The Washington herald., 1915-01-31

the house on Riverside drive. Lorida
was sleeping in her cradle; little John
played with his Christmas things on the
floor and watched her with his fathers
eyes. She kissed him and kissed the
baby girl as she groped through the cot
tage to the kitchen. In the semi-dark
she found u bottle. There were tablets
in it; blue, vicious, as the glitter of ser
pents' eyes, Her fingers closed around
them; crushed them to powder. One she
dissolved in water; another she mixed
with sugar. Three shedaid aside.
Lorida smiled as the mothers shaking
hands poured what was in the glass be-
tween her baby lips. John swallowed
what was in the spoon and begged for
more. She scooped up the remaining
powder, and gulping it, hurried into the
bedroom.
But often and often death has given
way before mother-love. The baby girl
lay unconscious; the baby boy writhed
in convulsions. Their suffering quenched
her madness as water kills fire. Moan
ing and wringing her hands, she called
a neighbor to send for doctor.
New York's most talked-of tragedy
ended in the impersonal rooms and cor
ridors, marble-walled, of Lebanon Hos
Pital.
Day after day the woman who called
herself Mrs. Rogers" lay there fighting
for her life and the life of the baby un-
born; day after day and night after
night the once debonnair clubman and
lawyer, gray, haggard, spiritless, paced
up and down, up and down, outside her
door; day after day Mrs. Anna Rogue
more Rogers, with her big heart and
time tested love, came to offer help and
sympathy. The babies died and were
taken away. In the house on Riverside
drive Mrs. Caroline Rogers, who no
longer smiled, instructed her attorney to
begin divorce proceedings.
Finally Mrs. Rogers was stronger;
strong enough to tell her story to the
hospital doctors and the district attor-
ney.
When Mr.. Rogers told me that he
was going to Chicago" she said, "I felt
that the end of our happiness had come.
1 knew there was no hope through Mrs.
Caroline Rogers. / had begged her not
to stand in the way of our happiness.
But she would not listen. The law said
he was her husband and what the law
said would be recognized by the law. In
vain told her of my greater claim: in
vsfn entreated her not to spoil the lives
of'four people.
"I saw only one path ahead. took
that road. am sorry for Lorlys. feel
that ! have brought all this trouble upon
him. And oh, my babies-my babiesi"
And the doctors wouldn't let her talk
longer.
When Mrs. Rogers is well enough she
will be tried for murder. They are
guarding her carefully, always endeavor-
ing to keep her from seeing Rogers.
But Rogers has told her of Mrs. Caro-
line Rogers intent; he has promised that
their marriage will follow his divorce.
And standing in the shadow Of death and
the vengeance of the law, the promise Is
a message of peace, for the sake of tho
two little dead children and the child
that Is to be.
And before the memory of the law she
made unto herself-the right that she
believed to be hers-she presses her
white face into the white pilIow-bows
her head on her empty arms
Had she the right?
II true marriage Is the drawing to-
gether Of like and like by Nature, was
not that Of Ida Sniffen Walters and
Lorlys Elton Rogers a perfect union?
Would the reading of a ritual at its In
eeption have more idealized It?
His and Caroline Giddings' wedding
was according to the form Of the church
and the law, yet coldness, selhshness,
dislike reigned In the heart OF each to-
ward the other. Was 1t nevertheless .
marriage?
Why did the tragedy come to her?
Was II because complete fulflIment Il
forever followed by dissolution-deat
Or because she hadn't the right?
WhyS