Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-07-11

shrek. Why should any ether
woman be able to fondle her child
in her arms while l did not know
where mine was?
Judge Turner told me he
would go over and keep Bill COM
pany at dinner tonight" (these
words sprang from jungle Of
sounds) "and his sister promised
to help him to bed"
1 gave sigh of relief. Bill
must be Alice's husband. | won
dered what the matter with him
was, but the question would not
come to my lips.
II am sure he is going to get
along all right" continued Alice
in a voice in which courage and
fear were curiously blended, al
though this is the first have left
him for any length of time since
he was hurt, poor chap
There was such grief and lon
ging in her eyes that my hand
went out toward her. She was
sorrowing, too, and | was interest
ed in spite of my own tragedy.
| did not realize that Alice was
telling me this to take my nina
away from my own troubles.
At last ] managed to ask; is
your husband ill2"
81 thought you knew, Mrs
Hammersly," she said.
"Oh, call me Alix again. NO
one can love me enough to DO
what YOU are doing for me and
call me Mrs. Hammersly." l
"That is right, my dear, and
have loved you enough to call
YOU Alix. l have called you that
pretty name ever since l saw you
come into the office for the first
time. l told Bill all about you
You gave us something new to
talk about for a whole evening
and promised to bring you out
to see him. told him how beauti-
full and how happy you were.
raised my heavy eyelids IN
denial. "Yes, dear, l know
know" she explained. "Happl-
ness has fled just now, but am
sure that your baby will be restor-
ed to you" II
"oh, l cannot bear the loss Of
NV child. | cannot bear it,"
"Yes you can, dear. The hap
Nv, people in this world have no,
conception of what tortures they
are capable of bearing. Starvation
of mind and body, grief, loneli-
ness. remorse-all these can be
borne and still the tortured mind
live on" .,,l,
"And you have suffered, Alice L
81 am suffering and my suffer
ing is greater because nave
xnown the greatest happiness that !
AN come to anyone. Ten years
,go there was not a finer, more !
,nstanding man in all the world
han nv Bill. And when we
we're married and moved into our
modest house II became a little
,,ace called Paradise. oh. AliX,
did not think that two people
ould be as happy as Bill and
we're. He was the athletic coach
4 the college at which my father q
vas a professor. 1t was the same
ollege which both Judge Turner !
nd Mr.. Early were graduated.
Iad wanted me to marry another
nan who had proposed TO me- =
ut l knew in my heart that Bill a
'as my man.
Everybody said, because I was
imposed TO be highbrow and Bill y
as Just average man. that we 4
-ould never be happy together, a
ut we We're happy-gloriously, q
happy for three long n
ears. and then one day he was a
rought home to me with an IN 2
lred hack. beyond medical help, 4,
! the result Of a football serim- G;
age. a.
"oh, Alix. on. Alix, shall
sver forget those first few Il
onths Bill alternately cursed 2
-erything and everybody inelud- v,
g fate He begged me to give a,
m a tablet or gun that he A
light die decently. I did not W
re leave him alone a moment W
d yet fate can never show me st
greater torture than the sight