The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-09-05
closed his eyes and settled himself

as though to go to sleep.
"Perhaps,' he said colorlessly, that
would be about the kindest thing you
could do and the simplest solution to
this whole damnable b~usinessf'
Then he switched off the light at
the head Of his bed, leaving the wom-
an to find her way across the room
and into her W chamber by the
CLEAN Of the hall chandelier.
1t was a week later that Daniel
Drayton, opening his front door with
his latch-key on his return from
business one night, was arrested by
the sound of his wife's voice speak
ing at the telephone. The instru-
ment was In the ear Of the hall and
not in sight from the front dor. but
the words reached the master of the
house In that moment In which he In
stinctively paused:
Yes, Tom, he's going out at
e~ight-thirty. Come any time after
that"
The husband slammed the front
door, and his wife, startled, hurried
toward him, where he stood under
the glaring ceiling light. A glance at
his grimly determined countenance
told her that her speech had been
overheard.
DAN" she tried to explain, II was
only telling" but her voice failed
her, trailing off feebly into silence,
and she sank down, trembling. on the
hall chair near her. "well?' she
whispered, looking up at her hus-
band.
His voice was SO unnatural that she
started violently when he spoke, but
her eyes did not leave his.
Daisy" he said, this is the end!
l won't stand this life n longer! l
said long ago in anger that it was
hell; now l say 1t in sober truth. It's
hell for you as well as for me. You
do not love me; / sometimes think
that you hate me. We are tired Of
each other. It's got to stop! You
may go your way, and I'll go mine"
AS he spoke he saw a CLEAN of
hope dawn in the frightened eyes into
which he looked. The pale lips trem-
bled a moment as If their owner were
about to cry, but she steadied them
and spoke quickly, almost eagerly.
Dan, listen to me. I've been faith
full to you"
He smiled drearily. LAS II that
counted" he said, 'in a Ease like ours!
So far you've been what the world
calls faithful don't say you haven't.
But you'd always rather be with 9TH
er men than with me; you make an APP
pointment with a man on the only eve
ming in weeks on which l happen to
have a business engagement, and you
telephone him that I'm to be away!
How long do you think that kind OF
thing could go on and either Of us
keep a spark of respect?"
Still the look Of hope in the wom-
ans eyes. The husband saw It with
a peculiar thrill and rushed on, his
voice rising as his excitement in
creased.
I'VE made a mistake in marrying!
I'm tired of it, SC are you! say I
won't stand for 1t any longer. Yes,
this is the end!"
His wife shrank from him, her eyes
still on his face. "When?" she whis-
pered.
Now" he exclaimed. 81 swear
l WON'T
/. He caught his breath sharply. A
childish voice sounded from the land
ing on the stairs above him.
Daddy! Daddy" came the high
treble. Aren't you comm up?"
The man steadied his voice to al
swer, though his face was contorted
with a spasm as of physical pain. Yes,
son." he called hoarsely. "In a min
ute!"
But the baby voice came again,
Daddy"
There was a hurrying of feet In the
upper hall as the nurse hastened to
capture her small charge, who had
for the moment escaped her vigilance.
The nursery door closed behind the
pair. The mar dropped upo the low
err stair, his face buried In his hands.
1.-THE boyl" he groaned.
His wife sprang up and caught him
by the arm excitedly. "You won't
let him make any ditference!" she
exclaimed imploringly. "His life is all
before him! Surely we have a right
to oursi"
Her husband lifted his head and
looked at her, and again she shrank
from him, although her hand still
clutched his arm. He rose and faced
her.
"Listen!" he said sternly. For
the moment I forgot him-God forgive
me! forgot the child! Yours and
mine, remember-the child that for
our W pleasure we called from no.
where to suffer in this devilish world;
the child for whom we are responsible
to man and to God Almighty. Can't
you see," he exclaimed Aercely, that
we have no right to punish him for
u mistakes?'
But his wife shook her head as II
dazed. The man made a hopeless ges-
ture.
We've got to stand it," he declared
savagely. rIf there were only you
and / we could do as we pleased. But
we're tied, tied, do you hear?-and
with a tie made of flesh and blood?
He didn't ask to be born, did he?
We've got to pretend to live decent
lives until he needs US no longer. We
can't get away! We can't!"
The woman uttered q weak wall.
And what about me? What about
me?"
The man pulled himself roughly