The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-05-03


'Indeedw
Shall tell you what it isT
'Tf you please"
well, then, think you do not love
me-"
"Ohw
Il think my society appears as dull
to you as the society of the other in
habitants of this village, which you
frankly confess you detest. / think
there are men-and one in Particular
Basil, l wouldn't go on"
"Why notY'
Because there is a candor cannot
endure and keep my self respect"
'Then I'm not to speak the whole
truth? I'm to keep my reservation
81 think you'd better"
where are you goingT"
ITO my ROOM"
II shall not be home to dinner"
Neither shall l."
"Why not?"
Because I'm going away"
ITO stay overnight?"
ITO stay over many nights"
"Maryr'
MANY nights! What do you care?
What do you want with a wife whose
standard of living is what you say
mine is? We've been unhappy to-
gether for months. You misinterpret
everything l say or do. You neither
admire nor trust me-"
81 neither admire nor trust you?
Mary, wait a moment"
"I4et go of my wrist! Why should
you hold meP"
"Mary, listen"
II have listened too long. l have
learned what man means when he
says to woman, 1 love your He
means: L 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 it. The
bane of your existence is that l 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--listen to me-"
"No. l have begun now. l will fin
ish. Have l ever tried to force you
into the companionship of my cousin
and her friends, whom you despise?
Has it 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 I am
a woman. | am just to you. l know
you cared for me once, and it was not
my money that attracted you either"
"No, by heaven, Mary, it,
"Wait a moment. You know you did
care for me-
MARY, p
"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'll would not have changed you 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"
ooh, throw that all aside l wouldn't
make you over Mary, l tell you-P'-
"And | tell you l have heard those
protestations before, and | used to be-
lieye them. Now you must let me
co.
Believe them? What did you be-
lieve"
"You needn't be so bitter. l cannot
believe in a love that is in no sense
just"
'Mary, not just"
mo! 1t isn't just that you should
ask of me that which you would not
for moment yield l respect your in
dividuality, trust, l love you, but
YOU
''Mary, Mary, it is enough
mo, Basil, you have stopped my
mouth with kisses before. You shall
not do it this time. l will make you
see Why
81 do see, Mary, and will stop your
mouth-thereW
--''why | went to my Cousins last
week and Why
"Why you are going next week If you
wish to, dear, and
"But | don't wish to-that is, unless
you say shan't."
But say you shallr'
"rhen | will not"
"And say you shall go off and leave
me morose and sullen here all by my
self, as you threatened and as l de-
serve, and shall go this minute"
"And you know | can't get away
when you hold me like this-stop, Basil
| shall not let you kiss me again-not
until you tell me you will trust me al
ways, everywhere, anywherew
always, love, everywhere, any
where. Now what?"
"Now you may
"Thank you. will whether you viii
or not"
Are you coming home to dinner?"
"Are you? Yes"
eyes, love, yes.'-Chieago Tribune.