Middletown transcript., 1914-11-07


no party Of mine.S He stepped toward
the door But Reynolds would not let
him go.
~Let him stay, then.9 Brand agreed.
Honesty and harmlessness 90 hand
in hand"
Jane looked again at Bob She ig-
nored the others.
when married you 1--WE years ago
what did 1 becomef'
"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 I have
gone on alone. That night when Mr..
Brand came / wanted to talk to you,
but you would have none of 1t. 7 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 It something else.
You turned Mr.. Brand away and gave
your scornfuI ultimatum. l 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. / thought so, too. didn't
want to let this chance slip BY. II
you did. / considered you, but ] con-
sidered myself, too. It means as much
to me as to you; perhaps more. Have
you ever really seriously thought what
It 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,
l 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 /
cant enter-while have to sit here
like drudge"
Reynolds, standing tense and
strained, for he had not seated himself
with the others, wore a puzzled frown-
The voice of discomfort Twas crying
aloud. But It 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,
fred too soon? Was he, the mere pro-
WIDER, taking something to which he
had no right? It was the old, eternal
question, as old as the world; the ques-
tion Of man and woman; what the
one can give and what the other can
Through a vaporous mist
Of thoughts that racked his brain and
pierced his heart he saw 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-"f you please,
you had better CO."
The millionaire nodded curtly to
each. At the door ne 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 a sensible wom-
an. Pay her a lot Of attention /"
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
nim away for good. Think what 1t
means to us; what it means to me.
Why, when he offered you that forty
thousand dollars never had thought
n the world that you would refuse it.
was like little child coming down.
stairs on Christmas morning and see
ng a tree all beautifully lit up. But
,efore could touch it you had put out
he candle and kicked away the tree
Is SO much dead wood. But couldn't
,tand 1t. went out and picked up the
,andles and have relighted them. II
snt too late. Bob. The tree Is still
within our reach. Won't you let me
AVE itg'
CTo BE coNTINUED)
1e,a, N@