Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-03-11
CHAPTER XII.
Ethel and Brent.

~ THEL dropped her gnze from his
| X face and said, with the suspicion
IL of Il smile playing around he.
lips:
IF YOU had the right to make love
10 me OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES wouldn't
do it,
He looked at her in amazement.
"What do you mean:" he gaspel
"Its only because you haven't the
right that you do it-by suggestion
Ethel pursued.
How can you say that?" AND he
put all the heart he was capable OF into
the question
You don't deny it." she said quietly
He breathed hard aud then said bit
terly:
what contemplate opinion you
must have of lne.."
"rhen were quits. aren't weY'
"How!" ne asked.
Haven't you one of me?"
"Of you? Why, Ethel
surely every married man mast
have :. contemplate opinion # The wo
man he covertly makes 1--we to- / lie
hadn't he couldn't 10 1t. could he:"
Once again she leveied her cold. i'm
passive eyes on Brepss flushed face.
II don't follow you" was all Brent
said.
Haven't You had time to think OF
an answer
II don't know what you're driving
at" he added
Ethel smiled her most enigmatical
smile
mo? l think you do She waited
moment. Brent said nothing. This
was new mood OF Ethel's. 1t baGled
him.
Presently she relieved the silence by
asking him:
WHAT happened last nisht?v
He hesitated. Then be answered.:
I'D rather nur say. Ia sound like
cad blaming woman"
Never mind how it sounds. Tell it.
1t must have been amusing"
"Alnusing!" He bent over her again
.'Oh, the more look at you and listen
to you the more realize | should new.
err have married.
why did you?" came the cool ques
ton.
Brent answered with all the power
at his command. Here was the mo
ment to lay his heart bare that Ethel
might see.
Have you ever seen young hare.
fresh from It's kind, run headlong into
snare? Have you ever seen n young
man free of the trammels Of college
dash 5s1o net? did! i wasn't trap
wis.,"
He paced the room restlessly, all the
self pity rising in him. He went on:
Heavens, what nurslings we are
when we first feel our feetl We're
like children just loose from the lead
Ing strings. Anything that glitters
catches us. Every trap that is set for
our unwary feet we drop into. did
dropped in, caught hand and foot, mind
and soul"
"soul?" queried Ethel. with note
of doubt.
YES" he answered.
Don't you mean body?" she sug-
gested.
Body, mind and soul!' he said, with
an air Of fnality.
"Well, body anyway" summed up
Ethel.
"And for what?' he went ON. For
what? Love! Companionship! That
is what we build on in marriage. And
what did realize? Hate and wran-
Cling; wrangling, just as the common
herd, with no advantages, wrangle
and make it a part Of their lives, the
zest to their union. It's been my curse
"Why wranging!" drawlee Ethel
"She didn't understand"
"YeuY' asked Ethel. in surprise.
"My thoughts. my actions!"
"How curious!'
you mean you would!"
"Probably.'
"Tm sure Of L." 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
any other woman meant ridiculous,
humiliating scene"
"Humili;&ing?"
Aren't. doubt and suspicion humil
Iating?"
'They would be compliment In
some cases."
"How?"
''They would put fictitious value on
some men"
you couldn't humiiiate in that way"
he ventufed slowly.
mo. don't think | could. If a man
showed preference for any other
woman she would be quite welcome to
him.
mo man could" said Brent insin-
uatingly.
She looked ut him colby moment.
LET me see-where were you: Just
married, weren't yon? Go on
"Then came the baby" He said
that with a significant meaning aud
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 g us want
ed her. Neither of US 10 ~ Gill
dren should come of To .ut hate
And she is child of hate" He pa,lsod
looking intently at Ethel. She looked
Understandings at him. then dropped
her eyes.
Brent went on as If following up an