White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-03-17
CHAPTER I
Edward

Their parting had begun as an ordi-
nary handshake, but young Ed sudden
ly flung both arms around his father
and Rugged him.
"Dad!" he cried. "Can't you pos
sibly come up to the Brook just for
day or two?"
"I'll see," Edward senior told him.
If can, will. I'll write your mott
er about it, anyway"
bed looked away as he said that,
but he turned back to watch the boy
60 bounding up, three at a time, the
steps to the elevated station. He was
deeply moved, and part of his emotion
was bewilderment. It was an I'M
placedented thing between them, that
sudden strong hug. How much, Ed
ward Patterson asked himself, did the
boy know? How much had an unsuss
pected instinct enabled him to guess
Of the devastating melancholy that
had settled upon the older man when
he learned, little earlier that eve
ming, that Ruth Ingraham had sold her
house and was going to move away to
New York? The boy couldn't have
seen through that, could he?
It would be rather nice to go up to
the Brook. The children would give
him welcome anyhow and even Julia
might be found willing at least to ig-
more her supposed grievance. Just
going away anywhere would be re-
lief, protective covering for the
bruise he'd got tonight when he'd dis
covered how unimportant he'd become
to Ruth.
He didn't want to think about that.
Couldn't bear to think about it. He
couldn't be sure, of course, that he
wasn't doing her an injustice. Her
decision to sell her house and move
away might have been forced upon her
suddenly. She might have written
him a note that he had not yet re-
ceived. 1t might be waiting for him
now at the hotel.
Unconsciously he quickened his pace,
and then with half audible groan as
he realized what he was doing, de-
liberately slackened it again. This
was the way he'd been acting for days.
Making excuses for her silence, trying
to steel himself against disappoint-
ment, and then encouraging his hopes
to rise again. Acting like fool, an
abject, hungry, wistful fool
He wouldn't go on like that He'd
give her a taste Of her own medicine.
If she wanted to be rid Of him, she
should be, sooner and more complete
ly than she intended. He'd arrange
things at the Office tomorrow, and to-
morrow night he'd go up to the Brook.
He managed tone sufficiently casual
when he asked the night clerk If there
were any messages or letters for him,
but his heart gave an irrepressible
bound when the man said, zone just
came in on the last delivery" 1t sank
again sickeningly when he saw that
1t was not from Ruth but from his
wife at Buttermilk Brook. A thick
letter, ominously different from the
brief dry missives he'd been getting
from her all summer.
He felt sick with premonition as he
rode up in the elevator. His small
barren room was hot and airless. He
switched on the light, tore open the
envelope and looked blankly at the
first of the closely written pages for
q good while before he began to read.
It's opening, addressing him as Ed
ward, disposed of any lingering idea
he might have had that it's length
meant an offer Of reconciliation Her
friendly name for him was Ned. Her
affectionate one-what a long way
back that went, twenty years or more!
was Noddy. She never used Edward
except as a term of reproach.
II suppose ought to have written
this letter weeks ago." she wrote, "but
I've gone along foolishly hoping that
things might happen so that shouldn't
have to write it at all. I hate to
write it worse than anything | ever
had to do, and don't suppose 1t will
do any good, but for the sake of the
children I've got to. There isn't much
time left, because the season here at
the Brook is almost over. The hotel
will close in two weeks, so you have
to decide now what you want me to
DO. mean, whether you want ME to
come back to our house in Lakeside
or not. Whether you want to go on
having home and family"
He put down the letter and clenched
his hands. He beat with them upon
the arms of his chair, then with a
painful effort be relaxed again. Thank
God, Julia wasn't here to talk to him!
She upset him horribly when she
talked to him in the mood in which
this letter was written.
He'd better read the rest of the
letter first aDd find out precisely what
the terms Of her ultimatum were The
next sentence over the page was ex-
plicit
IF you want me you will have to
get rid OF Ruth Ingraham. People
have written me letters. Everybody
is talking about it. It's humiliating.
1t makes me feel like fool. simply
can't stand 1t, that's all, and / won't.