Show ANDRA THE JEALOUS I i I By Jane Phelps CHAPTER A Realization and a Plea Everett did did not once speak to me all 11 through dinner I felt my thoughts disordered confused contused Had I again been een wrong I dared not try to tomake make conversation before Thomas I did didot not not ot know know what I might say My brain was was not sufficiently collected Had HadIt Hadnot It not been that Miss Pierce had seemed so eagerly to welcome my presence I should still have doubted them hem But she was unaffectedly glad to 0 se see me so anxious to consult me that hat I 1 did not know what to think It shot across my mind as we sat there here silent how strange it was that I one ne human being should have so little i sympathy with another I 1 felt that Everett was all ll out of sympathy with I I me not me-not not because of my action In condemning condemning condemning con con- him him my my unfair criticism I but jut because he did not love me as ashe ashe asle I he le should I felt some way ay that things had come ome to a crisis That Everett would perhaps hate me because of ot my Uncalled uncalled un- un called for tirade my spying I knew his hid ideas upon such subjects He had no patience with anyone who did such things The thought of ot Everetts Everett's love for tor I that hat other woman who had been his wife had clung to me like a vicious I web I had struggled a against it ft but butt it t had enwrapped me poisoning my life Ufe ife I never h had d been able to shake it t from me I 1 had been unfair to him in allowIng allow- allow Ing ng myself to become so enmeshed In j jealousy for tor her that it had made me unhappy so annoying him even him even though hough he knew not the reason I had been air fIr Iff regard to his acquaintance ac acquaintance ac- ac with Irma Barton and oth others proved others proved wrong in my And now had I been unjust about Miss Pierce If I had what had I to find fault with Quickly Into nto my mind leaped the The love I long for tor Is not mine minel t Then toll followed owed the thought I have heard that one can really love but once Perhaps Everett gives me all lie he has to give So harried by such thoughts I excused myself when we had finished and went up to hear what Miss Pierce had to say I think I never read so selfish a lett letter letter let let- let let- t ter r as was the one from her step step- mother At once all my anger against the he girl and so against Everett died away I 1 should not think of going if I 11 were you I I. I told her Your our stepmother stepmother step step- step I mother simply wants you to wait walt upon her and do th the drudgery You say she he is perfectly well Oh yes she's she always been healthy She Is younger than father and will dance all night But sh she hates to do anything about tho the house I do hope It is right for me to stay I love Junior so it would break reak my heart to leave him Then too too too- she flushed father cant can't afford to pay me rue anything anything any any- thing hardly afford to dress me I I C Chate hate to give up my independence It Isn't your duty Mr Graham k thinks as as I do I replied and was wai C rewarded by y such a gush of ot tears tears' ii it t frightened me The poor girl had been beer d worrying for fear we ve would tell her hei her duty lay with her stepmother After Atter I had quieted her I went L downstairs to Everett Well he ho said Miss Pierce showed me the letter I 1 told her to stay I answered ashamed and wanting to say so bu but t not knowing quite how you anything to say ti to tome tome me Only to ask your forgiveness fo for tor formy tormy r my suspicions ButI But ButI But But- I forgive you Sandra because you yoi 1 are not the fault finding suspicious 5 kind usually But my dear haven haven't t you yet learned me ins Haven't Haven t I proved myself to you Yes Yes but but But what I made no answer although th the e words I so BO longed yet hated hate to sa say trembled on my lips Ups But what dear he asked again But you dont don't love ne me me As I spoke the tears came In ln a perfect per per- f ct flood All the emotion c of f C the years of misgivings poured d dout l out in that flood of tears and heart heart- racking sobs I r dont don't love lov you you Why Sandra what do you mean ho hs o. o asked k d as Is h he 0 took me in his arms and my y eyes Y 4 j 7 f d' d j i s r I CHAPTER A Perfect Understanding What do you mean Everett re repeated repeated repeated re- re holding me closely I do not l love ove you How can you say such a ahing athing t thing hing Because It is true I sobbed Sandra Sandr try and Quiet yourself and tell me why you think I do not l love ove you Please dear Again he wiped my eyes tenderly and waited I dare i don't dont dare I c Dont dare I do not understand Surely you 3 are iare not afraid of me You weren't before dinner when you were vero of suspicious me That was different But Everett I have loved you so almost so-almost almost eyer ever since we were married married and and It has hurt me so so I What has hurt you Because you didn't love me me like like you you could could f Sandra will you stop crying and tell me rue what you mean he ho spoke e in a voice I never had heard One that seemed to hold a note of anxiety and something very like desire Ill try Everett I I. I gulped down my sobs desperately ly frightened but determined to tell him Perhaps itI It If I I 1 did I would stop thinking of it it- it my only thought So I 1 told him of of all I had felt since I married him five years be be- be fore tore How Howat at first it was Leolas Leola's picture then other things Of ot my resemblance to her which everyone told me of of-my of my coloring coloring and and his buying me the same colors in clothes and in Jewelry he had bought her How the talk of ot these things hurt me Then I told him of my other Jealousies Of Irma and the others Finally I spoke of finding the letters I of of which he knew knew and and how the reading of the two had Jad made me rue meso meso so miserable that even my curiosity would not let me read any more Then I 1 recalled all the little things I which I have here narrated that made C me miserable up to the time I fo found foune nd I Ithe the note he had written L Leola that thal that note flote which so long ago she ha had I pinned In ln the bosom of ot her ball gown That hurt worst of all I told I him You never have said anything like that t to me rue never once Ther Then t I 1 knew l new for sure that YO you never ha had I loved me Up to that time I hadn't hadu t been quite sure I thought perhaps it was because you were dl dignified and older that you never said things thing 3 Ul like e that to me me like like Duane Sloane I says to Alice and now flOW Irmas Irma's husband hus bus band band hos he's hes as old as you you says says tc to her But after I found that I knew r you never would love me That's the i reason I have been depressed ana anc 1 couldn't tell you what was the m mat matter matter t- t ter ter ter-I I was ashamed to tell fell you I 1 hid my face fac against his bosom 1 I could not look at him after what I had confessed Suddenly I heard a sob or som something some some- thing very like it Ills His arms closed even more tightly around me and he was murmuring words of love bye over me meMy My precious My precious precious little wife He said It over and over To think you have been unhappy because you Imagined I didn't love you Why my darling I 1 was afraid to show bow mylove my mylove mylove love for you to the extent I wanted to for tor fear you would think me a silly old fool Your young friends had made ade fun tun of me as an old man until I really felt you looked ed upon me In the same light For five years dearest I have held myself in che check lt for fear tear I would shock perhaps disgust disgust disgust dis dis- dis- dis gust you Oh what a waste o ot time he added whimsically And Arid dear let us settle things once for allI all aU I DID love Leola I was a boy when I married her I honored her memory memory mem ory or-hr for nine years I asked you to marry me not me-not not to raise a family as you have said has been told you you you- but because I loved you I was perhaps perhaps per per- per per- haps Imps strict with you but you were such uch a child I wanted you to I be happy a and aid d I know you ou could not be ba unless you were at ease in the position position position tion you occupied It was the same fear your mother had All these oth other r things meant nothing yet If you h had d told me h how w you felt all wretchedness would have been avoided And dearest dear- dear est eat the love of a boy is ls as al nothing to that of at a man You are the jO Joy of or my heart the real love of or my manhood Oh Sandra why did you not all this to me long ago I r didn't dare I was afraid or ot y you yi l I never neve s shall a. a be again agal b because ca se C t fi I now I I know you love me me-I me I never knew that before belore You must have been been blind I have been so proud of you darling i iI I am sure ure e others have haye noticed and commented I didn't want you to be be proud of ot me I wanted you to love me I replied and again he whispered love words to me X It was five years before this I had married Everett Five years of life I had nearly wasted because I would not trust the man I loved I Iwas Iwas Iwas was 23 years old now flOW and ana Just be beginning beginning beginning be- be ginning to know what it meant to tobe tobe tobe be happy Those five years years years-oh oh how I have regretted them Now I am u se happy as the day is ls long My story is ended For when one Is perfectly happy when one Is sailing on n a calm sea there is little to tell That we weare weare weare are happy is all But If anyone who reads this is ls Jealous suspicious by nature dont don't keep on being Jealous and suspicious making excuses for tor yourself on that ground Talk things over then have faith Trust is seldom abused But even though it were it is better than to toI have soured ones one's life by Jealousies I and suspicions THE THEl END ENDS |