The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-11

future complicated BY another respons:-
biiity.
A. Marion lay upon her bed. her sobhing
review before her vision the entire dream Of
her life with Paul From the nrst unham-
pered days In college. days when both were
without responsibility. down to their mar
rage three months ago she could see the
mar whose wife she had become change
corh6encs toShsr she now set down as boast
fulress.
She rose from the bed and went to her
dresser for some powder and to eradicate the
would go out to him. prepare some supper.
and give him . chance to apologize.
She found him sitting By the window
where, An hour before, she had sat. The
maternal instinct in her urged her to 90 10
him. to pat Ids head. to kiss him. but she
fought It down. believing 1t was his duty 10
make the advance to her. But he kept his
gaze out upon the fast darkening street.
and she went back to her little kitchen and
prepared the meal.
At last she called to him:
Your dinners ready"
What u the perversity in human nature
to make us so expert in the choice Of wrong
words. wrong intonations7 Had Marion said
Dinners ready. Paul It Ii likely that his
own thoughts. playing with him as her
thoughts had played with her. would have
brought an apology from him at once But,
Your dinners ready" as oontemptuous as a
cook announcing a meal to some hired hand.
threw him back into the sullen mood that
had followed their quarrel Had she
slammed the plates upon the table the effect
could not have been worse.
I'm not hungry he said without NOV
ing
Marion felt herself In an insecure position.
She had overstepped the mark and even her
own obsunacy drew back from further
attack. She sat down placed some food upon
his dish. poured his coffee, and then did like
wise for herself. After few moments she
spoke again:
please come and eat Paul.
She sensed the struggle going on in his
breast. He. too. was faced with retreat. At
last he rose and came TO the table and after
. minute or two slipped his coffee. Marion
began eating. Warner looked at her si-
lentiy and finally he asked:
-when-when win the baby be bornr
With an effort Marion kept back her tear.
II only things had been different II only
they had waited longer before they had mar
ried- Why. this man was a stranger TO her:
She found 1t hard to answer him
I'm April, I think" she replied. dis
tressed- Then. sensing her opportunity to
soften the situation. she added: What time
must you be at your oficeT'
Warner held his fork suspended in mid air
Marion's question was q shock. All she had
said in her anger. her sneerins allusions 10
his college days. came upon him again. How
could he tell her that he, an honor man OF
Columbia university, was about TO start work
at twenty-five dollars a week on an under
takers trade Journal 1t appalled, him. He.
too, remembered the strident confidence OF
those days when he tuggled schopenhauer
and Spinoza- Kant and the British prag-
matists a faker might juggle red and
yellow balls. Now he was TO write Of en-
bslming, and the latest designs in motor
heafses.
u go to work at nine" he said doggediy.
and I'm going to work on a trade journal
an undertakers' trade journal"
Marion knew instantly that Warner was
telling the serious truth, and It seemed to
her that the bottom was dropping from her
soul. She thought Of the Times and the Sun
and the Tribune. journals Of respected and
honored names, journals which move
masses OF men into action. that pulled down
dynasties or set new ones up And her hus-
band, a writer on an undertakers' trade
magazine! Had fate conspired to make this
night the ridiculous climax Of her life? She
thought OF writing home and telling friends
that her husband worked on an undertakers'
journal. that he wrote of-her magma
ton ran not. Then she saw Warner had
risen from the table. picked up his hat and
was walking toward the door.
Whats the natter" she said. where
are you going?"
I'm going for a walk" The next moment
the door slammed behind him and she was
alone.
stephens. who occupied the post Of editor,
seemed immune from the dark influences OF
undertaking. His attitude was completely
journalistic and unconsciously. in spite Of
Warmers self,made pessirism, he imbised
from stephens reserve Of new confidence