Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-02
Margaret CARROTS
Husband
THE END OF A PAINFUL DAY.
CHAPTER CXXYI.
4 By JANE PHELPS
Il X X X X X \ X X X X i. X

O11[NI LIN S<AA V L.
Women always had admired Bob
they always would. 1t was not his fault
But [ thoroughly believed him when ht
said he had not Intentionally given hi
love to another while he was bound tt
me. l had driven him to her because
of the unhappy life he had lived witt
me. Because of my selfishness. my pig
lheadedness. There was no other word
that expressed my stubborn insistence
that he should live his life according
to the pattern laid out for him.
My heart was almost torn in bits
with the pain, yet | compelled myself
to be natural, to talk to the children
and give orders to Della as usual. Sun
day Nellie was always out as Bob and
| usually made it a day for the child
ren. The only day he was with them
to any extent.
"'I waited and braved the knowledge
that he loved her" 1 told Elsie the
no longer. / HAD to be sure. There was
no other way. l am being punished for
all l did in those first mistaken years.
This last year L have loved and given
up all my own ideas, all that was in
grained in my nature to win him. |
never have nagged nor upbraided him
as l used TO in these last months. He
is so fascinated, SO deeply in love that
he cannot be happy without her.
81 cannot see how you were so sure
lit was Charlotte Elsie said.
Glove is very keen, Elsie, as you
know. Her name was never mentioned,
he never was with her that his love
was not apparent. The lovelight in his
eyes was all convincing"
"But why didn't you wait, dear2
Your year of grace ism It quite gone.
Something might have happened.''
~ couldn't endure the uncertainty
any longer, Elsie. He did not come home
if he telephoned his evasions were so
apparent that used to feel almost as
sorry for him as for myself. have my
boys-they are all 1 ever shall have.
But Elsie, dearly as I love them they
do not fill his place"
"But, Margaret, what does Bob
say9"
Zone thing he said that comforts me
He said he had seen the effort | had
made to be different; and that he re-
spected me more than he could express.
He even cares for me a little l think,
but as he would for an older sister; not
as | want to be cared for. And Elsie
1 have had the shucks of love long
enough. l have compelled man who
loves another woman, a good woman, to
remain with me. But the end has come
at last. 1 shall suffer, always l think,
but he at least will be happy. and he
will owe that happiness to me. That is
will be, something"
"You are very brave, Margaret.
don It think could do it for Tom"
eyes you could, Elsie-if you had
to-"
"I doubt it,"
Neither Bob nor I made any further
reference to our talk of the afternoon.
Sunday evening the Baldwins came over
and remained until late Almost immed-
lately they had gone Bob bade me good
night and went up stairs. l, as l often
did of late, remained below an hour
or longer.
Bob had been very quiet since our
talk Even when playing with Donald
he had been serious, and kept him ap-
peased for the loss OF his usual romp
by telling him stories. He was a born
and as 1 listened to his voice
[ thought how much Donald would miss
his Sunday stories and the play hour
before we tucked him into bed.
As | sat alone that night when L had
given up all that life held for me OF
happiness, / knew that L still had troub-
lie and anguish ahead. 1 must be free
to give him his freedom.
You can perhaps imagine little OF
how l shrunk from the publicity | might
have to face. How every bit of me
eringed and trembled as / thought of
what the world would say, Bob s world,
and mine.
Would they forget me as l had been
the past year, and remember me only
as tine surf, unfriendly, uneompromls-
ing, nagging wife of their favorlte! Or
would my conduct the last few months
mitigate their Judgments
No sngmvst qastIIns came to me; no
doubt but that L had done right. Bob
could not give up his new love, and
loved him too dearly to ruin his life
by keeping, by a sorr of force, the place
he longed to give another.
A year ago L couldn t have done 1t.
But / loved MIN more, myself less, now.
As l climbed the stairs to bed only |
1ne thought was with me:
Il must get it over soon if were |
not to fail 1t was too hard now. Per-
naps peace would come when he had |
gone. "
But all that night sobbed into my
pillow that he might not hear. Great |
fearless sobs that raeked body and soul. |
,Monday-The Beginning of the End) |