The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-08-07
,os,yrsss ,, o.srs. xA,sa.v As.-.,
BY r RuBrNoAM

hAhiH'tAh nt loNtu iaOlt ana " ne
had married her. OF course he must
be happy. she had thought.
And she was unseifiHh enough to
want his happiness above everything
else. unconaciously. the feeling that
hcr sacrifice. her giving up. was the
means OF his happiness. had com
forted her. Later. she began "a pick
up the threads of her life nRaln. Time
had brought o. little comfort-and
Lawrence had brought a great deal
But now the sacrifice had been
wasted
For II David had been happy. she
would ave felt glad. She would have
gone on trying to be friends with him.
trying 10 fight down the feeling OF
love h a was strong within her-and
nj the end Of hor college term. she
would have gone on home. ana mar
ried Lawrence. And things would
not hnv" been ~ very different from
the way they were when she first
came TO the city.
But David was not happy. and his
unhRppineas brought him closer to
her than ever
Christine often come back from
some Of her classes to find Alice
walking back and forth over the room.
Christine. Of course. knew al. about It.
You're my safety valve" Alice
would say. u don't know what I
would do without you. ! guess ! would
turn and run home"
Christine always had 10 smile at
this sort OF talk.
what a queey' person n are.
Alice dear" she said once. You are
10 very strong sometimes. and 40
very weak others. You spent exactly
ten years Of nj life. the most
precious ten years a womnn's life con-
tains, as a slave to you duty. 7
know" as Alice started to protest.
there was nothing for you to do
but stay home and work. and scrimp.
and sacrifice. and remain n little
iFnoramus-yet think Of the girls who
would not have done that Very few
hav. the will power to stick 20 an
unpleasant duty. You stuck-now you
come up against another sort ~
thing. and you val to be . and
run"
But what can ! do?" Alice cried
-It's nil so hopeless Dear. you must
look facts In the face. Here | am.
engaged to one Of tn. incest men In
the world and In love with an
other"
THANK heaven you're not married
to Lawrence yet said Christine.
That would make a worse muddle -
why" Alice asked David is
married. The whole thing IN n mud
die. I've no right TO he In love with
David he has no right TO be- In love
with me. And l certain. have ne
right TO stay engaged to Lawrence.
when I'm not whole-hcartediy In love
with him. Have y"
no" Christine answered honestly.
II confess ! don't see a way out FOR
any Of you"
"Tn write and tell Lawrence and
set him free Alice answered, going
towards her desk.
40. wait. don't do that Chris
tine jumped up to stop her.
why not" Alice already had her
pen In her hand.
"All the unpleasant news In the
world comps to us In letters, and II
always looks twice as bad hat way
Alice laid down her pen. h re-
memhcrcd the cutting pain OF that
one ipttt' when Lois had written hcr
that she had married David
N YOU must break with Lawrence.
wait tin you see him o can make
II q little easier II o tell him Don't
write it-don't ever write anything
unpleasant Christine begged,
Alice rose from the desk and weV
over to her bed, h dropped down
with hor head among the cushions.
Christine. usua ~ so undemonstratiye,
came and perChed beside her, one
little hand on Alice's shoulder.
Don't give up yet she tried to
make" her voice sound c|onsoling.
There must be q way out"
what way2' Alice asked passion
aicly. Hes married to Lois. and
hos On SCRABBLE He's tied fast To her
even " she doesn't live with him. And
I'm wrctchcd-and 10 ] marry Law
renee. Tl make him wrctchcd too
And II YOU break Dur engage
mcnt to him. youll make him still
more w%rotChcd." Christine said. Then
she had one ~ her typical reactions.
She began 20 laugh
ITS an ~ awful" she said. Don't
mind this silly laugh don't think
it's any the less tragic. Ia laugh
even II II were l Instead of YOU Dear
I never knew anything to look 80
hopeless"
And is my fault Alice said II
wanted to play absolutely fair. 50
gave him his freedom. I thought " he
was fascinated by Lois h" should
have every chance to prove his feel
INK was the cal thinE or falls" And
all my sacrifice went Gor nothing L
made three people miserable