The Somerset reporter., 1901-05-09


81 think you'd better"
where are you goingY
ITO my room"
II shall not be home to dinner"
Neither shall l."
"Why notp
because I'm going away"
ITO stay oyernight?"
ITO stay over many nights"
MARY
"Many nights! What do you care?
What do you want with wife whose
standard of living is what you say
mine is? We've been unhappy to-
gether for months. You misinterpret
everything | say or do. You neither
admire nor trust me-"
81 neither admire nor trust you?
Mary, wait moment"
Let go of my wrist! Why should
you hold me?"
MARY, listen"
81 have listened too long. l have
learned what a man means when he
says to a woman, 4 love your He
means: 4 wish to possess you body
and soul. l wish you to be mine, to
have no power to move Independently
of my will Because a woman Is a
wife is that any reason why she
should have no right to exercise her
own judgment? Must she be coerced
by the will of her husband always-al-
ways? Then the meaning of wifehood
is slavery. You have confessed 1t. The
bane of your existence Is that | have
money. which gives me liberty. You
cannot withhold It from me and so
force me to obedience to your will.
That Is the cause of your complaint"
"Mary, stop-lsten to me-"
mo. | have begun now. l will fin
ish. Have | ever tried to force you
into the companlonship of my cousin
and her friends. whom you despise?
Has 1t ever occurred to you that some
of your friends might be quite as OBJ
jectionable TO me? Don't look at me
like that. Basil. can be just If | am
woman. am just to you. know
you cared for me once, and 1t was not
my money that attracted you either"
mo, by heaven, Mary, it,
"Wait a moment. You know you did
care for me-
"Mary. r.
"Wait. Basil-you cared for some
thing In me that was not like you.
There were any number of women of
your own set you might have had for
the asking, but you must choose me,
and for something they were not and
never could be to you. and then, Basil
take your arm away-you must needs
proceed to make me over. to cast me in
their mold as rapidly as possible. Now
you-l would not have changed yau for
the world | learned to love you as
you are, and | wanted you to stay so.
That is love. But you. after you had
succeeded in making me all over and
had cut me off from the gayety of my
past life. would find you had spoiled
your plaything."
"Oh. throw that all aside. | wouldn't
make you over. Mary, tell you-I"-
And | tell you | have heard those
protestations before, and I~used TO be-
lieve them. Now you must let me
CO.
Believe them2 What did you be-
lieveY
"You needn't be so bitter. cannot
believe In a love that Is in no sense
just"
MARY, not justT
mol 1t isn't just that you should
ask of me that which you would not
for a moment yield | respect your in
dividuality. trust, love you, but
you
"Nary, Mary, 1t is enough
mo, Basil you have stopped my
mouth with kisses before. You shall
not do 1t this time. | will make you
see Why
81 do see. Mary, and | will stop your
mouth-therep
-"why went to my Cousins last
week and why
"Why you are going next week If you
wish to. dear. and
But l don't Wish to-that is, unless
you say shan't."
"But say you shaIlP'
Then | will not"
"And say you shaR so of and leave
me meross and suhen here all by my
self, as you threatened and as | de-
serve. and shall 20 this minute"
Aud you know | can't get away
when you hold me like thls-stop, Basil.
/ shall not eft you kiss me again-not
until you tell me you will trust me al
ways, every where, anywherew
Always. love. everywhere. any
where. Now whatT'
Now you may
Thank you. will whether yoS VIA
or not"
Are you coming home to dnnerT
Are you? Yes"
Yes, love, yes. Chicago Tribune.
Necessary TO Him.