Catoctin clarion., 1921-07-28
VALUES
- - ----
BY CAROL FARMER.
Sl. ly2l. by Mcclure New spaper synaieals. j

self from the jolts cuu%@d by the plcx-
unity OF her fellow suliera.s. pesp e
, her paliOr and evident exhaustion. her
face Shune tiOwer-like above her shub-
by furT.
"Tired. Alice?"
Her companion clum>ily tried to
| ste;,dy her ns she was almost swept
OF her feet between tie human mael-
Strom. those fighting to get off and
those getting on like two mighty
streams, each determined to have tie
right o. way.
The girl felt that if h~ touched her
again she would scream. TGni.,tlt
more than ever he seemed to typ!iy
! all the things she hated with every
fiber of her being, all the SordidneSs
! which so far had made up her life.
All about her was the same apathy;
the self-evidcnt signs Of n struggle for
roof over ones head and enough to
cover ones nakedness of body If nor
of spirit. She tried to hrin; her hard
won philosophy into play.
She had her health ANA Joe and a
momentury pa:lg OF compunrtion
smote her. In all the world lie was
the only one who really cared any
thing about her. To all the hustling
pushing throng she was nothing but
mere atom.
In the deep rece|SeS of her soul she
knew that in marrying Joe she was MOI
being true To her highe. self. She
knew Ii would mean the end of all her
striving for some OF tie hrauty 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
ne secretly admired and stood In awe
of her "n0tiOnS." us 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.s But she was
so tired of the eternal loneliness. the
terrifying ahySmal loneliness of her
cheerleSS room. with Its muSty damp
ness and single gas jet of the bargain
basement with It's tight -skrted. gum
WV" lIlS, TouS'N pll~'IitlS. WITH "l''II
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, n home better thnn 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. Svete,
beautifully gowned, with the pride Of
race In every line. she looked as out
of place in that throng as lily in
potato patch. And as their eyes clung
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 tinglng with n new
excitement, rather childishly proud Of
the fact that she. among all that aw-
ful crush, had secured seat. Not
that she was tired. for she had been
at 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 aud
she had taken a sudden fancy to go
home on the cars. The experience at
this hour was Il unique one, something
beyond her ken.
What lay behind all this struggle
for Il seat. even for a fOothOld, meant
nothing to her. She could not even
sense the crushing weariness 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 a gallant
lover. tender cOmrade and laughing
little chlldren-a life above the selfish,
indolent life 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 a
cOmrade, a money-making machine;
and instead Of encircling little arms
and childish prattls, there was big
house whose rooms seemed filed with
a 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
a husband who thought that women
were only dolls to he bought and paid
for and looked upon as a symbol of q
mans material success. These peo-
ple all about her-what interests they
must have what strivings for dreams
not yet fulfilled, what glorious hopes.
Che 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 snce again
at the threshold Of youth and love,
out of her golden prison. free to
choose and dream again, even as this
girl.
And as the car rounded curve and
Alice's slim body was shielded by
the protective embrace Of the man by
her side, Leila envied with an envy
that was more bitter than gall and
wormwood.