Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-09
WHO'S GUILTY?
9Th Story, The Weaker Strain
BY Mrs. Wilson Woodrow
Aatnor Of The silver nut.crn..- .rh,

-a'nor or The silver Buttcrny." ."rhe
u. ick Penrl," "Snliy shit" Etc.
tNorclizeG from the ncrirs OF pho,o-
nin!s OF th, .nmc nnne rclpurv, by
'or rhca.cr.J
copyright. mia. Mrs. Is iisou WOODROW
when Tom Price asked l.auta Eeldcn
TO marry him. hc set forth 10 her tho
following account of his fortune:
In two things" he said. Il am a
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. love and hone A
Tar as actual cash goes. i've nearly
500. AS for prospects, fairly Of
hcieht young architect ought to be ablo
to pick up a living. even in small
upstate town like this. All ask is
chance. And. some day or other. that
chance Is bound to conc"
Perhaps a more mcrccnary sil than
Laura would have hcsitatcd a long time
before linking hey life to a man OF
such meaecr prospects. But Laura Bel
den was anything but mcrcenary.
To her, Tom Price was the hand
soonest. the clcvcrest. tho most Wonder
- man III all the world she never
FOR ono moment doubted his future Sue
cess as an architect. or at ans other
pursuit TO which he might care to tu!n
las genius
SO they We're married
They set up light housekeeping in
tiny house that Laura made ver,-
;r"tty and homclike And Tom sp.nt
eight hours day Gin his cheap little
ONCE with its Claringly new sipr) wait
ing for the big orders that were TO
make him rich and famous
The orders. 1t is true. seemed in no
hurry to arrive l1nt Tom waited, hope
fully. As for Laura. She outdid Tom
himself in the art Of hoping 1t would
not have surprised hcr at all 10 learn.
any day. thar hoy wonderful husband
had secured :, contract to design a
cathedral or. at the very least. a pork
kings summer palace.
Meantime, she went on with tho
study Of music. which she had taken
up long before her marriage. She had
n really unusunl lyric soprano voice.
And Professor Sargent, her teacher.
prophesied great career for her.
Tom was tremendously proud of his
pretty little witc's singing He never
tired of listening to it. even when she
spent half hour at time prac-
ticinG embarrassing scales and de-
tached bits of difficult phrnsing
But when Sargent spoke of a career
for her. the bridegroom would scowl
and say, tersely:
II can support my wife. thanks with
out sending her out Ia be ogled by an
audience Of strangers"
Al last came Toms lonrcd-for
chance" y small Office building was
going ZIP at the corner OF Temple and
Maple Streets. and among fifteen archi-
tccts' bids for She job. Tom Prices
was chosen
He was radiant with delight. He
resolved that that cheap five-story cdi-
and efficiency for the whole city.
Day and night he labored over the
task.
AS tho buildings unsichtly frame
work arose, foot by foot. he and Laura
used TO gaze upon it in silent rapture:
as ut a fairy castle.
One morning AS the Prices sat at
the breakfast table, Laura said rather
wistfully:
You aren't the only member Of this
family who has a chance Tom only
YOU can take advantage OF yours, and
have to reject mine"
What do you mean?" asked Tom.
looking up, curiously, from some notes
he was scribbling on the back OF an
envelope
csterday when l went TO Profess
sor Sargent for my lesson" said Laura,
me made me a splendid offer He
wants me 10 go on concert tour"
Concert tour?" echoed Tom, frown-
ing. Nonsense"
81 was afraid you'd say 3d." she
sighed. II told him YOU wouldn't allow
me to- He was ever so disappointed.
He said it was one opportunity in a
thousand. You know Paul l.egrand.
the composer"
No. snapped Tom, and | don't
want to. He has the name for making
love 10 every woman under nifty and
over fifteen. I've no use for lady
killers"
Il mean" she corrected. you know
his work You like his songs, too
Professor Sargent has given me dozens
OF them to learn. Iic says they ut
my voice better than any others and
that sing them better than any
other soprano."s
You sing everything better than any
one else can, little girl" put in Tom.