Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-08-17
The Crisis.

Ine CrlSlS.
The time has come, John Gordon
when you and : must have these
matters all out"
"For heavens sake, Katherine, dc
not be so tragic. You know that
have never cared for that house
|. down in the country and see no
reason why you should keep it just
to provide resting place for your
mothers maid"
Keep still, John. I don't want tc
feel more exasperated and more dis
appointed in you than / arn.'
John looked up as though to speak
again, but I held up my hand.
Il don't know just when the time
came, John, when you first began to
grow tired of me. but think, per-
haps, it was when you found out
that / was a real human being In
stead of the plaything you evidently
had meant me to be. Something
with no mind you thought me, ex-
cept as I reflected yours; and no am
bition, except that which might be-
long to petted cat that would purr
as it basket in the warmth of your
smile"
Going TO Tell the Truth
"Oh, yes, I know" l said, as |
noted the gray look come over his
face and the smile of sarcasm trans
form his mouth into thing of ugli-
ness. "You are thinking that / am
posing as an abused angel, but won't
you please just for once take me as
l., or tNi,1l-
Won't you try to understand? For
| am going to tell you the plain truth
even If it is not put into the plain.
ugly language which you SO often
have used. John, 1 don't think you
ever have loved me. / think the
woman you have really cared for is
Elizabeth Moreland."
Are you going back to that,
again?"
stop Hear me out---for upon
what am saying and upon what you
shall decide depend our future lives.
1 do not know just what it is that
attracts a man momentarily; that
take him off his feet. / do not know
why 1t is that some women will have
this attraction for some men and
iCttNS OiiiStS NOitt pdt Wv hiiVWs
John, that 1 have given you that
strange magnetic thrill. know that
the first time you met me you felt
it as I did, and from then until our
marriage you thought of nothing ex-
cept that l should belong to you.
But after all, John, you and I have
very little in common. can not
be hypocritical, must be frank. You
in your brutally masculine way have
overruled and overrun all the women
folk you have had about you. I'll
has annoyed you greatly when I, the
first woman you have ever known
to do so, have stood up to you. hold
ing my own even though your blows
always reached my heart. 1 received
this letter the other day. If you will
look you will see that it is addressed
to me. do not know whether Eliza
beth Moreland intended me to have
this letter, and sent it to me in this
way purposely, or whether she was
to you at the same time and !
got the notes mixed. But it was
just after my child was born. John,
and | made up my mind that would
come here and fight for my own.
Then. if I found that you still wanted
her more than you wanted me. l
determined 1 should take my baby
md go away, back to that little haven
If rest which had come to me from
NY mother. and to her from her
mother, and on back through gem
'rations that have hardly counted.
I belonged to me and mine. But
-ou have taken this refuge from me
With cruelty that might be thought
ess, but which you must have known
would be barbarie in its torture of
ne If YOU had stopped to think at
II on the subject"
John had not read the letter ana !
said to him. Read iti'' He opened
mechanically. He turned ashen
s he read the first line. And then Is
e looked at me and said. "At least L
ne woman has loved me. even :
hough she knew that 1 did not love
err
do YOU mean to tell me. John 1
iordon, with that letter in your hand z