Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-16

work st64I WdItoH .S-
q "a ND for work hat, he stayed, /,
for GaDrxe. the. least critical OF
friends, had once or twice told her
lof vachtine parties in which Warren
had particlpated-n1en's parties OF
which Rachael perhaps might n0t
have disapproved. but OF wn1cn Ia
ichael certainly did not 9 George
had told her vaguely that Greg 9 9
and sleep late on Sunday, and seem
ed to feel it more Of q rest than COM
ing down to the shore.
IT am q fool to break down this
way" said Rachael. interrupbng. her
guests musings to come back to.her
chair. and showing a composed faco
despite her red eyes. but my--my
in the simple dignity OF h words
brought the tears to ,Alice's eyes She
lheld out her hand and Rachael took
it and chung to it, as she went on:
81 had a birthday yesterday--and
Warren forgot It'll"
.'They all do that" Alice said
cheerfully. George never remembers
mine!""
"But Warren always has before"
Rachael said, smiling sally, and
and it came to me last night didn't
| sleep very wel-that I am thirty
four. and-and I have given him all
l have!"
Again tears threatened her self
control, but she fought them resi-
lutely. and in a moment was herself
again.
you love too hard, my dear wom-
an, Alice Valentine demonstrated at
fectionately; nothing is worse than
lextremes in anything. Say to your
self. like a sensible girl, that. you
have a good husband, and let it 50
at that! Be a cool and cheerful
with Warren s>if he were-George,
flor instance. and try to interest your
self in something entirely outsids
your own home. / wonder II perhaps
this place isn't a little lonely for you!
Why don't you try Bar Harbor or ono
of b mountain places next year, n
go about among people, and entertain
q little more?"
But, Alice, people bore me So
I've had SO much of it. and its al
ways the same thing!''
I> II know: I hate it. too. \ But there
are funny phases in marriage, Ra-
chael and one has to take them AZ
Rachael pondered. Elinor Pom
eroy and the v~ilialongas, the Whit
takers and Stokes and Parmalees
again! Noise and hurry, and dancing
and smoking. and drinking again! She
sighed.
II believe I'll suggest it to Warren,
Alice. Then if he's keen for it, wei,
do it next year"
II would Mrs. Valentine
and looked toward the beach with an
idea of locating Martha. and Katrina
before sending for them. Isn't it
almost lunch timer" she asked, add
ing in a matter-of-fact tone: Don't
worry any more, Rachael; it's large
ly a bad habit. lust look the whole
thing in the face, and map it out like
a. campaign. The way to begin .liv-
ms the ideal life is to begin. my ia
Their used to say"
This talk. and others like it, had
the effect Of bracing Rachael to fresh
endurance and of squirting her to
fresh courage. for the few days that
its effect lasted. sui soone or later
her bravery would die away. and an
increasing encouragement possess
her. Lying in her bare, airy bed
room at night, with sombre Eyes star
ing at the arch Of stars above the
moving sea, ar almost unbearable
body; she needed Warren. she said
Ito herself. often with bitter tears.
Warren, splashing in his bath, scat
tering wet towels and discarded gnr-
ments SO royalty about the place:
Warren. in q discurstve mood. re-
garding some operation as he stropped
his razor: Warren's old. half-unthink-
,ing you look sweet, DEAR" when,
fresh and dainty, his wife was ready
to go downstairs-for these and a
thousand other memories Of him she
,,yearned with an aching desire that
racked her like a bodily pain.
"Oh, it isn't right for him to tor
ture me sou she would whisper TO
herself. ut isn't right"
October found them all back in tho
city. an apparently united and de-
voted family again. Rachael enter
ed with great .zest into the delayed
nishing the old home on Washington
Square, finding the dignifed house
Warren's birthplacev@more and, more
to her liking as modern enamel fix
lures went into the bathrooms, sim
pie modern hangings let sunshine and
air in at the long-darkened windows.
and rich tapestry papers and Oriental
rugs subdued the effect Of severe
cream woodwork and colonial man
tells.
She found Warren singularfy un
enthusiastic about it, almost un-
gracious when he answered her cues
tons or decided for her any detail.
but Rachael was firmly resolved to
ignore his moods, and went blitheiy-
about her business displaying an in :
dfference-or an assumed indifer-
~ence-that was evidently somewhat
puzzling to Warren and to all her
household. She equipped the boys in
dark-blue coats and squirrel-skin
caps for tho winter. marveLins q lit
tile sadly. that their father dds not
seem to see the charms so evident to
all the world. A roster, gayer, more
sturdy pair Of devoted little brothers
never. stamped through snowy parks,
or came chattertng In for chops and
Ibaked potatoes. Every woman in
the n~eighborhood, every policeman,
knew Jim and Derry Gregory; their
morning walks were SO many separ-
ate little adventures in popularity.
But Warren. beyond paternal greet
ings at breakfast, and an occasional
perfunctory query as to their health.
made no attempt to enter into their
lives They were still too small to
interest their father except as GOOD
and satisfactory babies.
Continued TN Monday
Evenings Herald.