The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-11-02
CHAPTER ix-Continued.
BY Eleanor II. Porter
copyrisht b. Elssnos Il Psrts


hood, and her voice began TO culver.
you can see things so much more
clearly when YOU stand off at dis
,apce ike this, you know, than you
can when you are close TO them!
She broke down and cried when she
snoke of the divorce. and Of the influ-
ence IL had upon me. and of the false
idea of marriage it gave me. She said
n was the worst kind of thing for me
the sort of life had to live. She said
grew pert and precJciOus and worldly
wise, and full of servants talk and
IDEAS She even spoke of that night
st the little cafe table when | gloried
IN the sparkle and spangles and told
her that now we were seeing life-real
Nfe And of how shocked she was,
and of how she saw theI what this
thing was doing to me. But IT was too
late.
She told more. much more, about the
later years, and the reconciliation +;
then, some way. she brought things
around to Jerry and me. Her face
finished I'D then. and she didn't meet
nv eyes. She looked down at her sew
ing. She was very busy turning hem
Just so.
She said there had been a time,
once. when she had worried, little
about Jerry and me. for fear we would
separate. She said that she believed
that, for her, that would have been the
very blacklist moment c. her life: for
II would be her fault, ali her fault.
| tried TO break in here, and say.
"No, no." and that 1t wasn't her fault;
but she shook her head and wouldn't
listen, and she lifted her hand. and |
had to keep still and let her 90 on talk
ing. She was looking straight into my
eyes then, and there was such q deep.
deep hurt In them that l just had to
listen.
She said again that 1t would be her
fault; that If l had done that she
would have known that II was all be-
cause Of the example she herself had
Get me Of childish willfulness and self
ish seeking Of personal happiness at
the expense Of everything and every
body else. And she said that that
would have been the last straw to
break her heart.
But she declared that she was sure
now that she need not worry. Such a
thing would never be.
Iguess gasped little at this. Any
how, know / tried to break In and
tell her that we were going to sepa-
rate, and that that was exactly what
had come into the room in the first
place to say.
But again she kept right on talking.
and was silenced before l had even
begun.
She said how she knew II could
never be-on account of Eunice. That
would never subject my little girl to
the sort Of wretchedly divided life that
had to live when was a child.
las she spoke l was suddenly back
In the cobwebby attic with little Mary's
diary, and thOught-what IL II were
Underwriting thatD
She said l was the most devoted
mother she had ever known; that
was too devoted. she feared sometimes,
for made Eunice all my world, to the
exclusion Of Jerry and everything and
everybody else. But that she was very
sure, because | was so devoted, and
loved Eunice so dearly, that / would
never deprive her of a fathers love
and care.
shivered little, and looked quick
" into Mothers face. But she was not
looking at me. / was thinking of how
Jerry had kissed and kissed Eunice
month ago. when we came away, as II
ne Just couldn't let her go. Jerry is
iond or Eunice, now that she's old
enough to know something, and Eunice
aoores her father. l knew that part
was going to be hard. And now to
nave Mother put 1t like that
ioegan to talk then Of Jerry. Just
.eit that I'd got to say something. That
Aotner must listen. That she didn't
Understand. told her how Jerry
loved lights and music and dancing.
snd crowds bowling down and worship
ing him all the time. And she said YES.
me remembered; that he'd been that
way when l married him.
She spoke so sort Of queerly that
ssain l glanced at her; but she still
was looking down ut the hem SIZE was
turning.
!, went on then to explain that I |
Siunt like such things; that be-
nesed that there were deeper and
nsner things, and things more worth
.m'e. And she said yes, she was glad. |
.au that that was going to be my saw
aug grace; for, Of course, 1 realized
a'a. 'nere couldn't be anything deeper
nlgher or more worth while than
p'ng the home together, and put
uhe up with annoyances, for the ulti-