The citizen., 1914-10-30

pinochle. He didn't hear. see no
reason why he should hear now"
The reporter jumped to his feet.
Pardon me-" he replied. This is
no party of mine" He stepped toward
the door. But Reynolds would not let
him go.
Let him stay, then" Brand agreed.
Honesty and harmlessness go hand
in hand"
Jane looked again at Bob She ig.
nored the others.
When married you five years ago
what did l become?"
My wife. hope"
But is that all? Wasn't there
something more? Didn't we say that
we would be partners, and didn't l say
that was the only way would become
the wife OF any man. no matter how
much loved him? Bob. you have
broken the partnership and l have
gone on alone. That night when Mr..
Brand came l wanted to talk to you,
but you would have none OF It. I can
not have you interfere That was
what you said. Well, have interfered.
Mr.. Brand offered to help you make
forty thousand dollars. You called 1t
stealing. called 1t something else.
You turned Mr.. Brand away and gave
your scornful ultimatum. I asked him
to come again. wrote to him and
talked to him. In a most important
business matter the partners did not
agree, that's all. Mr.. Brand thought
that / might bring you to your senses,
or to my way Of thinking. If you pre-
fer that. l thought so. too. l didn't
want to let this chance slip by. II
you did. l considered you, but con-
sidered myself, too. 1t means as much
to me as to you: perhaps more. Have
you ever really seriously thought what
1t means? Have you thought what my
life is here, compared to yours? You
and Dick sit here after you've done
your work and theorize and rise up to
martyrdom and what do do? I'm in
the house all the time. Up at six
o'clock and tired out at night. / wash,
scrub. sweep. sew. cook-or did
until saw an escape. And what are
you doing? You're up in your office,
rubbing shoulders with the man who
governs things. You have excitement.
You have to work, too, but you're
cog in the great, big wheel that makes
the world go round-the world that
can't enter-while l have to sit here
like drudge"
Reynolds, standing tense and
strained, for he had not seated himself
with the others, wore puzzled frown.
The voice OF discomfort was crying
aloud. But 1t was righteous discon-
tent. He could find no falsity of note.
And yet he had struggled hard. He
had loved his wife and shared with
her. He had given her love for love,
loyalty for loyalty, and-he had given
her dollar for dollar. What more could
any man do? Still there was no injus-
tice in her plea. A jury of twelve good
men and true could not have doubted
her sincerity. Where. then. was the
hiatus? Was the partnership an un-
equal bargain In the first place? Had
he aimed too high, or, aiming rightly,
fired too soon? Was he. the mere pro-
WIDER, taking something to which he
had no righti 1t was the old, eternal
question, as old as the world; the Ques-
tion Of a man and woman; what the
one can give and what the other can
command. Through a vaporous mist
of thoughts that racked his brain and
pierced his heart he saw a tangible
something Just what, he did not
know; but it was enough to make him
turn to the man who had won where
he had failed.
"Mr. Brand" he said-and his voice
was low and choking-"if you please.
you had better CO."
The millionaire nodded curtly to
each. At tine door he turned and ad-
dressed Bob:
Apologies are not forthcoming" he
said Advice. too, seems to be lost on
you. But take a tip from one who
knows. Your wife is sensible WON.
an. ray HeT iOI Vi dtleHtlOn.
Reynolds made no reply. He gave
no sign that he heard. But he did hear
and the import Of the millionaire's
words struck home. Sensible? Yes,
she was that. perhaps, but he had
thought she was something more than
that when he gave his heart and soul
His wife reused him from his rev.
erie. She came to his side.
Bob" she said, 81 hadn't finished
You sent Brand away. but do not send
him away for good. Think what II
means to US; what It means to me.
Why, when he offered you that forty
thousand dollars never had thought
in the world that you would refuse 1t.
4 LII