Middletown transcript., 1910-10-08
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Are you III 4
With a smothered cry she
threw herself against him and
broke into hysterical sobs. he
held her coldly. reluctantly
Then led her over to couch.
Sit down here, Alice, until you
are more calm.
Oh, you are so hard-so cruel
she sobbed.
He waited until she grew more
quiet, and then said gently.
Alice, / am sorry if / seem to
you either hard or cruel. I am
only trying to save us both from
more suffering the suffering we
had in the past.
And now-you think we are
happy now? with hysterical
laugh.
Move are not happy. But
bur unhappiness is of a negative
ind. II is not the corrosive Bit
terness that was. consuming US
both.
And-it might not be different
now
Alice it could never be differ
ent. For two years we both
tried land think we tried earn
estly, sincerely, with all the
strength we had-and We failed.
Had we gone on, both Of cur lives
would have been wrecked. AS
itis
AS it is? again her hysterical
laugh.
As it is, he repeated firmly, we
are still together. You still have
the protection of a home-of my
name. Can you not conceive of
conditions that might be worseF
She rose and turned toward
the door. He stepped forward.
But 1t was only to hold open the
door-and to close it quietly
after her.
Fromshat night her withdrawal
seemed as complete, as unswev.
ing as his own. While in no
way did she appear to avoid him,
they were rarely together. She
went out a great deal and enter
tanned more frequently. Her
social circle soon widened to pro-
portions that demanded most Of
her time. If she did this as a.
means of distraction, to seek for
getfulness, there was nothing
feverish or hysterical in her atti-
tude to proclaim it. She kept
well her poise-the wife of a busy
and successful man, growing
naturally intoa social leadership.
A woman still young, tactful,
gracious and with undeniable
charm, her ascendency was not
difficult. She accepted the hom.
age and attention of many with |
an easy impartiality. Until she
met Wharton, she had hardly |
been conscious of the individual
ity of any Of them.
The interest he had for her.
she could not anslyze. He was
quiet, strong, forcible. Forcible
THAT was the word she always
connected with him. He paid her
no empty compliments, the cheap
personal note Of most society
II
men was in him wholly lacking.
He merely sought her-was with
her as often as possible. With
that exception his attitude was
wholly impersonaI. They talked
of everything except their inter-
est in each other.
And W-to-night-her hus.
band had said that he wished
W6afton's s attentions to cease.
Wharton's attentions How hid.
eous that phrase sounded. Whar.
tons attentions What did he
think they implied2 Why after
all these months Of quiet acquies-
cence, indifference almost, tol
every phase Of her social life-I
had he said this nowp
Again the stone wall OF his i'm
perturbable calm rose before her.
Again she came back to the un-
answerabIe-did he still care?
Had these long months of es-
arrangement finally crushed out
his love for her ? Or was it still
there, starved, denied, ah, cruelty
denied, but still unconquerabIe?
las she knew her love for him
would always be.
When at length she slipped
into bed, it was to lie there still i
awake, going over and over the
same ground coming always to
the same bahling questions. She
must know! At any risk she
would force him into some def
nite attitude. She would ignore
wholly bis requestor warning Of
r..