Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-15
MOONLIGHT AND MONEY.
BY Marion Rubincam.
TRAGEDY.
ChaDfnr I.XI

Chapter LXI.
| There were times, during the week that
| followed, when Louise thought she was
/ going crazy. There were hours when she
/ felt. the strain was too great---that she
could not bear it all alone. Yet she knew
that what she was going through now
was only what most women go through
ut some period OF their lives and what
some of them go through not once but
many times.
Had Harry come at any of those times
! she would have gone to his arms with a
| feeling of intense relief She would have
| felt that half her burden was lifted simply
| through his sympathy. But Harry had
| been hurt by her refusal TO answer his
second letter, too hurt to make any
/ further attempt at q reconciliation.
| She was facing the two geat mysteries,
| death and birth. The passing of one life
was a matter of days, perhaps hours, the
| coming of another life the matter of a
| few weeks. Both were unknown expert
ences Yet Louise knew all that could be
| dbne materially to tighten her burden
was being done. She had no petty worries
any more. Her home was comfortable.
perfect service surrounded her Anne was
devotion itself There was enough money
for everything. Perhaps this sense OF
physical comfort made her more suscep-
tibe ~ he- mothe-s philosophy. Fo~
Mrs. Driscom, feeling her weakness and
knowing the danger of death, seemed TO
gather up and pour out all the bitterness
of her life Ii was strange but character
istIc way of showing her love for Louise.
She thought her daughter was faced with
the same danger she had faced when "a
girl and she wanted 10 warn her away from
it.
you dare not love a man too much.
she said The higher YOU place them,
the more terrible il is when they fall
She talked in nervous httic spasTns.
Her words were cuiously Impressive
because they came from long silence
and would be followed by another silence
of hours. Then she would start again;
"All women are romantic fools. | was
one. YOU are ono They think the man
they love is perfect When they find
he Is simply human, they are broken
hearted
After time, while she twisted ner-
vo,Islv in the bed, she went on;
That why marriages made Tor love
are disastrous Too much Is expected.
In spite Of her desire not to agitatc her
mother, Louise could not help protesting:
"Oh. no, Mother, YOU are wrong
there
But I'm not. the sick woman said,
grimly IF | had married your father,
expecting only TO be given a pretty home
and clothes and plenty of money ] would
have been happy For that's all got
from nv marriage But | expected it to
be dream Of bliss. Oh, | had all the
sentimental notions a girl could have.
And it was all 4 terrible failure
But don vou think that, after a
time, YOU might have patched things up
Louise gcstcd. gently You say
yourself that Il lot OF the trouble was your
jealousy. II be never did anything
seriously " wrong
4 don't, 10 this day. know what be
did. her mother interrupted Il never
tried TO find out in detail Even after We
quarreled continually il would have hurt
too much to know The Illusions died
hard, my dear You haven't given up sill
your illusions about Harry yet
But Harry hasn't done anything
wrong, Louise said. unwilling to let
any slur against his name 20 without
protest u knew when I insisted upon
marrying him that I would have no
money and that | colldn't expect luyuTlas
or even all the comforts
You didn't get them. either her
mother answered.
''No, and wasn't strong enough
morsLy or physically to Sc without
them" Louise said. 4 thought | was
but l found after while that had TO
have the little material things Of life, as
well as the big things Ike love and de-
votion
You even were cheated out 81 those
her mother insisted No man who
loved his wife would expect her, or even
sllow her, to sacrifice and to work Is
you did That iSn love that's selfish
ness
'Perhap> Louise agreed, with
sigh Il haven't the illusions about
Harry ! had year ago. But | do love
him and ] d. miss him Her voice
broke little on the last words,
But YOU won 20 back under the Old
conditions? Promise me that. her
mother begged
III promise. sad Louise, bat sDe
felt as though at the light Of hope had
gone out and thai the world Was dark
and tragic.
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