The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-12-11

last OF the many and bitter torments
which are SO often a woman's lot.
Il say to you again, Laura, there are
no plans Of that sort in my mind!"
Then how long will 1t be before
our-our-" She could not say the
word divorce" She had been an
old-fashioned wife.
I've no plans as to that. / was only
wanting to discuss the matter quiet
ly tonight. without any disturbance"
NO" she said, 81 must not break
down! Tell me when does 1t come,
John?" But still the tears came,
steadily, and she made no effort to
stop them.
when you like. ! would suggest
that you quietly go to some other
place, Laura. That will be best for
me. Why" he added this in a burst
of confidence, there wouldn't be
twenty people around town would
know you'd gone! | can keep a close
tongue, and so can YOU"
But, John, why should we? I've
never crossed you in any way. I've
always tried to do what you liked.
Why should We part? I'll be willing
just to live along here quietly. ]
can't bear to think OF going away. |
like my things, John" she said sud-
denly, and seemingly irrelevantly.
who told you about all these things.
these collectors pieces that you've
been getting for so long?"
He WINGED with sudden self-revela.
ton, astonlshed at this intuition on
her part. He had been sincere in his
statement that there was no other
forgotten that he had no affections.
He flushed now, but tried to pull to-
gether.
Very well, Laura" said he: you
only prove to me what I've felt for
some time. You can't understand me,
you simply are not up to my require
ments. I'm willing to say you'd be
content to live along here, just as we
did at Kelly row. am no content to
do anything of the sort. I've been
thinking over this, studying over it
for some time. There's the answer"
He nodded toward the bundle which
lay upon the table.
its no use trying to make the
world all over again, Laura" he said
after a time. We've both done our
best, but our best didn't tally. We've
hung together. What's right is right.
Is II right for me to be dragged down
by your own limitations-ought | to
stop in my own career to conform to
that? Would that be right, now, Lau-
ra, for a man like me?-Is il right for
any man? II you can't go forward.
ought | to go back? If we can't both
travel the same gait, whose gait ought
to govern? Whatever you do. don't
blame me, that's all. But you did
blame me-you do now" A grave
look sat Upon his face. He felt him
self an injured nan
Yes, john" she said. 81 do"
"Of course, of course! That's the
reward a man gets for loving his wife.
treating you as I have. Well, we're
not the first to face a situation of just
this kind. Things travel swifter now
than they did when we were children.
or when we were married. What did
then will not do today. Why blame
ourselves for that?-blame the time.
the way of the world, the way things
20 today. This country has changed
1t goes faster every year. We've got
to keep the pace, l tell you, when we
get into 1t. Those who can't must
drop out, and that's all there is about
1t. | was BORN for the front, and that's
all about that. Don't blame me. I've
never blamed you'll"
Then, what do you blame, John?"
Nothing. l say. It's the way life
runs. We're married. why? Because
we thought We were to have some
property to protect. There is much to
be said in favor of the marriage insti-
tuition. 1t holds property safe under
it's contract. Property-that's the
sign of power! Property is the only
reason for marriage; or for govern
ment. when 1t comes to that. Property
is the token of power. I've got that
But something else goes with it!
Why. Laura. when | look at us both I
wonder that I've been patient so long,
held back as | have been by your own
narrow ideas, II you'd had your way.
you'd have set up Kelly row right
where we are now!"
I'm old-fashioned. john" said she,
her head high, though her tears fell
free, I'm just an old-fashioned, worn
out wife, that's all. I'm o so very
much. John, and | never thought 7
was very much. just did the best
could, all the time. | couldn't seem
to do any more. John. l don't know
how. ! did my best!"
I'VE all dol" said John Rawn philo.
sophically. I'VE all do our best. But
when our best isn't good enough to
keep us up, VIC go down."