Nogales international., 1932-07-30
Twelfth Installnent

she stays. She hndS nerSelI idEilS II ovI
affection. Linda, Dennis wife, tells her that
size offered Dennis divorce but he would
not accept it; he would have felt compelled to
marry Diana Dianas love for Doctor kath-
bone is tempered by jealousy OF woman
house. At last Rathhone finds. that he IS
deeply in love with Diana, but he confesses
to her that Rosalie is his wife
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
"I was terribly sorry for her, too,
and perhaps = flattered that she
should think anything Of me, but
did not love her, Diana, and we were
lust friends until until ! got an
appointment abroad. When l told her
about it she it was the first time
ANYTHING really definite was spoken
between us. Perhaps I wasn't very
brave, or perhaps | didn't really care
for her sufficiently we'll, but | tried
to show her how impossible it was
that | could not :. There is no need
to tell you every detail and God knows
I am not blaming her any more than
blame myself, but without my knowl-
edge she told her husband that she
cared for me, and she asked him to
divorce her. He refused. | have
often wondered why, seeing how he
hid always neglected her. Then,
after short time. she left him
Diana-if you knew how hard it is
fer me to tell you this"
He broke off agitatedly, but Diana
did rot speak, and after moment he
went on again:
I'm the end in the end !. l
agreed to take her away We thought
it would force her husband to divorce
her. She was so different in those
days, gay and reckless, never count
i.ig the cost of anything-only living
for the moment. Then-the night
before we were to have gone she was
nearly killed il motor accident.
She was driving her own car, and she
was alone. She was unconscious
for days, and when she recovered
she was as she IS now-like child.
She recognized me, as she still recog-
nizes me, but only as an affectionate
child might and that is ALL The rest,
everything that has happened in her
life, is gone from her.
''I paid visit to see her husband
she had nobody else who cared or who
could have looked after her-and /
remember that he laughed in my tace.
He was much older man than l,
and he said to me, We'll, you've begun
to pay already, Rathbone, and you'll
go on paying for the rest Of your life
1t seems that he was right . L
brought her down here to my house,
and Mrs. Farmer came to look after
her Two years later her husband died
;. and I married her, Diana. You see,
I'd always promised her that if she
was ever free | would. | gave my
word, and l felt that I must keep it.
There was always a thought at the
back of my mind that perhaps some
day she might get better-and kno10!
I didn't tell anybody-it wasn't any
body else's business, so she's still al
ways Miss Rosalie' to Mrs. Farmer
and Hobson-and to the rest OF the
household. But she is my wife, Diana,
though I-we-we've never lived to-
gether as man and wife.
"That's all. Perhaps I was stu
pidly quixotic, but l was-fond of her,
and besides :. I had given my word.
She's like a gentle afectionate child
always happy-asking nothing except
that people are kind to her. She made
very little difference to my life one
way or the other till-till l met you,
and then 1 realized what l had done.
Even then l thought it only meant
that I should be the one to go on
suffering. You seemed so much
Younger than I feel never imagined
you might-might grow to care for
me, and when realized that perhaps
quite unconsciously-you had, |
tried my best-a poor best, | can see
now-to k4ep you from realizing the
truth. I don't think you will ever
know what it meant to me :. how
:. when Nero hurt you, and after
wards, when you :. . when you asked
me to tell you not to go away with
Waterman. could have borne it for
myself, but to. know you were un-
happy-perplexed . that you didn't
understand why l should seem SO :. Z.
unkind :"
CHAPTER XVIII
He stopped speaking, and Diana said
family:
"You mean that she-Rosa-
lie ="
a Like sweet bells jangled-out Of
tune" Rathbone quoted grinly.
Diana closed her eyes.
There was little silence; then she
said again:
"Perhaps-some day-when we're
both quite old shall wonder :. if
you have forgotten me. Do you think
you will, Donald?"
81 shall never cease to think of
you-and love you"
"But you'll send me away from you
:. all the same. I know that's what
you mean to do" she said with cry
OF pain.
'.What else is there for me to do,