Show TELEGRAM I I FICTION tM Spite Marriage By KATHARINE H TAYLOR HAVILAND-TAYLOR A VIL TAYLOR AND SYNOPSIS 1 The divorce Bob Powers was forc fore ing Marsha to get getis is stopped because I of f the fact tact that Bobs Bob's mother has I fallen alien ill iliof of an incurable disease He decides that the old lady must roust not know enow know of their unhappiness ess and when he e returns to finish up his work in in Mexico he leaves Marsha to watch over ver his mother CHAPTER 29 Has the postman stopped Mrs Powers asked Marsha I think we should hould have a letter from Robert Not yet dear I told Bartholomew Bartholo Bartholo- Bartholo's I mew to ring bring the th-c letters rs up st straight off oU ff I I. I too spoke to him to give much much the ic same order Have you ou noticed the ic begonia Marsha 1 The one with the sad pale leaf lean Yes dear I thought when you smoked you could blow smoke upon it but gently Yes d darling Was that the postman I think not dear but Ill I'll go see Then Then hen Ill I'll smoke the begonia It has aphis on it I fear I 1 thought so so too dear It had been the postman n ino letter rom Bob Was there anything in inthe Inthe the le post that would divert his mother Marsha larsha wondered w Th Thank heaven there here was a letter from France She would make endless to-do to about that and with Marsha's her er wonder ab about ut the writer and her further leading Mrs Powers would tell ell her all aU about the writer who her cr mother was etc and etc That would mute the disappointment Such handling andling had muted Mrs Powers' Powers disappointment dis dis- appointment for tor three days now Bobs Bob's First Letter Was he well Safe She paused a moment on the stair chilled by fears ears Then with of the chin she hurried upward Bob Mrs Powers asked as she appeared No No but we could hardly hope to hear ear as yet there hasn't been time But youve you've a lett letter r from Francel From France Now I wonder wonder- wonder wonder-tO Of c course urse I 1 dont don't know the writ writ- lug Ing its it's a rather bold writing And Ibe paper Ill I'll get your letter utter cutter Please dear I dont don't to seem remember remember re re- remember member that writing Do you think it t was written by a man or woman Marsha larsha Id I'd say a woman Marsha farsha answered an slowly As would I I. I The curly P P. But Bu some some some- men curl P Ps Yes Ive I've noticed B But t there is a boldness too that thai suggests a man This minutes thai that I pat patient ent said Hannah later when 3 I I looked her way way- sometimes 1 could coUk I Isee see ee a halo around her like there is on oi on 1 I the be the saints themselves Always gentle and spoken soft understanding spoken understanding am asic I with a heart art that is rare to see She had her first letter from Bob Bat while Powers' Powers clergyman called She he sent the letter addressed to hi his I I mother nother upstairs where Mrs I lay ay suffering In her bed it was a bad day And downstairs Marsha sat hold hold- ing ng mg her hands and closely losely as she he tried trice I to o listen At one time she knew sh she would have been amused by jolting the he old dodo now she saw him a as S rather dear i He was trying so to entertain her with his winded long and tedious description description de de- de- de of a trip to the Holy Land The congregation had sent ent him he lie explained she saw elsaw his pride How they must love youl she shead said ad and what W at a rare opportunity to see that wonderful He nodded smiling He had heard I sundry whispers of her this lovely and md charming young woman He couldn't understand them he had never met a more delightful or beau beau- young woman Mrs Powers Power talked of ot her herby by the f hour ur He Rc listened n d happily and with sympathy How un just were men and women She held Jobs Bobs l letter closely between be ibe- between tween her palms She heard Travel to my thinking Is broadening Oh quite she agreed Simplicity touched and warmed her now Th The Theold Theold old one that she had been dead been d dead Bob had written a description b bt bf one drunken Pedro who drunk hadl hat had hovel l Uh J licky a then frowned reading it She wrote later Dear Bob Everything Every- Every t hing thing is running along so smoothly f Cor or us here Your mother was made madeo s so o happy by your letter to her But I Iam Im am m going to tell you ou because I know you ou want me mc to not to write of drunk drunk- en n natives ag again in It was funny She was was deeply shocked by it and you sec see Bob ob I 1 couldn't very well keep your first letter Jetter to me from her Letters in Return Mrs Powers had murmured How dreadful how dreadful So please in writing me next time s say ay there are many very good anc and sober sober ober natives And write m me md a little littlemore littlemore more warmly if you can she expects it t Anything you mean you can put i In n parentheses I 1 can slip extra sheets into nto yours I show her the She warm warm- toned letters I write you She likes to o see them I 1 know But Bul an extra letter etter sheet from you ou might not be beasy easy for me meto to explain I 1 might open that hat letter before her I want her to know enow she is in in instep step with us in full ful confidence You understand I am le learning ming to play checkers I mean Im I'm not Do you remember Ring ling Lardner's The Golden Honeymoon Honeymoon Honeymoon Honey Honey- moon In that one old gentleman said aid Checkers is a childs child's game anc ancic and the ic other replied 1 I quote roughly I Is It Itis Its I is s the way you play It IU And that aplies ap plies lies I am being beaten horribly and nd I 1 shant shan't be entered in the great grea American steeplechase r I love play play- lug ing ng I am happy serving your mother Her other letter began with My dearest my my very dearest husband husband- Bob read that that again again and again again- and nd one night he found himself penciling pending pen pen- ding the parentheses that were to tell ell his chaff from gr grain ln around the theMy theMy My dearest dearest my my very dearest husband husband hus hus- band and that Marsha had written and too too oo around every other sentence o of Ih hers lers rs that matched the warmth of air aire he e breathed He dream dreamed d other despite his best bes intentions to think nothing of ot her dreamed reamed of her while white awake to find stepping topping from the dreams ms the coldly bitter jitter reality that was made by truth January wh whirled by The bridge grew There were many games of checkers check check- ers rs there were on Mrs Powers Powers' good days sober drives in a closed motor There were small teas for Mrs Powers' Powers friends wh when n Marsha p and d talked of storing woolens a and d of f the di dietetic habits of moths and of cooks and and their migratory tendencies V Marsha began to plan and to order orde the he meals meals to deal with by y telephone to arrange flowers Once and again she was forced to cheat herself of necessary sleep in order to get Bobs Bob's letter off oft off Marsha had admired Mrs Powers Powers' deft knitting of wash cloths Mrs Powers had replied D Dear r f. f it jt is no task ask at all all after after you catch it Let Lc nc me teach you to knit themI am certain lain ain it would fascinate you Nothing is more soothing The knitting of the wash cloths did not soothe Marsha but she did he her valiant best to learn learn for she knew Mrs Powers would find a new anew new interest inter interest est through teaching her Marsha larsha Eulogized There Is more to this than I supposed sup sup- posed poa mother Marsha would admit admit ad ad- admit mit with a sigh to hear Darling you are doing very very well In fact and quite truly remarkably well con s that your aunt did not deem si it i t wise vise to teach you these necessary I things in childhood V Mrs Powers invariably emphasized aunt when it applied to Miss Gerrude Gertrude Ger Ger- t rude trude Moore Miss Gertrude had made Mrs Powers add a codicil to her prayers this ran ran And soften the heart icart of your erring child Lord to that hat woman who who was not ot fair as as' as you vou well know khow Lord to our dear Marsha Miss Gertrude had called upon Mrs Powers Jowers to sit stonily silent as Mrs Powers eulogized Marsha The eulogies eulo cub lies gies loud and tremulous they hey had done nothing Miss Gertrude Gertrude Gertrude Ger trude left Mrs Powers shaking and close to tears When Marsha came back from sec seeS Ing ng Miss Gertrude to her motor Mrs Powers put her arms around the girl gir girl who was chilled by the hideous feelIng feel eel eelIng Ing Irig that her aunt might have said something to to change Bobs Bob's mother toward herI her herI I love ove you dear dean dearl Mrs Powers said fiercely To Be BeC C Continued Copyright 1934 by byK K Haviland- Haviland Taylor |