The Dolores star., 1917-06-15
CHAPTER xlx-con.'nu.d.

-16-
SYou are not child any longer. Sid
oey. You have learned q great deal
in this last year. One Of the things
you know II that almost every man
has small affairs, many Of them some
times, before he finds the woman he
wants to marry. When he finds her,
the others are all off--there's nothing
to them. It's the real thing then, in.
stead Of the sham"
"Palmer was very much In love with
Christine. and yet"
"PalIner Is a cad"
'I don't want you to think I'm max
lng terms. I'm not. But II this thing
went on. and I found out afterward
that you-that there was anyone else.
1t would kill me-"
'Then you cnre, after all |"
There was something boyish in his
triumph, In the very gesture with
which he held out his arms, like a child
who has escaped a whipping. He
stood up and, catching her hands, drew
her to her feet. "You love me. dear"
"rm afraid I do, Max"
'-Thcn I'm yours. and only yours, II
you want me-" he said, and took her in
his arms.
He was riotously happy, must hold
her on for the Joy Of drawing her to
him again, must pull of her gloyes
and kiss her soft bare palms.
Il love you, love you |" he cried. and
bent down to bury his face in the
warm hollow Of her neck.
Sidney glowed under his caress-was
rather startled at his passion. q little
ashnmed.
Tell me you love me little bit.
Say It."
.riove you" said Sidney. and flushed
scarlet.
But even In his arms, with the warm
sunlight on his radiant face, with his
lips to her ear. whispering the divine
absurdities Of passion, in the back Of
her obstinate little head was the
thought TINT while she had given him
her first embrace. he had held other
women In his arms. 1t made her pas
sive. prevented her complete surren-
der.
She broke the news Of her engage
ment to K. herself, the evening Of the
same day. The little house WINS quiet
when she got out of the car at the
door. Harriet was asleep ON the couch
ut the foot Of her bed. and Christine's
rooms were empty. She went upstairs
to the room that had been her moth
eE's, and took on her INIT. She wanted
to be alone,- to realize what had hap.
pened to her. A year ago her hall
promise to Joe had gratlfed her sense
Of romance. She was loved, and she
had thrilled to 1t.
But this was different. Marriage
that had been but a vision then, doomed
large, almost menaclng. She had
learned the law Of compensation: that
for every JOY one pays In suffering
Women who married went down into
the valley Of death for their children
One must love and be loved very ten
derly to pay for that. The scale must
balance.
Harriet was stirring, across the hall
Sidney could hear her moving about
with fiat, inelastic steps.
That was the alternative. One mar
ried. happily or not as the case might
be, and took the risk. Or one stayed
single, like Harriet. growing little
hard, exchanging slimness for lean
ness and austerity Of figure. fiat-chest
ed, thin-voiced. All at once 1t seemed
very terrible to her. She felt as II sht
had been caught In an inexorable hant
that had closed about her.
Harriet found her a little later, face
down on her mothers bed crying as Il
her heart would break. She sc6ldet
her roundly.
you've been overworking," she said
~You've been getting thinner. You
measurements for that suit showed It
have never approved Of this hospita
training. and after last January"
She could hardly credit her sense.
when Sidney. still swollen with weep
lng. told her Of her engagement.
isBut don't understand. II you care
for him and he has asked you to MARI,
him. why on earth are you crying youl
eyes outfs -
Fl Do care. I don't know wh(Hr cried
1t just came over me, all at once, that
- It was Just foolishness. I an
very happy. Aunt Harriet"
Harriet thought she understood. The
din needed her mother. and she. Har
x1st, WAS hard. mlddle-aged woman
and . poor Substitutes She patted Sid
n11's mnist hand.
= Isssas ! understand, shs said. TN