Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-05

presence. oHth the night Mrs.
Cranes dinner their happiness, indeed,
| was almost too perfect to be true.
From that day the shadow Of the
Syndicate stalked between them.
| They returned TO the subject again
and again, but their discussions ) al
| ways ended where they began. He
could not understand why she should
consider wrong transaction of which
the morality had never concerned him,
and she could not understand the easy
unscrupuiOusness of his attitude to-
ward it. She might have forgiven him
the wrong; she could not forgive his
Inconsistencies that there was wrong.
1t seemed to indicate some inherent
defect in his moral sense that nothing
could remedy.
Finally she resigned herself to her
establishment. The Syndicate be-
came n subject TO be vigorously avoid
ed. but the constraint its avoidance
imposed fingered and grew in spite Of
them both. The one shut door be-
tween them seemed to close al! the
avenues OK thclr sympathy. Thrown
back upon herself, the young wife felt
for the first time usefulness for the
companionship Of her girlhood, a sense
of loneliness amid the bleak rooms and
staid friends that satisfied her hus-
band. Almost insensibly. as this feel
ing strengthened, she began to avail
herself OF the social opportunities that
Winchester held out to her. Her
brightness and charm made her an
acquisition, and she was soon launched
upon round of luncheons. teas and
such other mild diversions as the New
England town afforded.
Felix took some pleasure in her
social triumphs when they did not in
volve any sacrifice of his own inclina-
lions. and out of these new and small
Ter interests they minted a tender of
intercourse which. if its value was not
great IN comparison with what they
had lost, at least kept them so well
supplied with small change that they
escaped the full stress of their poverty.
Alice tried valiantly to look at the
Syndicate from her husbands point Of
view and that of his friends. She told
herself that her scruples were uuixotic.
that her ignorance of business pre-
vented her from understan ding it's
peculiar code of honor. But as her
acquaintance widened, she discovered
with rev pang that she was not
alone in her Judgment. She began to
perceive that Winchester hated Felix,
not perhaps, to the extent of omen
hostility, but with a covert animosity
that would have watched the downfall
of his power with the utmost satisfac-
ton. The Trust is never approved by
it's victims and Gregory's acquisition
of the control of Winchester's chief
industry had taken away the wealth
and position of many of it's most pros
porous citizens. His wife naturally
took sides with him against this gen.
era! antagonism, but she suffered
cruelty in the knowledge that her con-
science placed her sympathy with his
enemies.
He suffered hardly less than she.
You are cultivating an Unsuitable ap-
petite for society" he remarked. with
some bitterness, as She came in one
evening from Il musicale.
You leave me no alternative" she
answered sadly. you will not let me-
share your life. I must make what |
can of my own
"Alice." he protested. you now how
much L want you to share it,"
And you know that l can't" she re-
turned. The doors are shut So long
as you don't find the way to open them,
there must always be walls between
you and me. Felix"
God knows Eve tried to please your
he cried. Then he turned with sudden
resolution. Alice, I'll give it up if that
viii satisfy you! l can't stand this"
She shook her head YEARLY Not
If you do it to satisfy me, Felix, It's
no use unless YOU do it because YOU see
it is right to be done. Can't you see
that
That was their nearest approach to
an understanding. and it served only
to deepen the cstrangement Felix de-
voted himself more and more to bust
ness, and Alice Observ "a that he became
graver and more pre-occupied as the
summer advanced. She knew that
something greater than usual was
harassing him, but he said nothing to
c3liShtcn her. 1t was from other
sources that she finally learned that he
was being beaten With weapons like
his own that an outside Trust was
forcing him to the wall And it was
her share of the punishment that,
though she lOnsed to comfort her hus-
band, she dared not, lest he should re-
sent her sympathy as taunt. She
could only watch the lines deepen be-
tween his eyes and about his mouth,
living under tension as great as his.
She resolved to speak, but he inter-
ruptcd her 2ravely-"It's my own fight,
Alice" he said, behind the door"
The battle lasted all through the
autumn, and though she did not again
venture to breach the subject. she
knew that he was carrying his res;s-
lance to the limit Of his resources.
The issue was evident almost from
the beginning. 1t was not until
Christmas Eve. however. that Gregory
acknowledged that his "absorpIion"
va" complete. When he saw that
there Was nothing more to do. he
closed up his offices ard went home
He he'd been Spending his time So
completely down town that his wife
did not expect MIN. and he found her
sitting idly in front Of the library fire,
the contents of her Christmas box from
homo piled in her lap.