Show I T TELEGRAM FICTION I M Spite Marriage I By KATHARINE HAVILAND HAVILAND TAYLOR SYNOPSIS Because Bob Powers has found out that hat Marsha married him to pay payoff off she Geoffrey Tarleton with whom had thought herself In love until he introduced her to the new Mrs is Powers honeymoon Tarleton the shattered Bob and Marsha are back In New York to get gel a divorce-and divorce Marsha realizes that she loves now had Bob Job far more than she ever loved Geoffrey CHAPTER 23 Bob sat long lean hunched over he he was too big to accommodate easily to the average small car car star star star- ing ng moodily ahead The laxness ess of his arms folded loosely across his chest lest made Marsha close her eyes They had swung her so easily from he the floor those arms and although gentle had been so firm It n s seemed med close ose to incredible that only the day before he had picked her up to sete settle set set- tie tle e her ber with him in a big chair before the ic fire Ire So incredible that it was a 8 athing thing to smile over wanly while the theold cold old crept close and deep They had adjoining rooms and after fter he had unlocked her ber bags he went into his room and closed thedoor the door after himself Alone she made mad her way toward a long mirror to study udy her reflection in it I Before she knew Bob she had been inflexibly certain that a clever woman woman wo woo wooman man who was beautiful could do as ashe she he liked with any male This certainty cere taint had been dissipated by new wisdom if she could reach Bob thus which she doubted she knew it would be e to hold him for but a little time The time done he would loathe himself for yielding and loathe her herfor herfor heror for or having made him yield and in inis his is mind she would be further invested invested in- in vested ested with evilness e Her outer loveliness loveliness love- love liness iness could not help her with him if she attempted to make use of it it t would hinder her She turned away way from the mirror for the first time lime in her conscious life me hating beauty cauty Strained d Relations She heard a tap on the door that divided the rooms Come in please she ordered faIntly Bob op opened ned the door to stand at the threshold About dinner he said are you ou going down or will you have it here She realized he was anxious to tete-a-tete tete with her herand herand avoid void the table and nd she answered Ill have hav some some- thing here Shall I ring he asked No thank y you u. u Im I'm not hungry now She felt the worry in his eyes and she drew a quick sharp breath She still till mattered a little to him her comfort her health still mattered a little to him You ate no luncheon he re re- minded True she said perhaps you'd best cst r ring ng She wanted him himat at al ease about bout her and she craved ardently to have within him as much peace as possibly could be dine downstairs down down- stairs stairs she questioned I suppose so he hesitated She waited It was obvious that he wanted to say something more I I L wish wish wish-It he faltered Yes les she prompted prompt d. d Oh flOh nothing Anything I can do door for or you ou before I go down or while Iam J I Jm am m down No thank you so much I was used to taking care of myself I suppose I may as well grow used to tot it t again She managed to smile at him rim after her words but he could not answer her smile Tarleton Bob supposed iI would one day ay take care of her and the idea of oi Tarleton's caring carine for any woman I was vas Bob thought a somewhat nj jest t. t But she would understand Tarle Tarle- tons tans manner of caring It was patently patent patent- ly I y all that she wished some one who would look well with her in public some one whom she could cheat cheal Buinow But Bui now Bob was touched by her lone lone- l iness liness e Is there anyone he asked whom you would like to see see Oh Ob heaven forbids she responded respond respond- ed quickly and almost harshly She laughed mirthlessly Fancy Aunt Gertrude at this moment she said His face stiffened He didn't want that hat for Marsha the enforced com corn that had drained her weakened her irritated her You wont won't have to consider your aunt he promised I dont don't want wani yoU ou to no go back to her He left fl her then and without switching on the lights she wandered wan wan- dered to a window from which she stared down and into the street Moors Motors Motors Mo Mo- tors ors motors motors going coming hurrying hurring to fill the time time she turned her wedding ring her en en- ring that Bob had slipped sUpped on her finger only a few lew short minutes minutes min min- utes before re they were married Bob Dob Visits Mother lother I 1 think she said aloud that it beg began ri then Her words echoed in the empty room she turned cowered cowered she was she found desperately afraid of this empty room It was a symbol for the endless endless' stretch of level ground that lay before her She needed needed need need- ed him Bob who had told her how lonely she had been by his companionship compan compan- She whispered Bob Then Then Then-a a cold and a quiet minute gone she gone she smiled Futile it was to call caU him or try to cry for him any anymore more He was dining downstairs so that he might not have to sit near her whose need for him was agony And even that need of ot hers wouldn't matter to one so unusually kind because he Because he hated her her hated hated herl her At five on the following afternoon Marsha laid down a book she had tried ried to read Jailed to read Bob had hadeen been een gone so long She looked at the roses that had haden been en sent her who was masquerading ing ng as having a slight cold On the theard card ard that had come with them was written In an old not quite steady stead script For my very dear dau daughter Child come to see me I am not afraid of catching colds Your loving Mother And on the reverse erse of the card was written I do not like to have you and nd Robert stopping at an ho hotel l. l I Ishall Ishall shall aall reason with him Will you too please lease dear I do so want you both with me Some day of co course course the ache would dwindle dim Marsha reasoned rea rca Aches must or people couldn't love ove on as they did The small clock in the leather case she be always carried with her tolled five fire ve light silvery notes Where was Bob He had been gone so long Then she heard his step in his room his stride always long around the he room She sat tense from listen- listen ing ng After an interval she heard him move again and after that came cam a his tap ap upon her door She called caned Come he entered She saw aw that his look of strain Was deepened deep deep- ened ned that he did not trouble to avoid her eyes He seemed unaware of ot herMay herMay her May I sit down a few w moments he c asked Something had h happened she he realized that had drained him of his last strength Please she answered He settled on a a chair that faced hers Things have changed he faltered altered Its pretty bad It will be beard hard ard for you Ive I've been to see mother She She She-she- she Mother r Very III Dl Hates Hales me and is deeply hurt hurl Marsha larsha supplied levelly Again she glanced lanced toward the roses that had come with that card of ot dear and warming message No not that he answered He drew rew a deep breath squared his shoulders took a from a aleather aleather leather case he always carried lit it with hands that were far from steady teady and then went on ill he stated flatly very ill I its it's cancer I could not tell teU her You Tou You can Imagine how she would feel eel over my telling her we were to toe tobe tobe be e divorced She has been I know now ow too happy over thinking I had you ou He rose abruptly dropped the match to a tray settled once more spoke poke again After she told me about bout herself and herself and Llewellyn of St St. James hospital says she can live no nomore nomore nomore more than a year year she she went on to ten tell me ne of how happy she is to 10 know I have lave you He puffed pulled hard on his There was silence I couldn't tell her herl he broke out I couldn't bear the thought of hurting her ler and the shock might have mean meant meant- 1 Marsha inferred the rest resl of his statement I did not ask for a divorce divorce di di- vorce she said nor nor do I want one until you do and in every way And if it I can help you and help your mother I J do so want tol tot She saw his eyes brim She ached achec to o draw his head to h her r breast anc anco and to o hold it pressed tightly there as she shedid shedid shedid did her best to soothe him help him It is a great deal to ask of you he ic murmured wearily No No she contradicted Copyright 1934 by K Haviland- Haviland Taylor To be continued |