The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-07-30
THE REVOLT OF
VERA SANDERSON
BY JANE PHELPS
THE LAST STRAW.
CHAPTER 81.

At times my life seemed unreal, the
visible things receded and abandoned
myself to grieving over what was past.
lived over and over the times when
with my darling baby 1 had passed
happy hours, hours that belonged sole
ly to me- talked with her, closed my
eyes and saw her tiny face, her tender
lips her long dashed eyes
Then at other times I saw only the
loneliness of the long years that
stretched like a desert road barren of
shade into the unknown future and
wept until my eyes ached as with the
glare of the sun on the hot sand.
If only 1 could go to her, and never
return.
Keith was much away from me.
was very lonely. especially in the long
evenings. For long time after Irene
had told me of what her mother had
said of Tom Benedict, 1 refused to see
him-save when others were present,
and then only occasionally. But as
the months passed and my youth re-
asserted itself, my longing for COM
partnership also awoke, and 1 allowed
Tom to see me on the old footing
that of friendship.
There was not, there never had been
a thought of anything else in either
OF our hearts. OF that 1 am sure; so
sure l would swear IL on the Bible.
Keith was the love Of my girlhood.
He was my husband. I never had a
thought untrue to him even when jeal-
Gus of Alice De Lisle and miserably
unhappy because of that jealousy.
But1 longed for love, to hear Keith
satisfy woman of my temperament
She Graves the expression of it.
And Margaret was so cruel.
1 had once more begged Keith to
give me a home O. my own 1 had
gone on my knees and prayed to him
To o . III, ? -
not spare his sister. Before 1 had
tried not to hurt him by saying much
against Margaret. 1 had put it all up
on my own desire to have home like
other girls, like Erma.
| wonder would I have done as 1
did had Erma been at home, been
where 1 could have seen her, talked
with her? Her mother was i'll and she
weeks.
There is no use telling again of the
countless ways in which Margaret
tried to torture me. of the nonenitv
she made me feel, of the misconstruing
everything l did, and telling Keith her
construction. When baby first left us
he had been so kind. But as the
weeks heightened into months he
seemed at times to forget 1 was alive
Margaret would waylay him when he
came into the house. find ways and
means OF keeping him with her. be the
last to bid him goodbye when he left,
nave done my best to do what I
tnought was right" Keith said to me
one DAY when wept before him az
guess Margaret is right 1 never
should have married you"
ways right
II never have claimed she was in
about-many things"
One, that she has a right to my
husbands time, his money, his love
Another, that she can make my life
miserable and know you will not in-
terfere: 1 have been doing house,
work because I could not use the
maid you pay. L care nothing about
the Work-if we had home of our
own. But you pay the maids. I am
your wife. The servants all pity me,
nave Tor years Your friends ad-
wise me to have a home of my own.
they also pity me, those who see and
know how 1 am treated in my hus-
bands home. YOU
suppose your complaints have
made them think you abused. Mar
garet told me you tried to make out
she wasn't fair to you, when she is
the most loving OF women"
To you-yes.> But she hates me-
She always has. Only yesterday I
went into the kitchen and asked cook
to fix dish I liked. Margaret
had ordered, never to change it at
my request, upon pain of dismissal
at once"
Margaret runs the house"
I know it, I'm not telling you
these things now Keith because they
amount to anything in themselves.
They are nothing to other things I
have been subjected to ever since we
came here to live. But you give her
the love, the consideration that be-
longs to me. They say 1t is the little
things, the last straw thu. breaks
the camePs back. They >are right.
Give me home of my own or I
shan go away. L will not live with
Margaret Dalton any longer. You
will have to choose between as"
had not intended saying such
things when we commenced to talk.
But my complaints had led to a
furious quarrel-and this was the re-
suit.
Very well. go them" He flung
himself from the room. Either he
had rot heard my last remark, or he
chose to ignore it.
Ito be continued)