Atlanta Daily World

(Continued from Page 1)

The whole thing, Juliet told herself, was the familiar tempest in the teapot. Still it wasn't a very pleasant sort of secret to carry around. It had the venomous sting of scandal not evil exactly, but the appearance thereof.

The whole shabby situation was revealed before nightfall to the one man she did not want to learn of it.

When Juliet was leaving the building Von Guerdon walked out with her.

"Did you succeed in soothing McSpadden's palpitating heart?" asked sardonically he like a civilized human being, to be a bit nice to her forlorn husband, her nasty mind conjures all sorts of indecencies out of the incident. And McSpadden, poor devil, in his starved heart merely wanted to touch the hem of your garment, so to speak. I can understand that. I can see his wife now, beefy and overfed, shrieking about the sacredness of her home. No joy, no understanding, no conception of life beyond corned beef and cabbage. Always ready to cast the first stone. The sow's ear trying to be a silk purse. But don't you worry.

The outburst left him white about the temples and there was the glitter of steel in his eyes. Juliet looked at him in astonishment--this was another self of Von Guerdon's she had never suspected.

"Wait a minute!" Von Guerdon's tone was almost angry. "You mean to tell me that vile woman is trying to link her husband up with you?"

For no good reason-because this, certainly, was only banter--a burst of anger like shrapnel exploded in Juliet. "I want you to understand once and for all, it doesn't matter to you what I do!" she blazed forth. "We settled that the night of-the night of--"

"I know-the night of O'Hara," he put in "That is-the first night you tried to force yourself into my affairs. And I wish you'd mind your own business really. It irritates me beyond all reason, Not because I have anything to conceal or be ashamed of. As a matter of fact, I'd rather tell you straight out about McSpadden than listen to your sneaking itchy insinuations. McSpadden called on me and brought me some flowers. I gave him a couple of cocktails and he broke into a Highland Fling. Just then his wife arrived, and now she is going to write to Madame Hubert that I'm breaking up her home. The whole thing is simply absurd, but I suppose you'll make a mountain out of it!"

As soon as her tactless irritation faded Juliet realized she had been illogical and silly to confess her private affair to Von Guerdon. The only thing she could expect in return would be sneers.

Von Guerdon stopped stock still in the street. One of his hands impulsively seized her arm. "Wait a minute!" his tone was almost angry. "You mean to tell me that vile woman is trying to link her wormy little husband up with you?"

Juliet looked at him in amazement. She had expected derision, jealous sarcasm--anything except his spontaneous loyalty.

"It doesn't amount to anything," she began.

"It's the most poisonous thing I've ever heard of," said Von Guerdon.