The Washington times., 1938-04-23
The Man She Won
modern romance of life in the
Nations Capital By Washington ,0riter
By Phyllis Moore Gallagher

white, both terribly shaken, heard
the front door slam.
Elva said: TITS true. You believe
me, don't you?"
eyes, Elva, I believe you," re-
piled Gloria, and she thought:
Peter knew all the time. He knew
the thing that would break the
last hold Rodney had on me and
still he did not use it."
Elva said, simply: May see
Jock now?"
Gloria was unsteady on her feet
as she arose from the chair. She :
went blindly out of the room and
up the stairs to the nursery. Elva
calmly behind her. Jock, in his
kiddie car was scooting over the
floor, his round blue eyes dancing,
the little yellow curls standing up
all over his head. =
Elva was down on her knees
now, making friends with her son.
Jock was studying her cautiously
from a discreet distance riding
around her in careful circles. Elva
went on cooling to him, holding
out her trembling hands, singing
little snatches Of a nursery song.
Presently Jock came up to Elva,
his blue eyes wide and appraising.
She was saying, on a sob-chokcd
voice: Its Mother, dear. It's your
Mother"
And Jock said, suddenly: Mama!
Mama!" Then he was in Elva's
hungry arms and two big tears
squeezed from the corners of her
eyes.
PETER COMES HOME
1t was nearly / o'clock when
Gloria heard Peters roadster come
up the gravel driveway Her heart.
turned over with a slow, sick beat
and her legs went weak beneath
her.
She said to herself: III tell
Peter the truth. I've never lied TO
him. He'll have to believe me-"
She knew what Peter would do.
He'd probably glaze over the whole
thing; he'd protect her as long as
she needed protection from the
Scandalmongers. But in the end
they wouldn't go on together.
She was standing by the window
then and she could see Tommy
puttering around the garden in
the back of the bungalow. For
one moment her thoughts left her
own fears and her whole being
was happy for Tommy. For Mar
celia was on her way to Reno. She
had telephoned Tommy last night
from the airport and Tommy =,
went out of his solemn young
head with joy.
Isabel had gone straight home
to Rodney. She had stood in the
luxurious beauty of her drawing
room demanding Rodney tell her
that he had never known a girl
named Elva Page, that he was
not the father of that little boy!
And in the end she had shrieked
out, "Bigamy! You bigamist!
You'll go to jail for this, Rodney
Callman!"
Isabel had swept out Of the
house then and gone straight to
her lawyer. She had told him the
whole story. And now, at this mo-
ment, a terrified, trembling Isa-
bel was sitting in the legal mans
office. She was saying:
IT want him put in jail, OF -
course, Immediately. Today"
The lawyer looked at her with
keen, shrewd eyes. He said.
evenly, struggling a little: you
don't have the power to do that
Miss Lee"
NO ALIMONY
Isabel WINGED at him calling her
that. She said furiously: what
do you mean?"
He said: II mean you could only
make a complaint and an arrest
would be made on the initiative OF
the police. You'd be the States
chief witness then. His wife
Isabel writhed inwardly.
His wife" the man went on,
would testify for him that he
was too drunk to remember that
they were married. In view OF that
I'm convinced the D. A. would
drop the charge"
But alimony!" Isable walled. .
Surely I have right to alimony.'
He told her that there couldn't
be any alimony. That she could
only bring a suit for an annul-
ment of the marriage.
But what can I do? Can't
get anything?"
The attorney looked straight IN
to her eyes. He said: You might
sue him for damages on the
grounds that he deceived you into
this marriage. But. e" he spread
his hands, that would be a diff
cult case. You probably couldn't
prove deceit Your best bet is to
ask Mr.. Callman to settle some
thing on you"
Isabel sank back in the leather
chair. A fearless, dry, misery
bruised her body like hammer.
There was, she knew, nothing left
for her to do but to go back to the
bungalow back to disgrace. to
shame and bleak humiliation;
back literally across the tracks.
Gloria was still standing by the
window, leaning weakly against
the framework for support when
she heard Peter climbing the
stairs. YEARLY, doggedly. The door
swung open and Peter stood still.
He stood perfectly still, his gray
eyes miserable. He tried to smile