The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1921-08-04
VALUES
--~----
by CAROL FARMER.
81. sy Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.


unity Of her fellow sufferers Despite
her pallor and evident exhaustion, her
face shone hower-like above her shah
BY furs.
'sTired, AIicer' NJ ,elaa4
Her companion clumsily tried to
steady her az she was almost swept
or her feet between the human mael-
strom. those fighting to get on and
those getting on, like two mighty
streams. each determined to have the
right Of way.
The girl felt that II he touched her
again she would scream. Tonight
more than ever he seemed to typify
all the things she hated with every
nber Of her being. all the sordidness
which so far had made up her life.
All about her was the same apathy I;
the self-evident signs Of a struggle for
roof over ones head and enough to
cover ones nakedness Of body II not
Of spirit. She tried to bring her hard
won philosophy into play.
She had her health and Joe, and
momentary pang Of cempunction
smote her. In all the world he was
the only one who really cared any
thing about her. To all the hustling,
pushing throng she was nothing but q
mere atom.
In the deep recesses Of her soul she
knew that In marrying Joe she was not
being true to her higher self. She
knew 1t would mean the end Of all her
striving for some Of the beauty and
Joy Of life. No matter how hard she
tried she could never take him up
ward and onward with her; she would
have to come down to his level. While
he secretly admired and stood In awe
OF her motions" as he called Them
they were entirely beyond his compre-
hension.
When she allowed herself to think
Alice despised herself for giving up
the struggle so ignobly. But she was
SO tired Of the eternal loneliness. the
terrifying abysmal loneliness Of her
cheerless room. with Its musty damp
ness and single gas jet. Of the bargain
basement with its tight-skirted. gum
chewing, rouged prisoners, with whom
she felt so inadequate to cope. And
Joe seemed to offer her the only escape,
her only surcease. Dull, ploddIng, yet
he could give her physical companion
ship, home better than she could win
for herself, and mitigate the ever
present specter of the wolf on her
horizon.
But her dreams; they could never
be anything else hut dreams, and she
would have to dream alone. SO they
were to be married the next day.
Suddenly, she looked down straight
into the eyes of a woman who was the
very essence of all her visions. Svelte.
beautifully gowned. with the pride of
race In every line. she looked as out
Of place in that throng as lily in a
potato patch. And as their eyes chung
for one long moment, Alice envied
with an envy that was as poignant as
knife in an open wound.
Leila had dropped breathlessly into
seat, her pulses tingling with a new
excitement, rather childishly proud of
the fact that she. among all that aw-
full crush. had secured seat. Not
that she was tired. for she had been
at q matinee all afternoon ana as
usual had stepped directly into her
luxurious limousine, waiting for her at
the close of the performance. But
midway the car had broken down and
she had taken a sudden fancy to 20
home on the cars. The experience at
| this hour was unique one, something
beyond her ken.
What lay behind all this struggle
for seat. even for a foothold, meant
nothing to her. She could not even
sense the crushing WEAKNESS OF the
tired-eyed women and perspiring men.
For Leila had had ease and beauty
and luxury all her life and she had
married for more ease and luxury.
But she had had her dreams, too
such wonderful dreams Of gallant
lover. q tender comrade and laughing
little children life above the selfish,
indolent life a worldly mother had
forced on her. And she, too, had had
to give up her dreams; had watched
them drift away day by day like little
errant silver clouds overpowered by
gold and might.
For instead Of gallant lover she
had married power; instead Of q
comrade. q money-making machine (;
and instead Of encircling little arms
and childish prattle. there was q big
house whose rooms seemed filed with
haunting quiet that thrilled her
soul
For the first time In many weeks
she felt exhilarated. she forgot her
boredom; forgot that she was going
home to a silent dinner to sit opposite
husband who thought that women
we're only dolls to he bought and paid
for and looked upon as q symbol of q
mans material success. These PEG.
pie all about her-what interests they
must have. what strivings for dreams
not yet fulfilled. what glorious hopes.
She watched hungrily the tender
solicitude of the man for the pretty
girl who stood before her, and her
mind painted glowing pictures Of their
! future together. Oh. to be once again
af the Threshold of voufh and Love