Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-03-29
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! A FORGOTTEN CURVE GU I [ {. ]:
Observation-Disclosures.

Then you think we had better sepa-
rate?''
She had not suggested it, but it sound
ed less brutal to say so. He was at all
times polite.
sWered YES quite mechanically. Even
then it seemed as if something must in
terfere; it could not be possible that this
was the end-that they who had been so
happy could forget it all and 60 in diff
ferent ways!
1t had come about so strangely-they
hardly knew how themselves. One could
not blame either of them. Somehow the
back of the glamour. She was sweet and
pretty and had dainty ways and gool
taste, and she was good, really and sin
cere-not cloyingly nor aggressively.
But she had taken things for granted,
and after the honeymoon, instead of pad
ding little to keep the ripples on the
surface, she had been content to drift
till all the sparkle had gone out of the
quiet waters.
And newell, it seemed as if the charm
Of love had thrown him over his natural
disposition at first and mellowed and
smoothed the angles of cynicism, and he
had thought he was completely changed,
but of late he had champed and fretted
and grown sarcastic and moody, then re-
morseful, and the very remorse made him
more irritable than ever.
Kisses and smiles had grown to be lux
uries. Perhaps in a way she was to
blame-innocently enough. Sar casm -four
ishes best when the cheeks flush and the
lips droop pathetically under it's sting. II
she had rallied and parted in merry,
wholesome scorn, all would have been
we'll. but one cannot be sweet and Iowa
BILE and know how to fence too. It is
asking too much. Repartee was an I'M
known art to her, and she vexed him by
her very helplessness.
For some months it had gone on SO,
GOODNESS and misunderstanding and per-
petual heart breaks and striving to
please. all unaware, poor, child, that the
effort was so painfully apparent as to
defeat its object. A little dash of indie
pendence now-but she did not know
that.
And now, after feeling fort seemed
a century-that something, everything,
was wrong, that each felt uncomfortable
in the presence Of the other, that each
was unhappy, chatting under the bond and
crying silently against fate that had
cheated them, it came to pass that a
reckless mood came over her, and, with
a sudden Tightening of heart and throat,
she had declared passionately, tragically,
that life was unbearable, that love was a
mocEery and, as woman will, great
deal more that came of itself when once
the floodgates Of her reserve were loosen
ed.
It was q revelation-much as if one
were to see quiet pool turn into a rag
ing torrent before ones eyes. He turned
little pale.
"Then you think we had better sepa-
rate?" he asked quietly.
And she said "Yes'' mechanically, alb
sently.
Il will take you to your mother"
She looked up startled.
"NowY'
'Why not? There is no necessity Of
prolonging the 'mockery,' is there?"
She stood perfectly still. The words
rang in her ears, Whom God has join
ed together let no man put asunder," but
her modern teaching held no such decree.
There would be separation-a divorce
in time. Well, it was not her doing.
Something was leading her into the shad-
ows-fate or destiny-when she longed
to stay in the sunshine So she argued
to herself as she put on her wraps and
went out with him into the street.
Neither spoke as they went along the
broad, dimly lighted avenue. AS to Il
drowning man comes the revelation of
his past life, 50 to these children of fate
came clearly, as in glass, the days, the
incidents-an the joy of their early love
their marriage and the days that fol
lowed.
A streak Of light fell across the pave:
ment, throwing into bold relief her shad-
ow, and his eye travelled over it's outline
that graceful curve from neck to shoul,
der-how he used to admire it, and how
he had ceased to notice it lately; and
from the shoulder, curving carelessly in
to her slender waist What delicate
curve it was, and how pathetic! How
slight she was-how childishly slight!
And he was leaving her to battle alone
against life! Had he not taken her to
the threshold of happiness and then lock-
ed the doors and turned her adrift in the
darkness?
1t fascinated him: He watched the
shadow lengthen and finally disappear.
but the slight figure was beside him.
, How natural it was to shield her, to-
dearest" he exclaimed in choking
voice, don't you think we could try
His arm was around her. and from the
depths of his shoulder he heard joyful
little, sobbing eyes. "-Exchange. s.
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