Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-06-13

-
partner In the CLANCY enterprise q
marriage were NOT her feelings and de-
sires entitled to equal consideration1
He had assumed the role of dictator.
And she had revolted. That was all.
She Was Justified
Eventually she slept. At ten O'Clock.
heavy-eyed. suffering an intoleEahle
headache. she rose and dressed.
Beside her plate hay Z thick letter
addressed In BfMs handwriting. She
drank her coffee and went back 10 the
bedroom before she opened the en-
velope- BY the postmark she saw
that 1t had been mailed on q train.
Dear Girl: 1 have caught ny
breath. 30 to speak. but doubt II ever
more forlorn cuss listened to the
interminable clicking Of car wheels.
am tempted at each station to turn
back and try again. It seems 30 UNI
real. this parting In hot anger, 30 mis-
erably unnecessary. But when I stop
to sum 1t up again. see no use I'm
another appeal I could come back
yes. Only the certain knowledge that
giving In like that would send us spin
ming once more In vicious circle pre-
vents me. I didn't believe 1t possible
that we could get 50 far apart Nor
that succession OF little things could
cut SO weighty q figure In our lives.
And perhaps you are very sore and
ing SO precipitate.
81 couldn't help 1t, Hazel. 1t seemed
the only way. 1t seems so yet to me.
nv. ~ mi
In Granville-everyth thing to make me
hurry away. If 1 had weakened and
temporized with you it would only
mean the deferring OF just what has
happened. When you declared your
self fatty and repeatedly it seemed
hopeless to argue further. am a poor
pleader, perhaps; and do not believe
in compulsion between us. Whatever
you do you must do of your own voli-
ton, without pressure from me. We
couldn't be happy otherwise. If I
compelled you to follow me against
your desire we should only drag mis-
cry In our train.
sT couldn't even say good-by.
didn't even want 1t to be good-by. I
didn't know II I could stick to my
determination to go unless went as
did. And my reason told me that If
| there must be break 1t would better
come now than after long-drawn-out
| chickering's and bitterness. II we are
so diametrically opposed where we
| thought we stood together we have
made q mistake that no amount Of adj
| justing, nothing but separate roads,
will rectify. Myself I refuse to be-
| 1ieve that we have made such a mis-
| take. don't think that honestly and
deliberately you prefer an exotic. use
less. purposeless, parasitic existence
| to the normal. wholesome life we hap
PLY planned. But you are obsessed,
intodcated-I can't put it any better
and nothing but a shock will soDer
ron. IF I'm wrong. If love and Bilrs
companionship can't lure You away
from these other things-why, sup
| pose you will consider It an ended
chapter. In that case you will not
suffer. The situation as 1t stands WIN
be relief to you II, on the other
hand, it's merely a stubborn streak.
that won't let you admit that you've
carried your proud little head on an
the pricef don't.
I'm not scolding, little person. I'm
sick and sore at the pass we've come
l
| to the fact or keep me from admitting
| freely that love you just az much
and want you as longingly as / did
the day put you aboard the Stanley
D. at Bella Coda. thought you were
stepping gladly out Of my life then.
And let you go freely and without
anything but q dumb protest against
| fate, because 1T was your wish. can
step out Of your life again-if 1t II
your wish. But can't imprison my
self In your cities. I'm neither an
/ fdler nor can become legalized buc-
cancer. I have nothing but contempt
for those who are. Mind you, this II
not SO sweeping q statement as It
sounds. No one has q keener appre-
citation Of what civilization means than
L Out OF 1T has arisen culture and
knowledge, much OF what should make
| the world q better place for us all. But
somehow this doesn't apply to the
mass. and particularly not to the cir
cles we invaded In Granville. With
here and there a solitary exception
that class Ia hopeless In its SNUG self
satisfaction-its narrowness Of out
look, and unblushing exploitation Of
| the less fortunate, repels me.
.And to dabble my hands In their
muck, to settle down and live my life