The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-22
AN INCIDENT
CHAPTER Ia


Chapter IA
1t never occurred TO Mrs. Talbot
that Luther and Claire might not be
happy together
They had been married a year or
little more. Luther's last visit home
had been some months before the mar
riage, in fact. before the engagement.
He was long time persuading Claire
to marry him, and being a tacturn
chap in most ways, he did not want
10 mention the girl he was in love
with to his family.
AS soon as they were engaged, he
wrote And month or so after,
when they were married, he wrote
again and sent the picture that young
Amy so admired.
To the mother, marriage was happi-
ness. She had been told that, she had
accepted ii, along with great many
other ideas. She had never done any
Independent thinking about it. Mar
riage was the aim and end of a wo-
mans life. One grew up, married,
Kept house, had children. and saw them
grow up and begin the circle all over
again.
when Jordan fell in love with her. She
had loved her home in spite of the
poverty and hard work, and by the
time she became acutely unhappy and
disillusioned. she had long since ceased
to think about it-that is, as to wheth-
eT or not she was contented
But Luther and Claire were scarce
" beyond the bride and groom stage
how romantic it was, she thought to
herself, and how nice to have them
about,
It's nice 10 see them with each
other" she remarked to one of her
neighbors. They're so happy"
This again was an unthinking
phrase. a remark that popped out OF
her head because it seemed the sort OF
hing 10 say. Marriage was happiness
It. did not matter that all about her
we're evidences of extreme discontent
ment, great unhappiness. disilusion
She had been taught by the novels
she read as a girl that marriage was
happiness, therefore Luther and Claire
must be happy together,
One day she brought out an old book
Of photographs, thinking to amuse
Claire. II was the typical Family
Album" of the country house, rec
plush covered padded in the centre sc
The book resembled flat hard cush
ion rather than volume, and over the
front the word "ALBUM' in a nickleC
scroll of fancy letters.
This is Luther when he was three,
she said, pointing to a small shin!
photograph of a lad with great eyes
and large mouth, standing stiffly b.
the side OF a chair to which he clunl
with one slightly raised hand.
Claire looked at il and laughed
What an ugly little brute you We're
she remarked. turning the pages il
search of more oddities.
She found them-every family pho
.ograph album is a collection of odd
ties. since the antique is almost Away
considered beautiful and the old-fash
oned merely odd.
Here you are, Leo, as a baby
IAN tell because of your big mouth
she said. finding another picture o
lim.
She turned back to the first one. witt
lace collar and queer home mad
clothes, with serious face and nervous
" tight hand as the small lad faced tn
aameTa. Again laugh, and a turnin
Of pages for more things TO make flu
Of.
Mrs. Talbot closed the book, almos
/. with rude haste Within it were pie
ures of herself and Jordan, taken i
heir wedding clothes''-she seated o
stuffed chair, Jordan on guard abOv
her, a hand on her shoulder, symbc
Of possession and protection. She ha
romantic feelings about that picture
she did not quite want Claire to see
In it, too. were pictures of her ow
nother-a hard working, shrill voice
woman, whose tongue was the terro
If her neighbors, who had more greed
qualities than generous ones but VIII,
being dead had passed into the sain
hood proper to all the departed. In
TOO, were pictures Of Jordan's ow
gentle mother and a beloved CRANE
aunt, and other members of her fan
ty-and of Jane in starChed pinafoT
and Amy with red hair slicked dow