The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-02-07

of a Bride
Copyrighted. 1919. by the News
paper Enterprise Association
1 FIND THAT O. y II
ARCHER HAD STARVED
HIMSELF FOR Us!

Before the darkness descended, we
reached Vera Cruz and deposited the
woman and the boy In u private nos
pital. Then we settled Gene Archer
In daddy's own elegant stateroom on
the dear old yacht l did what i
could for him that night ana next
morning surrendered him TO the care
OF n young medical man whom daddy
discovered In Vera Cruz. He was an
American. most anxious to get back
to the States, and perfectly delight
ed 10 make the voyage with a patient
on the Lorimer yacht
ARCHER Is half starved. The ride
TO the coast nearly finished Nm
Heart In bad shape" said Travers TO
Daddy Lorimer. what the deuce
has he been dolng?"
Half starved ! repeated to my
self. "Archer didn't eat his own
share OF rations. while we were In
the secret chamber. That's why the
food lasted 80 longi That's why
Chrys and l had all we neededF
Gene Archer had starved himself
for us, and yet he didn't care a fig
for either OF us! Men are queer' i
remembered that aitho Archer hadn't
been personally interested either In
Chrys or In me, he had. neyerthe-
less, suggested that kissing be the
payment in a game OF forfeitsl
one thing was certain: ] didn't I'M
derstand men at ALL The more !
found out about them. the less ]
understood them. perceived how
old maids came BY such positive
opinions about the opposite sex. You
could form an opinion based on one
fact about a man. but when you
had several facts. they contradicted
each other and you were robbed of
any kind OF verdict
Gene Archer. for instance. had de-
sired TO kiss us girls when he hadn't
the slightest sentimental feeling for
either OF us. That was awfully
vulgar-and still he was the incest
Of menl Why. he cared more for the
secrets OF the ancient masons than
he did for any woman he ever saw
And s,ill he had starved himself.
even to the danger line. 20 that we
two girls might not feel hungry
That was chivalry at its best
Verify. men were full OF contradic-
lions and altogether beyond a won.
ans comprehension. No woman
ever yet really understood any man.
But they all want TO. and they can't
and that is the supreme tragedy Of
human existence. And the most com
mon OF all the tragedies resulting
from marriage.
A man and n wife who love each
other yearn for complete and per-
feet understanding. They desire the
impossible. for there's a mysterious
barrier between human beings. and
an insurmountable wall between the
sexes. Neither the barrier nor the
wall can be hurdled or leveled- But
brides and grooms can never per-
ceive this because they do not wish
to. so distrust arises and jealousy
grows.
How much happier human be-
ings would be-" I thought III we
would all accept the barriers Just as
we accept the color OF the beloved's
eyes or the shape Of the adored ones
nose!'
Archer's heroic denial had precip-
itated this train of thought. but al
ways. In the back OF my mind, day
and night. whatever my task. was
the worry about my husband.
Morrison had promised. but no
news came.
Daddy and I met on deck every
morning and Travers. the young
physician. translated the Mexican
paper for us.
II was n comfort TO get the news
even I'm the Mexican version. daddy
said. He could read the truth be-
tween the lines. War between Mex.
leo and the United states was once
more averted. But daddy wondered
II the average American citizen could
interpret events well enough to
know that war with Mexico was al.
ways smoldering. always at the point
OF exploding.
German influence in Mexico IL
recognized at last" was daddy's com
ment And that is one damned good
thingw
Go BE Continually