Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-04-01

I'm sure of it." He tried to take
her hand. She drew it away and set
tied herself comfortably to listen again:
"Tell me more about your wife,"
"The slightest attention shown to
a humiliating scene"
"Humiliating?"
aren't doubt and suspicion humil-
iating?"
'"They would be a compliment in
some cases."
"How?"
"They would put a fictitious value on
some men,"
"You couldn't humiliate in that way"
he ventured slowly.
"No. I don't think l could. If a man
showed a preference for any other
woman she would be quite welcome to
him"
mo man couldv' said Brent insin-
uatingly.
She looked at him coldly a moment.
Let me see-where were you? Just
married, weren't you? Go on"
"Then came the baby" He said
that with q significant meaning and
paused to see the effect on Ethel. If
it had any Ethel effectually concealed
it. Her only comment was:
"Ah!"
Brent went on:
zone would think that would change
things. But no. Neither Of us want
ed her. Neither Of us loves her. Chi
dren should come Of love. not hate.
And she is a child Of hate" He paused,
looking intently at Ethel. She looked
Understandings ut him. then dropped
her eyes.
Brent went on as if following up an
advantage: ''She sits in her little chair,
her small, wrinkled. old. disillusioned
face turned to us. with the eyes watch
ing us a%ccusingly. She submits to ca
resses as though they were distasteful.
as if she knew they were lies. At
times she pushes the nearing face away
with her little baby fingers" He stop
ped, watching her eagerly. Her eyes
went down.
II shouldn't tell you this. It's ter
r1ble. I see it in your face. What are
you thinking?"
"Tm sorry" replied Ethel simply.
For me?"
"For your wife"
"My wife," he repeated, aghast.
yes" said Ethel. aren't you? No?
Are you just sorry for yourself?"
Brent turned impatiently away. So
this laying open the wound in his life
was nothing to Ethel. Instead Of pity
for him, all it engendered In her was
sorrow for his wife.
How little women understood him!
There was'a pathetic catch in his
voice as he turned to Ethel and said
reproachfully:
You think me purely selfish"
Naturally" she answered quickly.
81 am. Why not be truthful about our
selves sometimes? Eh?"
1--WE quarreled last night-about
you" he said desperately.
"Really?'
Gossip has linked us together. MY
wife has heard it and put the worst
CONSTRUCTION on It..
"Well?"
I'VE said things to each other last
night that can never be forgiven or
forgotten. l left the house and walked
life back and through as though it
were some Strangers" He turned abb
IJ1nf1v 0yvou t~ +l> 49,
stayed a moment, looking down the
drive.
Ethel said nothing.
He came back to her in a few mo-
ments.
Il tell you we ought to be taught
we ought to be taught, when we are
young. what marriage really means.
just as we are taught not to steal, nor
lie. nor sin. In marriage we do all
three-when sve're ill mated. We steal
affection from some one else, we lie in
our lives. and we sin in our relation
ship"
Ethel asked him very quietly:
u you mean that you are a sinner,
a thief and a liar"
Brent looked at her in horror.
"Oh, take some Of the blane." said
Ethel. Don't put it all on the wo-
man."
you've never spoken to me like this
before"
I've often wanted to-" replied Ethel:
then she asked him, what do you in
tend doing?"
Separate" he answered eagerly.
You don't doctor Il poisoned limb
when your life depends on it.; you cut
it off. When two lives generate a
deadly poison, face the problem as a
surgeon would-amputate."
"And after the operation what
then?" asked Ethel.
"That Is why l am here facing you.
Do you understand what I mean?"
"Oh. dear, yes-perfectly! l have
been waiting for you to get to the
point"