The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-12-21
Confessions
ISWho/s
AIICT eEENfs MORRID

Il
say to Alice:
Now tell me all about It," But
knew l had no right to make
these inquiries. Unless she cared
to tell me about herself, / had no
right to be curious.
Little Book. ! sometimes think
that curiosity Is one of the great
est vices.
And yet IL we are not curious
we will never learn" can hear
someone say II should make
that remark about curiosity.
One of the things that I have
learned. little book, is that all
great virtues are, under sane cir
cumstances, vices.
That is paradoxical, of course.
but l can make my meaning clear
to you by saying:
1T 10 all right to inquire into
impersonal things and all wrong
to make inquiries into personal
matters unless the person about
whom you are curious shows you
that you are welcome to visit that
garden of seclusion, his soul"
/ wanted to comfort Alice. poor
girl wanted to make Pat hap
pier than he was, but until either
Of them opened the door of his
or her confidence, must stay
outside.
Alice and l talked of every
thing. as women will, but the one
thing We were interested In.
She was much interested In
Dicks health, and had to explain
to her as a nurse just what his
symptoms were and Just what
had been done for him.
She made no comment and
told her to come down and see
Dick.
II am sure hs II better" I
said. He looked more like him
self today when l took him to the
voting place and to his office
than he has yet. He seems to be
improving every day"
At last she could keep silent no
longer.
"Margie," she said, "did you
think Pat looked unhappy"
why would he not look I'M
happy when Chad, whom he loves
so dearly, is in the condition he
is?" I parted.
Yes, Margie, I know all about
that" she said YEARLY. "but in
this trouble l am no help to him.
Margie, Pat should never have
been told of my life before I met
him. He cannot forget it, and 1t
embitters his life every time he
looks at me-"
Aren't you getting morbid.
Alicef"
woman7"
mo. dear. but I have found
out something that has made me
rather doubtful OF looks The
most innocent looking woman
know Is a demon. The woman
that seems most puritsnical In
carrying on llaison with an as
surance that almost makes one
admire her nerve. met a woman
the other day who had one Of
those battle-axe faces that Dick
talks about and / found that her
whole life had been given to good
works. 1t rather gave me q
shock, Alice. as I had always de-
clared that l could tell. how q
woman had lived IL I could look
into her face after forty. You
see, Alice, I am not so sure Of my
self as I used to be. 1t IL all
mixed up as Malcolm Stuart used
to say. ! am beginning to think
IL you live from day to day the
best you can, that is about all you
can de-"
Alice raised her head quickly az
tho l had given her some oom-
fort.
"Margie." she said in hurt
tones, "Pat must let me be myself
with him. He holds me off at
arms length all the time and he
has grown more and more suspi-
cious of me-"
"Why should he have the
slightest suspicion of you, Alicsf
No woman makes the confession
to her husband that you have to
Pat who has not purged herself of
her sin by heartbreak and tears"
81 don't think he Is suspicious
OF what ] will DO, but of what I.
did do. He seems to think that T
am still in love with Harvey"
"Oh. my dear. does he not un-
derstand that you have given to
himself the one great love of your
life7"
"f haven't" said Alien. quietly