The Washington herald., 1922-09-13
The Beautiful
And Damned
Continues from Yesterday.
By F. Scott Fitzgerald.

SOrDeo IN ner memory Tor the re-
mainder of life. He seldom took
pleasure in an entire day spent
alone with her-except on occasions
he preferred to have a third person
with them There were times when
he felt that II he were not left abb
sofutely alone he would go mad
there were a few times when he
definitely hated her. In his cups he
was capable of short attractions to-
ward other women. the hitherto
suppressed outcroppings of an ex-
perimentaI temperament.
That spring. that summer, they
had speculated upon future hap
piness-how they were to travel
from summer land to summer land.
returning eventually to a gorgeous
estate and possible idyllic children,
then entering diplomacy or politics,
to accomplish. for a while. beauti-
full and important things, until
finally as a white-haired beautiful
~. silkily. whitehaired) couple
they were to loll about in serene
glory. worshipped by the bour-
<eoisie of the land. -. These
times were to begin when we get
our money" II was on such dreams
rather than on any satisfaction with
their increasingly irregular, in
creasingly dissipated life that their
hope rested. On gray mornings
when the jests OF the night before
had shrunk to ribaldries without
wit or dignity. they could. after
fashion. bring out this batch OF
common hopes and count them over.
then smile at each other and repeat.
by way of clinching the matter, the
terse yet sincere Nietzscheanism OF
Gloria's defiant Il don't carer'
Things had been slipping percep-
tibly. There was the money ques-
ton. increasingly annoying. in
creasingly ominous; there was the
realization that liquor had become
practical necessity to their
amusement-not an uncommon phe-
nOmcnOn in the British aristOcracy
Of hundred years ago. but a some
what alarming one in a civilization
steadily becoming more temperate
and more circumspect. Moreover.
both OF them seemed vaguely
weaker in fibre. not so much in
what they did as in their subtle re-
actions to the civilization about
them. In Gloria had been born
something that she had hitherto
never needed-the skeleton. incom-
pIete but nevertheless unmistak-
able. of her ancient adherence, a
conscience. This admission to her
self was coincidental with the slow
decline of her physical courage.
Then. on the August morning
after Adam Patch's unexpected call.
they awoke. nauseated and tired.
disririted with life. capable only of
one pervasive emotion-fear.
''Well?" Anthony sat up in bed
and looked down at her. The cor
ners Of his lips were dropping with
depression. his voice was strained
and hollow.
Her reply was to raise her hand
to her mouth and begin a slow. pre-
else nibblinE at her finger.
We've done it," he said after a
pause: then. as she was still silent.
he became cxasperated. Why don't
YOU say something
what on earth do you want me
to saw"
What are you thinking"
Nothing
Then stop hitting your finger"
Ensued a short confused discus
sion Of whether or not she had
haen thinking. II seemed essential
to ANTHONY that she should muse
loud UpOn last nights disaster.
FRT silence was method Of set
ling IN" responsibility on him. For
her part she saw no necessity for
:.n.ec'-thc r1Oment required that
she should ~rav at her finger like
a nervous child.
I've got t" fv mp this damn mess
with my grandfather" he said with
"rsIsy conviction. \ faint new
H'-1 reSDCct was Indicated by his
.-.-a ~" IVY grandfather instead %
''.'andpa"
You can't" she affirmed abrupt
". You cau't--cver. He'll never
f"~~ivc you as long as he lives"
Perhaps not" agreed Anthony
.--r@r" myself by some sort of re-
cling
"raIc as -four"
He is sick 7 told you that three
months ago"
WISH re " uleb ldSt week. Sne
.a'I DetulantIy. '1nconsiderate old
SunE,''
Neither "f them laughed.
.'r''' jus rct mo saw" she added
quietly. the next time 7 see yor
citing with any woman like you
hid with Rachael Barnes last night
I'll leave you-just-like-th
I'm simply not going to stand it,
anthony quailed.
'Oh. don't be absurd" he pro-
tested. You know there's no
woman in the world for me except
you-none. dearest"
Uis attempt at a tender note failed
miserably - the more imminent
danger stalked back into the fore
ground.
IF I went to him" suggested
Anthonv. land said with annropriato
biblical quotations that I'd walked
TOO long in the way Of unrirhteous-
ness and at last seen the light"
he broke off and glanced with
whimsical expression at his wife
II wonder what he'd do"
II don't know"
She was speculating as to whether
or not their guests would have the
aCuTen to leave directly after
breakfast.
Nor for week did Anthony
muster the courage to go to larry
town. The prospect was revolving
and left alone he would have been
incapable Of making the trip-but
10 his will had deteriorated in these
past three years. so had his power
TO resist urging. Gloria compelled
him to go. 1t was all very well 20
wait a week she said. for that