Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-03

AFTER painful silence MS sister
said. Gould you tell me how it began,
Phil?"
.'sHow it began? l don't know that
either. When Bannard's command
took the field ! went with the scouts
Alike remained i'll Manila. Ruthven
was there for Fame, Harmon & Co.
That's how it began, l suppose. and
it's rotten climate for morals, and
that's how 1t began"
'Only that?'
eve had had differences. It's been
ioIie misunderstanding after another.
If you mean was l mixed up with
another wonan-no She knew that
.She was very young, Phil"
He nodded. IT don't blame her.
Couldn't anything have been done:"
'1f it could. neither she nor ] did it
or knew how to do 1t, I suppose. 1t
went wrong from the beginning. 1t
was founded on froth. She had been
engaged TO Harmon, and she threw
him over for Boots Lansing. Then L
came along. Boots behaved like
thoroughbred. That is all there is to
it-ineXperence. romance, trouble. She
conldnt stand me, she couldn't stand
the life, the climate, the inconyen-
fences. the absence of what she was
accustomed to. She was dead tired OF
it all. l can understand that. And
we went under, that's all-fghting
each other heart and soul to the end.
Is she happy with Ruthven? / never
pose they so about in town among
the yellow set. Do they!'
"Yes. I've met Alike once or twice.
She was perfectly composed. formal,
but unembarrassed. She has shifted
her milieu somewhat. 1t began with
the influx OF Ruthven's friends from
the yellow section of the younger
married sct-the OrchiIs. Fanes. Min
sters and Delmour-C arnes. . By the
way, I'm dipping into the younger set
myself tonight ON Eileen's account. /
brought her out Thursday, and I'm
giving dinner for her tonight"
who's Eileen:" he asked.
Eileen? Why, don't you-why, Of
course you don't know yet that I've
taken Eileen for my own. Eileen is
Molly Erroli's daughter. and the courts
appointed Austin and me guardians
for her and for her brother Gerald"
OH
'Now is it clear to youI'
EYES," he said, thinking of the trag-
edy which had left the child so utter
| ly alone in the world save for her
brother and distant kinship by mar
riage with the Gerards.
For awhile he sat brooding, arms
loosely folded, immersed once more in
his own troubles.
at seems Il shame he said. that q
family like ours, whose name has al
ways spelled decency. should find them
selves entangled in the very things
| their race has always hated and
| managed to avoid. And through me
too"
But no disgrace touches you, dear
she said TREMENDOUSLY.
.Ive been all over that, too,' he said,
| with quiet bitterness. you are part
| ly right: nobody cares in this town.
| Even though did not defend the suit
| nobody cares. And there's no disgrace,
/ / suppose. il nobody cares enough even
| to condone. Divorce Is no longer no.
| ticed: it is a matter of ordinary occur
renee, q matter of routine in some
sets. Who cares except decent folk
| And they only think It's pity and
wouldn't do 1t themselves. If Alike
found that she cared for Ruthyen
don't blame her Laws and statutes
| can't govern such matters. If she
| found she no longer cared for me,
| could not blame her. But two people
.mismated have only one chance in this
world-to live their tragedy through
with dignity That is absolutely all
life holds for them; beyond that. out.
side of that dead line. treachery to
self and race and civilization. That is
my conclusion after years expert
ence in hell" He rose and began to
pace the floor. fingers worrying his
mustache. Law? Can a law which
I do not accept let me loose q risk 4
ali again with another womaa?
She said slowly, her hands folded II
her lap: at is well you've come K
me at last. You've. been turning rounC