Sondra."
"Well, it does," she insisted. Il
you-if you loved me you woul,
want me to be happy. You wouldn'
try to make me stand by-by tn
greatest mistake of my life"
He looked at her silently for
moment, then he said.
,"Perhaps | am considering Mef
riman a little, even though you ap
parently do not"
sand it doesn't matter about m
at all / suppose" she accuse
him fiercely.
"You have always seemed PEI
fectly capable of looking afte
Yourself" he answered unemotior
ally.
She looked at him with blazin
eyes. +.
"You mean that I've always Il