The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-19
THE ANswER

THE ANSWER
 There Is nothing to tell" an- swered Harry somewhat impatiently when I explained that was weigh ing his reputation instead of my own.
 Don't you understand, Margaret he asked. that to pay as you call 1t, means nothing If you can pay 1t and it is worth the price?
 That's just 1t, Harry. I'm afraid you do not realize the price you you would think you were paying too dearly.
 No man that I have ever known is as gregarious as you. The love ut your friends, the admiration of ac- ouaintances you make is like wine to you. I do not believe that any one woman could compensate you for this. Your semi political position would make us a first page sensa- tional story all over America. You do care for the speech of people, all though perhaps you do not realize it.
 "'As editor of your magazine you would lose all influence with your oaders. which you know are mostly women tlu SOuIS IAc ASdN- ing public is queer. my dear.
 "I am afraid. Harry. you never could get that influence back
 "'What do I care for a lot of peo- pie that I shall never know? If I have you. Margaret. I have every thing.
 TIn not so sure, Harry. The great reason for what you call your failure in not getting more out of life is that you tire so quickly. Above love. above friendship. above inter est, above everything else in the world you must have change. Your friends, your ambition, your work. your pleasures-even I, Harry, could be put in the balance with change and 1t would outweigh us al1'
 Harry raised a protesting hand but I continued.
 "'you have had loves before, Harry, many of them and there came 8 time in all of them when nothing but change would assuage your hunger and unrest.
 True have seemed to have giv- en you a new kind of a thrill if the restfulness and content which you say I hrsng to you can be described as thrill, but would YOU be per- fectlv satisfied to be with me alone if you never had any emotional epihoGes outside to como back from to me, think you would grow very tired Ot even me.
 "'You were not meant 10 live away from your fellows.
 'Soardal. my dear boy, travels fast and although today people are not so puritanical as they were once, You would have many little shafts os gossip with which to cortend.
 Women would invite you places to which I would not be welcome. You would lave to either resent these in- vitations and stay with me or you would have a feeling all the time as though you were hurting me by go- ing. 1nc would make you nervous al,l irritable; perhaps it would do the same to mel cannot tell, and I am sure that after while-oh, I am very sure that you would grow tired e. 1t ali.
 "'And I do not think you could cone lack and pick up your many friends just where you left them. Some Of them would synpathize with your wife who would have been on tke ground asking for it all the time. -ss' fNs s." .s. And what. of .you? Harry inter rrpted. Aren't you describing your own dcubts and fears rather than miuec' rr
 No. I do not think so. do not think that you know what solitary woman l am; how independent I am of people. l do not think you under stand that could probably return and find my few friends-which think I can count on my two hands still mine. Each one of them, I f-- <f 4t-Ir -l. thick and tkin-and of course you know that l have no relatives to be shameo by anything that I may do, and you won't misunderstood when I tell you that I never tire of anybody CT anything that I have ever loved"
 "'Oh, Margaret, Margaret Why do you say all of these things to me. Cannot I make you understand that I have never had the same feeling about anyone that I have had about you. I have never been interested in anyone for so long a time as have been interested in you. have never thought of anyone so continually as I have about you. I think really that you are the last person l think of at night and yours is the first name that comes into my mind when $ awake"
 ". The cry of my body for complete
 ness
 That is a cry to you; My blood beats out your name to me
 unceasing, pitiless--your name." I quoted softly"
 "'Yes, that Is 1t, Margaret. All the time that Doris was sick and I thought that had lost you-'Forever you name
 Your name-Margaret-M kept pounding, pounding in my ears. until I almost wished that l could lfcrget not only your name and how you looked but what you had said to me-"