Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-06-04
The Daily Short Story
A FORGOTTEN CURVE.

''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.
She looked at him n moment and an
swered Yes" quite mechanically. Even
then it seemed as II something must in
terfere; il could not be possible that this
was the end-that they who had been so
happy could forget it all and go in diff
ferent ways.
1t had come about so straugely-they
hardly knew how themselves. One could
not blame either OF them. Somehow the
glamour was gone, and there was little
back OF the glamour. She was sweet and
pretty aud had dainty ways and good
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 n little 10 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 il 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 MIN
more irritable than ever.
Kisses and smiles had grown to be lux
uries. Perhaps in a way she was 10
blame-innocentlyc enough. Sarcasm -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
well, but one cannot be sweet and Iowa
BILE and know how TO fence too. 1t is
acl.i fnn arfa
known art to her, and she vexed him by
her very helplessness.
For some months IL 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 10
defeat its object. a little dash of indie
pendence now-but she did not know
that.
Aud now, after feeling fort seemed
L 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, IL 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
mOckery and, as a woman will, great
Ieal more that came of itself when once
the fioodgates OF her reserve were loosen
ed.
II was a revelation-much as il one
were TO see a quiet pool turn into rag
ing torrent before ones eyes. He turned
a little pale.
"Then you think we had better sepa-
rate?' he asked quietly.
And she said Yes mechanically, alb
sently.
Il viii take you TO your mother"
She looked up startled.
'\ow!'
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 n separation-a divorce
in time Well, it was not her doing.
Something was leading her into the shad-
ows-fate or destiny-when she ionged
to stay i'm 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 os
his past life, so to these children of fate
came clearly. as in a glass. the days. the
incidcnts-all 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 its outline |
that graceful curve from neck TO shout |
der-how he used to admire IL, and how
he had ceased to notice it lately; and
from the shoulder, curving carelessly in
to her slender waist. What a 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 n choking |
voice, don't you think we could try
His arm was around her. and from the |
depths of his shoulder he heard joyful |
ifttia eohhinO ssYeS "-ExchanRp.