The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-02-01


invariably met with a startled rebuff
from others. Her eyes went to the
floor and she dropped obviously.
The effect was electrical. The two
faces before her seemed suddenly i'm
mobilizd. The woman looked ahead
of her with hard, unseeing eyes, and
WINGED as though struck; but the man,
| with a mans distaste for a scene, was
the first to treat this. conversational
bomb as casual matter He leaned
forward in the most friendly manner
possible, although his ruddy skin had
taken on a still warmer tint, and
forced a smile as he looked into the
| wide eyes that gazed wonderingly into
his own:
"Well, now, what makes you ask
such a funny question:" he queried.
Il wanted to know so bad,'' she said,
appealingly. "Mamma's got one, but
she's gone away, an everybody says
BE STILL wen I ask them. Nobody
will tell me what divorce is. Did
it hurt mamm?" she cried. Her eyes
still urged their questionable ques-
tion that she had asked again and
again, but to which no one had given
her an answer.
The woman leaned forward, gather
ed the little bundle of loneliness into
her arms and held her close.
Where has mamma gone, dear"
she asked Her husband had leaned
back again and was staring at the
floor. Husband and wife ignored each
other.
Gone to be an angel" was the
prompt answer. Papa went away
first, but he didn't go to be angel.
Cook said so. An mamma cried and
cried, an got sick and went to bed,
an 1 heard nurse tell cook that NAM
ma had a divorce. An wen l asked
mamma w'ot that was she JUS cried
and hugged me; and l asked nurse,
an she cried, an she scolded me an
said l mustn't ever say such a thing
again. Then they took mamma away
in long carriage with flowers in 1t,
an the lady next door came in an said
the divorce killed mamma. An to-
day I asked the lawyer-man over there
an he just jumped an said, My good
gracious, cnile!' 1 do so want to
know what divorce is" 1t was a
long speech for a small girl, but the
words tripped over each other in
their haste to escape, and there were
plenty more waiting to be released.
The wonan's voice was calm and
even as she answered; the curve Of
her cheek vouchsafed her husbands
! view was as fair and cold as the snow,
but the eyes fixed on the child burned
like living Goals.
"But who takes care of you, dear?"
81 don't know she said, slowly, as
though this were a new idea to her.
Mamma did, but she went to be an
angel so awful soon; an nurse an
cook did, but they kissed me an cried
an went away the day that lots of
people came to our house an bought
things. Now the lawyer-man is taking
me away to live with mammals auntie.
I guess" Frightening up, shell take
care of me now
She lifted supplicating face to the
woman bending over her, and with
child's unwearied insistence again
sought an answer to the question that
lay so heavily on her little soul. L.
Wont you please tell me w'ot a
divorce is?"
1t was delicate situation. The man
leaned forward and answered for his
1 wife, who had mutely turned her head
away. He was fond Of children.
= Now see here; suppose tell you,
will you promise not to worry about
it any more?"
A vigorous nod.
He remained silent moment, trying
to formulate an answer so simple that
the child's mind could grasp it, then
spoke to the anxious face:
! well, a divorce is-a divorce-well,
two people ct married, you know;
and sometimes it doesn't work as we'll
as they thought it would, so they go
to the lawyer-man like yours over
there and get unmarfied.'
He 1ounderei hopelessly over his
definition, ending it with an uncom-
fortably red face, for it was harder
than he had anticipated, and two
searching eyes glued to your face are
apt to be disconcerting.
The little one nestled back against
the bosom which eXhaled the same
faint, uncatchable sweet odor that had
always clung to mammals dresses, and,
with her inquiring eyes still searching
! -, .... f,oo propoup6od tho nnYf