The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-06-11

He took an uneasy turn up and down
the balcony.
"But who?" he demanded. "Who
would do such a thing? 1 tell you,
Christine, it is impossible"
She did not pursue the subject. Her
thoughts had flown ahead to the little
house without X, to days without his
steps on the stairs or the heavy creak
of his big chair overhead as he dropped
into it.
But perhaps it would be better if he
went. She had her own life to live.
She had no expectation of happiness,
but, somehow or other, she must build
on the shaky foundation of her mar
riage a house of life, with resignation
serving for content, perhaps with fear
lurking always. That she knew. But
with no active misery. Misery implied
affection, and her love for Palmer was
quite dead.
''Sidney will be here this afternoon"
aGood." His tone was noncommit-
tai.
'Has it occurred to you, K, that Sid
ney is not very happy?"
He stopped in front Of her.
"Shes had a great anxiety"
"She has no anxiety now. Max is
doing WELL
'"Then what is it,"
"rm not quite sure, but I think I
know. She's lost faith in Max, and
she's not like me. IL knew about
rather hideous-I needn't go into it.
But Sidney has more character than
have. Max isn't what she thought he
was. and l doubt whether she'll marry
him."
X. glanced toward the street where
Sidney's name and Max's lay open to
the sun and to the smiles Of the Street.
Christine might be right, but that did
not alter things for him.
Christine's thoughts went back in
| eyitably to herself; to Palmer, who
| was doing better just now; to K, who
was going away-went back with an
| ache to the night X. had taken her in
his arms and then put her away. How
wrong things We're! What mess life
was!
"When you go away" she said at
| last, II want you to remember this.
I'm going to do my best, X. You have
have to overlook things; l know that.
| But, in his way, Palmer cares for me.
He will always come back, and perhaps
sometime"
Her voice trailed off. Far ahead of
her she saw the years stretching out,
marked, not by days and months, but
by Palmer's wanderings away, his re-
morseful returns.
"Do a little more than forgetting
K. said. 'Try to care for him, Chris
tine. You did once. And that's your
strongest weapon. It's always wom-
ans strongest weapon. And it wins in
the end"
81 shall try, H." she answered
obediently.
But he turned away from the look
| In her eyes.
Harriet was abroad. She had sent
cards from Paris to her trade" II
was an innovation. The two or three
people on the Street who received hel
engraved announcement that she was
there, buying new chic models for the
autumn and winter-afternoon frOcks
| evening gowns, reception dresses, an(
wraps, from Poiret, Martial ct Armand
and Others" left the envelopes casual
~ on the parlor table, as if communica
tons from Paris were quite to be ex
pected.
SO X. lunched alone, and ate little
Sidney came home at half-past two
came delicately flushed, as if she ha(
hurried, and with a tremulous smile
that caught Katie's eyes at once.
''B1ess the child p she said. '"There'!
no need to ask how he is today. Your,
all one SMILE"
| The smile set just trifle.
| katie, someone has written m,
name out on the street, in chalk. IT.
! with Doctor Wilson's, and it looks 81
silly. Please go out and sweep it Off"
'I'm about crazy with their old chalk
I'll do it after while.'
| "Please do it now. I don't want any
one to see it. Isis Mr.. X. upstairs !?
/ But when she learned that T.. wa
upstairs, oddly enough, she did not g
up at once. She stood in the lowe
hall and listened. Yes, he was there
She could hear him moving about. He
| lips parted slightly as she listened.
Christine, looking in from her bal
cony, saw her there and seeing some
thing in her face that she had neve