Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-12-24
Moonlight and
Money
BY Marion Rubincam
BY Marion Rubincam
TRAGEDY
z 81.

CHAPTER 81
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 thai What
she was going through now was only
VIVA most women go through at
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 q 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 a reconciliation.
She was facing the two great mys-
tries, death n birth. The passing
of one life was a matter of days, per-
maps hours, the coming of another
life the matter of a few weeks. Both
were unknown experiences. Yet
Louise knew all that could be done
materially to tighten her burden was
being done. h a no petty wor-
ries any more. Her home was COM
Portable, perfect service surrounded
her. Anne was devotion itself. There
was ClIOuSu ulOHey IOT ever lUlDB.
Perhaps this sense Of physical COM
fort made her more susceptible to
her mothers philosophy. For Mrs.
Driscom, feeling her weakness and
knowing h danger OF death, SEEM
ed to gather up and pour out all the
bitterness OF her life. 1t was a
strange but characteristic way of
showing her love for Louise. She
thought her daughter was faced with
The So m a dancer she had fnRnH NVha11
a girl and she wanted to warn her
away from it.
You dare not love a man too
much" she said. The higher you
place them, the more terrible it is
when they fall"
She talked In v little
spasms. Her words were curiously
impressive because they came from
a long silence and would be followed
by another silence of hours. Then
she would start again:
All women are romantic fools. I
was one, you are one. They think
the man they love is perfect. When
they find he is simply human, they
are broken hearted"
After q time, while she twisted
~nervously in the bed, she went on:
That's why marriages made for
love are disastrous. Too much is ex-
pected."
In spite of her desire not to agl-
tate her mother. Louise could not
help protesting:
"Oh, no. Mother. you are wrong
there"
But I'm not" the sick woman
said, grimly. IF 1 had married your
father expecting only to be given a
pretty home and clothes and plenty
of money, 1 would have been happy.
Fol- that's all I got from my a
riage. But I expected 1t to be a
dream of bliss. oh, 1 had all the
sentim entail notions a girl could have.
And 1t was all a terrible failure"
But don't you think that, after a
time, you might have patched things
up" Louise suggested, gently. You
say yourself that q lot of the trouble
was your jealousy. If he never did
anything seriously wrong"
Il don't, to this day, know what
he did," her mother interrupted. II
never tried to find out in detail. Even
after we quarreled continually 1t
would have hurt too much to know.
The illusions died hard, my dear.
You haven't given up all your Illu-
sions about Harry yet"
but Harry hasn't done anything
wrong" Louise said, unwilling to let
any slur against his name go with
out protest. 81 knew when I insist
"a oPOh MAJ y lis iii Iildl L hOulu
have no honey and hat 1 couldn't
expect Injuries or even all the COM
forts"
"You didn't get them, either" her
mother answered.
mo. and 1 wasn't strong enough
morally or physically to go without
them" Louise said. II thought 1
was, but I found after a while that
[ had to have the little material
things of life, as well as the big
things like owe and DEVOTION"
you ever were cheated out of
those" her mother insisted. NO
man who loved his wife would ex-
pect her, or even allow her, to sacri-
fee and to work as you did. That
isn't love; that's selishness."
Perhaps" Louise agreed, with a
sigh. II haven't the illusions about
Harry I had a year ago.. But I do
love him and 1 do miss him" Her
voice broke a little on the last
words.
But you won't go back under the
old conditions? Promise me that"
her mother begged.
"Ill promise" said Louise. but
she felt as though all the light of
hope had gone out and that the
world was dark and tragic.