The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1909-06-17
Through the Storm.



The final rupture came two years
after their marriage. Emily in rebel
lious anger told her husband that she
would no longer live in the same house
with his mother. You must choose
between us she said, her splendid
voice vibrating with all the unleashed
emotion Of her being. yet with no fall
tering in it. eff she stays l 60"
Stephen Fair, harassed and bewil-
deerd, was angry win the relentless
anger of a patient man, reused at
last.
go, then. ~he said sternly, "Tll never
turn my mother from my door for any
woman's whim.'
The stormy red went out Of EmIly's
face, leaving 1t like a marble mask.
You mean that?" she said, calmly.
Think well. If l go shall never re-
turn"
Il do mean it," said Stephen. Leave
my house if you will If you hold your
marriage vow so lightly. When your
senses return you are welcome to come
back to me. l will never ask you to-"
Without another word Emily turned
away. That night she went back TO
John and Amelia. They, on their part.
welcomed her back gladly, believing
her to be a wronged and ill used wo-
man. They hated Stephen Fair with
new and personal rancor. The one
that they could hardly have forgiven
Emily would have been the fact of her
relenting toward him.
Rut she did not reliant IN bor eo,,1
she knew that, with all her just griev-
ances,, she, had beer in the wrong, and
FOR that she could not forgive him!
Two years after she had left Steph-
en-, Mrs. Fair had died, and his wild
owed sister went to keep house for
him. If he thought of Emily he made
no sign. Stephen Fair never broke a
word once passed.
And now Stephen was i'll. The
strange woman felt certain pride in
d her own infiexibility because the fact
did not affect her. She told herself
that she could not have felt more I'M
concerned had he been the merest
stranger. Nevertheless she watched
for John Phillipses homecoming.
AT 10 O'Clock she heard his voice in
the kitchen. She leaned out of bed
and pulled open the DOOR She heard
voices below. but could not distinguish
the words, so she rose and went noise
lessly out into the hall, ,knelt down by
the stair railing and listened. 'The. door
OF the kitchen was open below her and
a narrow shaft of light struck on her
white, Intent face. She looked like a
woman waiting for the decree of doom.
At first John and Amelia talked of
trivial matters. Then the latter said
abruptly, did you ever hear how
Stephen Fair WASP"
Hes dying" was the brief response.
Emily heard Amelia's startled ex-
ciamation. She gripped the square
rails with her hands until the sharp
edges denied deep into her fingers.
Johns voice came up again, harsh and
eypressionless.
He took bad turn the day before
yesterday and has been getting worse
ever since The doctors don't expect
him to live till morning"
Stephen, her MISUNDERSTANDING In
the bursting anguish of that moment
her own soul was an open book before
from the deeps of her being in an aw-
full accusing resurrection.
Out of her stupor and pain a purpose
formed itself clearly. She must go to
Stephen, she must beg and win his for
giveness before it was no late. She
dared not go down to John and ask
him to take her to her husband. He
might refuse. The Phillipses had been
known to do as hard things. as that.
At best there would be storm of pro-
test and disapproval on her brothers
and sisters part. and Emily felt that
she could not encounter that In her
present mood. 1t would drive her mad.
She lighted a lamp and dressed her
self noiselessly. but with feverish
haste. Then she listened. The house
was very still Amelia and John had
zone to bed. She wrapped herself in