Middletown transcript., 1917-06-02

shlp!" he cried out. "It's grotesque
perversion Of the facts to say you
haven't"
She smiled at him as she shook her
head. 1--WE spent too many months
trying to get it and seeing myself fail
oh, so ridiculously not to know
what I'm talking about, Roddy."
And then, still smiling rather sadly,
she told him what some of the expert
ments had been-some of her attempts
to break into the life he kept locked
away from her. Il was angry at first
when I found you keeping fne out"
she said, "angry and hurt. I used to
cry about it. And then saw 1t wasn't
your fault That's how 1 discovered
friendship had to be earned"
But her power to maintain that atti-
tude of grave detachment was about
spent. The passion mounted in her
voice and in her eyes as she went on.
"You thought my mind had got full of
wild ideas-the wild idea was pulling
you down from something free and fine
that you had been, to something that
you despised yourself for being and
had to try to deny you were. You
were wrong about that, Roddy.
II did have an obsession, but it
wasn't the thing you thought. 1t was
an obsession that kept me quiet, and
contented and happy, and willing to
wait in spite Of everything. The OBJ
session was that none Of those things
mattered because a big miracle was
coming that was going to change it all.
1 was going to have job at last-a
job that was just as real as yours
the job Of being q mother"
Her voice broke in a fierce, sharp
little laugh over the word, but she got
it back in control again.
II was going to have a baby to keep
alive with my own care. There was
going to be responsibility and hard
work, things that demanded courage
and endurance and sacrifice. I could
earn your friendship with that, said
That was the real obsession, Roddy
and it never really died until tonight
Well, 1 suppose can't complain. It's
over, that's the main thing.
"And now, here I am perfectly nor.
NAL and well again-as good as ever
could wear pretty clothes again and
start going out just as I did a year ago
People would admire me. and you'd be
pleased, and you'd love me as much
as ever, and it would all be like the
paradise it was last year, except fol
one thing. The one thing is that If
do that, I'll know this time what
really am"
With a dangerous light Of anger in
his eyes, he said quietly: "It's perfect
ly outrageous that you should talk like
that, and I'll ask you never to do II
again"
After ten seconds Of silence, she
went on: "Why, Roddy, I've heard yor
describe me hundred times. Not the
YOU that's my lover. The other you
talking all over the universe to Barry
Lake. You've described the woman
who's never been trained nor taught
nor disciplined; who's been brought uI
soft, with the bloom On, for the pur
pose Of making her manageable
who's never found her job in marriage
who doesn't cook, nor sew, nor spin
nor even take care Of her own chill
dren; the woman who uses her charm
! to save her from having to do hard
ugly things, and keep her in luxury
Do you remember what you've called
her, Roddy?
81 didn't understand any Of thai
when you married me, Roddy; it wa.
Just like a dream to me-like a fairy
story come true. But l understand
now. How can you be sure, knowing
that my position in the world, m!
friends, oh, the very clothes on m!
back. and the roof over my head, ar,
dependent on your love-how are 70,
going to be sure that my love for 20,