Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-06-09
A PERFECTLY SIMPLE QUESTION

Brooks Garfield sat alone in the
house. His wife was spending the
evening win her sick mother. He
had let her go without him, because
he wanted to be alone for a little and
think things out. Affairs had come
to such a pass that he must decide
without more delay. For some time
and selfloathing, but today something
had happened that seemed to show
the way clearly and a pleasing vista
opened before him.
Briefly stated-and Garfield felt as
he reviewed the situation that he
must be brief and r-headed-he
had ceased to care for his wife and
was beginning to love another WON
an. He told himself that he was as
Indifferent to Alice as to any chance
stranger he met on the street. He
hoped he had kept the knowledge OF
it from her, and he believed he had;
he felt no ill-will toward her, and did
not wish her to suffer. 1t was not
her fault that they had made such a
mistake in their marriage; he had
been as much to blame as she.
There arose before him the face of
Mrs. Dennison. and his breath came
quickly. Those appealing brown eyes
and the tremulous mouth! Here,
again, he believed he had kept his
feelings to himself She did not sus-
pect, but he knew that any day now
he might betray himself.
The danger was all the greater be-
cause they were in the same room ali
day, and he had but to raise his eyes
from his desk to see her at work on
her typewriter.
He had fought against this feeling,
he had called himself all the hard
names he could think Of and he had
tried to avoid Mrs Dennison. but it
was no uses Even if he did not look
toward her he was intensely con-
scious of her nearness. He won
dered what the others in the office
would think if they knew. How they
would despise him!
But today something had happened;
a newspaper of anarchistic senti-
ments had fallen into his hands, and
he had read an article denouncing the
marriage laws of the land. The ar
guments seemed plausible, all the
more so that they conceded with HI
wishes. Was it really right for him
to continue living with his wife when
he had ceased to care for her?
This article had almost decided him
to break away from the hateful tie.
but he had postponed his decision till
he could have time for serious re-
Election. He meant to weigh all the
possibilities and look at the situation
from all standpoints.
Suppose he should do this thing,
how would it affect Mrs Dennison ?
Perhaps she could not care for him.
He smiled little at the idea. He
was not over-cenceited, but he knew
his power over her. He knew that
his strong. magnetic personality
would bear down all her scruples.
Then suddenly it came to him what
she would have to do. She had a
husband he knew-an exacting semi
invalid. He had seen them together
but once. and then had sized them
up; he depended on her, and his
eyes followed her about like those of
a dog. She was fond of him, proba-
bly,, in way, but Garfield protested
to himself that the husband was not
half good enough for her. She worked
hard to support him, and what
thanks did she get? What could he.
Garfield, not do for her? It would
break Dennison's heart, probably. but
then what did that matter? 1t migh
be good for him And he, Garfield
could be SO much more to her. and
they would be happy, so happy. to-
gether. He got up and walked ex-
citedly about the room.
Then suddenly his wifa's face rose