The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-11
An Experiment
In. Marriage
by CAROLYN BEEcHER

moro to be said on the subject. Then
You enjoyed the opera?"
''In way. yes"
WAS the new tenor satisfactory"
"Very-although not n Caruso by
any means" IIl w :
Mr. ,, West .,, told me Mrs. Lores looked
80 he left the opera TO como here.
knowing l was not at home" HIS face
why, 1 believe he did. Thought ]
might BIO lonely. Your friends are very
kind TO me--some OF them"
becoming in one Of your age. What
"oh, nothing TO interest you. am
astonished to hear you speak In that
tone OF him. ! recall when ! spoke. OF
foolish enough to think any man would
care to mako love to me. You said he
was Just nice for your sake. Now j
| think they are really beginning to like
me for myself. may be mistaken. OF
10 be bored, do theyg" She looked up
very innocentiy. Walter flushed with
anger and muttered savagey:
"rp tired. Wen not discuss West
Had she not known Walter had ceased
/ 10 care for her she might think him
Jealous. She'd show him that others
cared. west might come as often as
| he liked. Her reckless spirit again was
| In the ascendant.
CHAPTER xcTv. p r
Could Madgc's family have known
| how reckless she had become-reckless
| for the time being--they would have
been very uneasy. very solicitous. But
tiers should give no hint OF her unhap-
pineRa. fI
Ever since williams visit she had
been very guarded in all she had writ
ten Her letters were filled with news
ings OF her little boy and list OF the
new things Walter heaped upon her.
For he had grown even more generous
Wy" He thinks jewelry. and clothes mako
n woman happy" she said to herself
Maybe he thinks II he gives me every.
thing won't mind his giving himself
TO Aimee Loree." Her lip curled In an
That That Madge was In a dangerous frame
Of mind, dangerous for herself as well
as for others, only Kitty Campbell
knew, and she but dimly. Youth, espe-
cially unhappy youth like Mndge's, IL
very apt TO go to extremes. Feeling.
emotion. fathers n reckless spirit when
common sense does not hold one back.
And sensitive, temperamental girls IKE
Madge have not as rule developed
that attribute to degree helpful In the
exigencies OF married life.
This spirit OF reckless dontt- careism
sat strangely upon Madge, 80 strangely
that Walter scarcely knew what TO call
It; how TO meet It. He sensed a differ
ence so great II startled and worried
him. He finally laid 1t to her regret
that she had married him., an odd
man. as she so often had called him.
Even the servants were worried. :.
, shs a"s a b, asst she ssss &c Ss
that poor piano as II she would like to
break Il. And she never sings any
more. She Is different. too, In tho way
she talks and acts"
goin' to happen, Hannah. Peter used
10 say, Watch out when woman acts
queer And
~ don't like that Mr., West what
laughs and talks so loud, but 1t amt
natural laughin'. oh. dear. wish l
could do somethin'! I'm sure there's
trouble brewln. He's so quiet, too
tmeaning, Walter). Why he don't scold
meek, too Think OF him asSin' her 81
she would mind II he did somethin'l l
tell you. cook, It ain't natural for folks
to change so.
shes just tho Same to me when she
comes In the kitchen"
"Sho is TO mo- too. Always nice
spoken. But she don't cry no more;
Just stands by the window and looks
as II there warn't nothln' more In the
world TO live for. 1t makes mo want to
cry as bad ms she used to just to watch
her"
20. TO- work instead OF wnstin' time
Only when with little Douglas Madge
the same She played with him, petted |
and spoiled him to his hearts content, |
hers Walter also seemed 70 take more |
- Ala. all AaAu. -.
TO TO the nursery and tell his little son |
stories. or read TO him from hts animal |
books. This rather troubled Mndgc. She |
said to herself after seeing them to-,
gother:
I'VE can't 20 on together. But It win
be hard TO take Douglas away from
him. No thought that perhaps she
would not BIO allowed to take tho boy
really troubled her, He was her own.
NO one, not even his father. could con-
II was Kitty who first made her not
quito so sure she could take Douglas
n anything separated her and Waiter.
She ss was spending pend. the afternoon teri. with
sery to play with the boy a while.
Isn't he getting 20 be a big pig?"
Madge asked. her pride shining in hcr
Indeed he Is! You WOULD endure a
lot. Madge. before you'd give him up"
What do you meanf"
Just what I say, The law II q Pc
culiar thing. I believe the children
anHs a.. sS Z unit s ,o s.1 TO e tSsm
people separate. But the law. doesn't
always think, as do--funny isn't IT.
she facetlously asked, ''and gives them
to the father. especially II he has wealth
FBut, Kitty. my boy is mine. my very
ownl Aren't YOU, darllng?" She cuddled
him TO her breast. holding him so tight
ly he squirmed away.
a SSs Ry ds had W SSSU her sScy sssS
Walter happened 10 be rich and promi-
mont. take her boy from her--it she left
Walter7
Chapter xcv. d.,
What Kitty had said caused Madge n
good deal OF anxious thought. Could II
be possible that any one could take her
baby froneher? She would fght thcm
II ever they tried 20, But tho idea
mnde her miserable. And ono night at
dinner she astonished Walter by ask
ing:
Don't you think baby belongs to
the mother. Walter"
why. of course" he replied mysti-
Il mean II anything happens be-
tween the father and mother" she
stumbled on. III they separate or any
thing"
That depends upon circumstances.
Tho courts usually decide that"
But Walter, you don't mean that
they would take baby away from the
mothcr-if she were a good mother and
n good woman" her eyes wide with
question.
'Sometimes-they might even DO that
~ the father were able Co show no could
care for the child better thaYtN the |.
mother" He wondered where her
ueStions were leading
You menn--MAltcr--thn R-nny-
thing hoppened--to separate U.S. that
you--Hny ono would take Douglas away
from me7 should die II they did"
~ wouldn't think about such things