Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-12-24
Margaret CARROTS
Husband
THE CONFIDENCE CONTINUED.
CHAPTER XCI-
+ By JANE PHELPS !
+ X X X X X n H x X X X X \

CHAPTER XCI.
"When we were married, and be-
fl 'e," Bob went on, "you showed
: every sign of a sane and well balanced
, nature. You deceived me entirely. Wait
IL don It mean that you wilfully de-
ceived me; there was nothing to bring
out the traits in your character, those
in mine, which are making life impos-
sible for me-
~ don't understand you at all,
Bob, l spoke rather sharply. His talk
was all so much Greek to me. [ had
not as yet grasped one salient point. 1t
seemed futile for me to try.
"Wait-I must tell it in my own way.
You'll soon understand. AS the keen
ledge of my grief for mother wore off.
| naturally turned to my old friends, the
friends mother loved. They welcomed
me with open arms, and would so have
welcomed you. But you would have
none of them. Your ideas of life and
mine were totally different. You were
satisfied to keep house, to sew, to mind
the children, always with me sitting by
to see. Mine were to enjoy my friends,
to try to broaden myself by contact
with clever minds; to bring into life
something beside sordid money making;
and the discussion of the price of food,
and the qualities the servant did or did
II, t possess. But at every turn you
thwarted me,-tried to thwart these nat
ural and innocent aspirations. Because
was starved for companionship.
bought an interest in John Kendall's
publishing house; only to have it prove
another bone of contention, even tho
John was one of my oldest and dearest
| friends. think the trouble started be-
cause of these things. l have tried to
do my duty by you, especially before
and right after the boys were born. But
Margaret, love will not be coerced. [
have tried to love you as wife
should be loved, as you want me to love
you-but it 8 impossible. l suffer IN
telling you this as you suffer in hear
ing it. But 1 feel that l cannot live this
lie any longer. L respect you, l admire |
your many sterling qualities, but L do
not love you. [ am still a very young |
man, and this knowledge is embittering
my life. l HAD TO tell you"
"But-what?- L stammered, still
unable to grasp the tithe of what his
words implied. had not the strength to /
fight the first sharp anguish. The shock
bewildered me. That he really meant he
did not love me any longer-was too
awful. That he never had loved me
impossible.
II shall leave it to you, Margaret, to
decide what shall be done. think it
wiser that we separate, and-''
l interrupted him with sharp cry;
"Separate-neverl
HIet me finish, - he said in the same
tone, but his face quivered, &" am sure
that is the best way. win do all in my
power for you Neutrality-suspicious.. The
bows will go with you, 1 to see them
whenever l choose. But, Margaret, am
standing still! l cannot grow because
have no sympathy, no possible help at
home. Had you cared for the things
which [ care we might have gone on
indefinitely, because then we would
have had something at least in common
But as it is we have nothing, absolute
ly nothing.
''The boys, ''-
HAlways the boys will be ours to-
gether to love and to care for. Ihat you
must know and understand. But l am
not half a man under the existing cir
cumstances. / crave Understandings
freedom, and I have neither. Let me go,
Margaret. 1t will be for your happiness
as we'll as for mine. -
esNever, Robert Garrett, suddenly
awoke to what he was saying, 'neVer!
we were married for better or for worse. E
IF because / can't abide lot of Bo-
bemian friends of yours, men over
whom your mother made silly russ,
YOU can talk of separating yoursen
from me: can renounce all that being :
husband means; l will not allow you TO
do it. l shall not consent. You re crazy
stark crazy to propose it,
ssT am your husband now only III :
name. | have tried to think it all out
calmly. Margaret, dispassionately. Is II
rigbt that | should have nothing to look
fnrward tof You are not happy with
me. God only knows how the wings OF
NV spirit have been clipped. l want 10
al the right thing; Won you make II
a bit easier2 :, 20
vour siilv talk about separating, ten
yeu again, mol - ,,o4
+hat do not love you2 That tins pre-
tcnsa is siekening me of my very me-
I fnel ne if | were suffoeating. How can
,-on hold me when l have told you all
this ,.so1f no
lon,,er and I sobbed and cried, at times
.cTeaming in my hysteria. For little
while Bob let me weep Wltnou' s"s rs
a word, then he attempted 10 IeTSIsI SII
With me again, and the more ne lalAe
the oftener he said he did not loEe mr, nn,
the more hysterieal l became many
he said: ,,o+ vou
'sI'm going to bed, Margaiey, Io
better do the same, You can thlnA oNsl
N l have said tomorrow. there y no E
hurry and the shutting OF ms ooo4 E
VAS as if he had already shut me ou'
from him forever.
(Tomorrow-Anger and Fear {
\ II Z