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CONFESSIONS
LOVE BARS REASON
"For a moment, Margie," con
tinued Paula, "everything turned
black, but I distrusted my ears. Then,
just as I was reaching for the tele
phone I heard my name called again,
louder and more distinct this time
'Paula!'
"Not stopping to think I walked
quickly across my room to the out
side door. It was Earnest's voice
that I heard and my helief was great
when I realized it, for now I knew I
would have no more trouble from
the hateful being on the other side of
the door.
"Quickly I pulled the door open
there was no one in the hall. For a
moment I could not understand and
then from the other side of the con
necting door I again heard my name
called, 'Paula,' and, God help me, I
recognized the voice.
"It was Earnest Lawton who
spoke.
"Softly I closed the door and went
back and stood as near as possible
to the place from where, the sound
came. I must make sure, I told my
self, I must make sure I was not mis
taken, for Earnest again tapped more
loudly than before and said 'Paula,
oh, Paula, are you awake?'
" 'Yes, I am awake. What do you
want and why are you placing me in
this terrible position at this time of
night?'
" 'Let me in, Paula, let me in,' he
said.
"'Are you drunk?'
" 'Yes, my dear, drunk with love
of "you!'
" 'Do you think this the ,way a
man should treat the woman lJe truly
loves the woman he is going to
make his wife?'
" 'Don't you love me any more,
baby child? v You said1 you did just a
little while ago. Say, don't you love
me?' Earnest persisted.
" 'I don't know, I don't know,
OF A WIFE
FROM ITS REALMS
Earnest.' The words came from my
lips before I knew what I was say
ing. " 'And this is the girl who just
about an hour ago said she would
make any sacrifice for me. You were
not lying, Paula, were you, darling?'
" 'Not at the time.'
" 'Let me come in, dear, and I will
explain it all.'
" 'There is nothing to explain that
cannot wait until tomorrow.'
" 'Yes, there is. I want to tell you
again I love you. Why, dearest, I
have been looking forward to hav
ing you in Philadelphia. It was, in
fact, for this that I made my man
agers close a prosperous season in
New York. Please let me come in,
and I'll tell you all about it.'
"Earnest's voice was raised to such
a key now that I was afraid some one
would hear.
" 'You must not speak to me any
more. I am going to sleep now,' I
said. '
" 'But I can't sleep. My nerves are
on edge. I must talk to you. Why
are youso foolish? I would not hurt
a hair of your darling head.' '
"And then, Margie, I thought per
haps I was foolish.
"Surely a man who truly loved me
could mean me no harm. Perhaps it
was only my prudishness that was
makinme see wrong in the some
what erratic temperamental out
bursts of my lover.
" 'Are you going to' be good; or are
you a stingy baby child?' he asked.
" 'But, Earnest, I am sleepy and
you can certainly tell me what you
have to say in the morning.'
" 'And this is the girl who just a
few hours ago said she would make
sacrifices for me when I ask her to
sacrifice a half hour's sleep for me
she turns me down. Oh, Paula, don't
be a little goose. Let me in.'
"I turned to the door and was
about to pull the bolt -when there
