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Show I EWE and MARRIED LIFE ! i f , Ikj. the noted author f I I Idah MgGtone Gibson jj I HELEN HEARS MY STORY. You shouldn't envy me, Kalhciine," . ,,1 Helen, rendins my thoughts again. "JolDi lias said the same thing "with flowers." MJ)ut ho didn't send thorn to rac," ) bluned, "What?" came from Helen In breath leis surprise. 'No. the violets didn't ccruc from myhusband." 4' . I J.Ou you know who sent them?" $ -Aic you in' love Vith'hhn?" I Not at all.' "Is he m lovo with you?" , "i do not know. 1 think he feels sorry for me." "It's npt that nipe Mr. ShepDrd?" asked Helen with sudden intuition. 1 .bowed my head. "Op. 1 wanted my husband to send j 1 them to me. 1 wanted him to tell m i he was lonely in some way! Just as Bobby has told you. But I have not J herd from John since I came away.' "Katherine, was John angry because ', vou were coming here with me?" . " "I think so." , I wouldn't have oomo fov any jhing had 1 known it would make any difference between you and John." i Impossible to Bridge. 'It didn't make any difference," I ' hastened to say The breach had wid CJicJ so as to be almost impossible lo hiidge before I came to see you thai, i morning. You seemed to be the only prop I had, and I do not grant John i or anyone else the right of choosing or 1 dismissing my friends." 'Hut, Katherine, I can't be the cause of trouble between you and John." 'You are not- You saw the papers before 1 came away. You know that Something had to be done. John tele j phoned me from the Turkish bath iioute, where he was in seclusion that ' day, that he was leaving town. He did i notssk me to go with him. He wantod me to stay home and recelvo Iho bruut of m"s latest escapade, of the entire scandalous escapade. 'Helen, I could not do this. I Jo not thlrk that any woman should. And so 1 came away and you wore the logical parson to come with me." v I, What Did Ho Say? "What did ho say to you when you told him you were coming away with mo." 'I would rather not tell you," I evad-j s "Cut, Katherine, I can not stay here' wit!' you under these circumstances." "Oh, yes, you can, dear. And to show you that you can. 1 a.a going to tell you the entire story. Hand me that little red covered book from the tabic. She handed It to me and 1 read to her all the Incidents of my married life up to that moment. She kept sl-lenc sl-lenc during the reading. Herfaco was away from me. 1 was not able to tell just what she was thinking. Bu' at the end Helen onuie oer to me, and puUing her arms around my neck, bent down and kissed me. "My dear, I will stay wilh y-iu ac ionj as L possibly can." "es, yus, I know that when Bobb comes back, ycu will have to go to him. But perhaps by that time I. wi): , have settled in my own mind just wha ! I am going lo do. Alice wrote mo ihit;1 morning that John already wants mo bacu, and 'that he is much surprised that I would not acquiesce m ovew one of his suggestions, no matte.- how keenly they would hurt my feelings.' "Oh, I do think Johrp will come to! his senses," said Helm. "Surely ho is' not so cruel as your recital would . make out!" j His Attitude Changes. i "Yes. that's it, Helen, lie is cruel.' True, he has never knocked n.e down. ! nor physically hurt me in any way, but horn the moment he reached the hotel after our marriage his whole attitude atti-tude toward me changed, and I could ;ee that he regarded me only ar. a possession, pos-session, a chattel, to do with as he Willed. A very precious possession, I j I will grant, one that he admired and j IlikeJ to show to his friends; but one which had no more sentimental quality quali-ty I hat he would have to recognize than did the jeweled baubles that he gave to me from time to time.' "Helen, I can not Hvq that way! Hi? ; maimer is tho refinement of slow tor-jtuie. tor-jtuie. and yet when he smiles and ca-I ca-I resses me and his arms arc about me, i ii 1":,H all senso of anything except the knowledge that I love him. i "Oh, Helen, do you think that 'his is one cf tho things Hint time can eflaco? Can 1 leant to live without him? Wilt it be easier than learning to live with hini has been? You know I have made a failure of that!" J (To Oc Continued) |