Atlanta Tri Weekly Journal

MY WIFE AND I
BY CAROLYN BEECHER
CHAPTER XXVII
Two days passed and still Natalie secluded herself. I heartily wished her mother would follow her example. She talked constantly of Natalie's sensitiveness, of my duty to her. Yet I knew she had no idea why Natalie was acting as she was, that nothing had been said to her of my refusal to pay her bills.
I was with Uncle Robert when the office boy announced that a Mr. Brooks was waiting to see me. I returned to my own office, telling the boy to send him in. To my surprise it was Natalie's brother. The name had made no impression on me. I had seen him only two or three times, but tried to hide my surprise and welcomed him cordially. The thought came that Natalie had sent him. He soon disillusioned me.
"I have come to you on a private matter, Bruce," he said, twisting his hat and acting embarrassed.
"What can I do for you?" I asked, wondering if he and his wife were in trouble. Natalie had told me they didn't hit it off very well.
"I need some money for a short time--say two or three months. I'll pay six per cent or even more for the accommodation."
"How much do you want?"
"A thousand dollars."
"Have you any security?" I asked, stifling the inclination to whistle my surprise at the amount.
"No--and I don't think it would be necessary, you being one of the family. I will absolutely pay it back in three months with interest."
As I have said I am soft. Then he was Natalie's brother. The very fact that Natalie was angry with me made me feel more like doing something for him. I had refused her for a sufficient cause. If her brother really needed the money it was not strange that he had come to me, his brother-in-law. I made out a check for a thousand dollars, then said:
"Be sure, Kirk, you have the money in three months. I can't spare it longer and would have refused it to anyone but you." I gave him the three months' note to sign, feeling that with a man of his type it made the transaction more binding.
He asked after Natalie, said he had seen her about a week before and thought she never looked better. He informed me his mother would visit him before she returned home, thanked me again and was gone.
"I expect I have been an ass," I said aloud.
I dined with Uncle Robert and it was late when I reached home. The apartment dark. Natalie was not in our room. I went to bed at once, making no effort to find out if she was at home, if she was still keeping up the farce of being ill. I also left the next morning without seeing her, and again I made no inquiries. She had no right to treat me as she was doing because I refused to burden myself with extravagances for her mother.
When I returned at dinner time the apartment was brilliantly lighted and Natalie and her mother were chatting gaily in the living room.
"You're feeling better, aren't you?" I asked as I kissed Natalie.
"Never felt better," she said carelessly, not returning my kiss.
"Shall we go to the theater if we can get tickets?" I asked, certain that she had fixed things with her mother in some way and therefore was willing to be friends with me.
I had no intention of playing the despot and was only too glad to give her what I could. I called up the theater and secured three good seats. I had not asked for a box.
The play was amusing and I enjoyed it hugely. I had been more depressed than I realized by Natalie's conduct and the rebound was welcome. After the theater we had a bite of supper.
When we reached home I was delighted when Natalie threw off her wrap in our room. Another sign she had settled matters in some manner.
Her mother left us almost immediately, pleading a slight headache.
"Has your mother arranged to settle her bills?" I asked. I had no intention of evading the subject. I would hear what Natalie had to say, then forget all about it. I was sure it never would happen again.
"Brother Kirk paid them. I sent them to him, telling him they must be paid and this afternoon the receipts came. I still think it very ungenerous of you; you might have paid them. Where he got the money is a puzzle to me, but it's none of my affair as long as they are paid."
I had not interrupted her--I couldn't. I was so angry I dared not try to speak. So that was what her brother wanted the money for. I had paid the bills after all.
"You say you sent them to him. Did you tell him I refused to pay them?"
"No! I wouldn't let my own brother know how shabbily you have acted. It's bad enough for me to know it."
Should I tell her? I was strongly tempted to, then thought better of it. Kirk had told me it was a private matter; he had not let Natalie know how he secured the money. My position was more dignified if I kept still.
To let her know that after all I had said, after I had sworn I would not pay them, I had been hoaxed into paying them, was a blow to my self-respect I could not endure.
So with some careless remark I dismissed the subject. The moment the bills had been paid, no matter how, Natalie had apparently thought the matter ended. But long after she slept I lay awake planning. I had not married the family and what had happened might well happen again unless I took steps to prevent it.
(Continued Thursday. Renew your subscription now to avoid missing a chapter.)