Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-05-31
XOve's s~~%@
IL Masquerade

Nv Idah McGlone Gibson
A Strange Proposal

1 home town where / had had mos
of my early troubles, continued
Glendening's story.
1t was then that my mother
told me about the child, who had
recently died; the child who had
been the innocent nemesis Of m5
fathers life.
l felt, as my mother related
the sad story, that strong hands
were clutching at my throat
There arose in my mind a horri-
BILE picture of the deadly parallel
and paradox between my fathers
ruined life and mine-parallel be.
cause we both made mistakes in
marrying, paradox because he maj
ried a saint and l satyr.
For years / have lived for my
wife. / have made her happy fol-
| have given her everything she
wanted. At least | have given
her everything she asked, for am
sure now that when she married
me she wanted only security and
someone upon whom to place the
responsibility of livelihood. AS
lstudied the situation 1 was forced
to the conclusion that my wife
would be much ha
would be quite as happy without
me and l would be much happier
without her. This being true q
divorce was the logical thing.
l was sure that Margaret cared
| for me, although she had never
told me so. was sure those gold
en- autumn days had been as heav-
emily sweet to her as to me. Surely
there must be some place in this
world where she and | could live
with the same contentment that
we had always felt with each 9TH
err.
My mother had sensed that
was not happy. She asked me
abosS my wife; asked me If there
was hope of child. l was rather
bitter when l told her that there
was none.
1T has always semed to me,
I said to my mother, "that a
union of two people without child
rem to bless is a proclamation OF
love"
Harry" asked my mother in
tuitively, you're not in love with
some other woman?"
what should make you think
it?" / evaded.
Because you speak of your
wife with an effort, and yet when
you speak of love, happiness shows
in your face"
I / left her without explanation.
could not tell her Of Margaret
did not want to find fault with
my wife but, as abruptly sS
left, l concluded that l would end
It all. The next day started back
not to my home but to Margaret
/ / went up to the tiny studio
apartment which always sprang
into my mind when l thought OF
my real home, and found her bust
ly writing at the little desk.
She held up her hand moment
as l opened the door in answer
to her,
"Come in"
Don't interrupt" she said.
"I'm just at the place in my story
where 1 have to write the con-
| n ,d4,,o Daro errapb opd an, frv
Ing to make up my mind whether
they are to live happily ever af-
ter, or whether my heroine is go
Ing to send him out into the lone
liness of a world without her.
Margaret, let them live happi-
ly ever after l urged. I've come
back for just that one thing-to
ask you TO let them live happily
ever after. ! hive been out of town
visiting my mother and my boy
hood home. There / reviewed the
hard years that took all the love
and romnee out Of my married
life. My dear Margaret, I'll confess
that for the first time in my life
pitied myself. It's horrible
sensation, but with 1t was born
the realization that despite those
wasted years it isn't too late, yet,
to live-really live. 1 have lived
for other people all my life and
now dear, I'm going to live for
myself.
Margaret. dear. love you---
love you-more than words can
tell, Dear heart, let us go away
together and live for ourselves.
l have dreamed beautiful dreams
of you and me in a faraway trop-
icl city in Ecuador where life is
full of sunshine. beauty and the
sheer joy of being alive.
LET us bid farewell to the life
convention which forces us to live
here and go away to land of
happiness.
1.-THE world here hasn't given
either Of us so much but that
for each other--we can renounce
it forever, Let us go"
Tomorrow Real Woman.
1t is hard to understand why
Mr.. Bryan, who believes the Dem