The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-11-28
CHAPTER A. SANTA BARES HER HEART

CHAPTER A.
 SANTA BARES HER HEART
 T need some one I can trust" Santa declared. She pulled herself tooether with an effort. I'm here to learn what are the grounds for a divorce"
 you're thinking of divorcing Dicky?' Y
 She hadn't shocked him. His ex- pression was unperturbed as if she had enquired how much his wife Ipaid for butter.
 Gan I?"
 Before I can give an opinion II must hear the provocation."
 Her sense of the indecency of exposing her tragedy faded Gar stead's attitude was as matter of fact as that of a doctor examin- ing a patient. She forgot that they both were young and were discussing her dead passion In an aloof way, initiating him, she viewed herself as case. Her burden grew lighter. With question here and an astute sug- gestion there. he coaxed from her the story.
 This Give" he pinned her, "your old suitor, couldn't be made the excuse for a counter-charge by your husband?"
 How could he? I've not writ ten him a line. He's been out of the country since I married It was only by pure luck-I mean accident-that I met him at my parents"
 We lawyers are compelled to be intrusive'
 Dusk was gathering Windows in the ramparts opposite were be- ginning to shine. He switched on the lights.
 AS l see things, santa, you've got your husband cold. Habitual drunkenness. Non-support. If they don't constitute cruelty, I don't know what does"
 She began pulling on her gloves.
 If I decide to proceed against him, what should be my first step?"
 You must leave him and estab- fish separate domicile." AfThanks tremendously" She rose almost gaily. T felt ought to Know to be on the safe side" 3As he accompanied her to the elevator he chaffed her.
 f"Youll have only one difficulty. To persuade any judge that a man who had been so fortunate as to marry you could be unfaithful.'
 ''Dicky didn't have to struggle, , she glanced up side-long.
 If he could only see you as other men see you"
 Men who aren't married to me, :" she retorted.
 It was her parting shot. The sliding door of the elevator flew open. With a smile, unconsciously sirenish, he vanished
 Not till the chill air of the street had restored her did she realize that her afternoon had been en- joyable. It had put her in a good humor. Paul Garstead had proved to be thoroughly nice person. She wondered vaguely whether he often held such intimate conver- sations. She ran over snatches of what they'd said They sounded desperately like the prelude to Irritation.
 She'd heard that divorce lawyers often married their clients. What more natural? They had to flatter woman by pretending to believe she was always in the right. A husband who believed his wife al- ways in the right was the kind for whom every woman was searching.
 Scandalized, she discovered that she was light-hearted. She probed for the reason. Merely because a man had implied-not a syllable she was desirable.
 Don't be a debutante,' she up- braided herself.
 Her lapse into frivolty inclined her to be charitable. There was the bare chance that she'd jumped to mistaken conclusions. To invite Dicky to an explanation was the only fair course. The prospect of having to provoke another scene so- bered her.