Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-20
"A LOUeLess
Marriage"
An absorbing story Of a woman's
heart, 10 BY
Ruby M. A,res
II will begin on this page
Nest Friday

come; he passed shaking hand across
his lips, then he said hoarsely:
"Molly, you must-you must be
mad p
The words were little more than a |
laughed pitifully.
''That's not very complimentary, es-
pecially as I really mean what say. |
oh, II you know how tired am OF liv. !
ing here, day after day, with nobody |
TO care for me, to care what ! do, or |
where I 70. I was happier at home,
thousand times happier. can't stand
It, Just can't stand It any longer J"
There was not much expression IN
her voice; she sounded tired out and
hopeless; she moved step nearer TO
"You told me you loved me-" she
say IL as men do say thinss?'
"You know I mean It? You know
oh, what can say to your
| Molly looked at him dispa assionately
| It seemed strange that he should be suf-
fering. too, for surely oil the suffer.
Ing in the world was centered In her
own heart, and there could be none LETT
for any one else.
The minutes licked away: out in the
hall a clock chimed the hour; Molly
found herself counting the beats me.
It would be strange not to live here
any longer; strange to know that she
could never come back again, and yet
she did not want to come back; the
short weeks of her marriage were mis-.
cry which she would never forget.
II It were not for her John would
marry Lilith; she was overstrung and
iii, and the thought went circling
through her brain again and again.
II she were dead, or out OF the way,
John would marry Lilith; she was 80
fitted to be his wife; she would make
such lovely mistress Of his house.
She looked again at Wharton.
"WcllT" she said. She laid her hand
on his sleeve. He raised his head and
their eyes met, then suddenly he bent
and pressed his lips to her fingers.
II love you-you know I love you,'"
he said. "You know I'd give my life
for you-but there's your husband,
Molly!"
She drew her hand from his sharply.
"He doesn't count-he doesn't care
for me. He never did you know that; !;
you know it's true: It was never me
he wanted" She broke of. putting
trausSt gesture. "Ob, I don't know
what I'm saying" she said in a fright.
ened whisper.
He looked at her in miserable inde.
cision; though in reality there was but
little difference in their ages he had
always thought Of her as years his
junior. and now she seemed just as an
inconsequent child as she stood there.
calmly proposing to wreck her own life
and his, and for what reason?
She did not love him. Wharton knew
that as plainly as II she had told him ;
he had nothing to give her which she
could not have as Harden's wife why,
then, was It?
He tried hard to hide his own agita.
tion-presently he. said gently:
/ "Will you tell me why you have said
this? You don't love me, I know. So
his voice broke for moment-"wby
, is it. Molly?"
"Nothing--only'-a wave Of scarlet
rushed to her white face-'if you were
married TO some one who wished you
out of the way, what would you do?'
she asked him quiveringly. If you
knew that your wife wished you out oi
, the way SO that she could have some
one else, some one else she had loved
long before she ever knew you or heard
! your name, what would you do?'
Even then he did not understand; ht
answered confusedly. II should let hel
: 60. l should give her her freedom
t. what happiness could there be for either
of us II that were so?'
Molly's lips quivered into a smile.
, well, that's what I'm trying t
, do" she said in whisper. To
j, To-" He did not let her finish; bt
, broke in in sharp amazement.
! You, mean--oh. / don't believe It -
His thoughts went back quickly ovei
the past months. to the idle gossip HI
=, had heard In the village and discrcd'
tied; to the way John Harden hat
. gone away almost as soon as Mrs
Fcrnald had come to Little Helpton. Il
the lavish way he had done up the cot
tagc for her. the many delicacics tha
u !nnld from Manor Dyke, and for th'
: life Of him ho could not understand
' how it was that he had never guessed
y this thing before.
Harden and Mrs. Fcrnald. Whcr'
=, had his eyes been that be had not seen
lie looked at Molly-whcre did sh
e come in? Where was her place In thi
three. .cornered tragedy? Poor littl
, Molly.
q In that moment he saw the who'll
y thing from her point Of view. III
.. seemed to understand the strained re
> lationship that had existed-hcr owl
unhappy position in her husband
. house; it was for this she was asklni
= him to take her away; for this that sh
had made her calm proposal.
An hour ago he had believed him
self strong enough to turn his back OF
}; tho woman he loved: to walk out O
her life forever; but now the tears II
y Molly's eyes reused the passion tina
i had at best been slumbcring; suddeI
= y flame filed his eyes; nobody wanted
her; well, he did! He would shov
her how we'll one man at least coult
le love!
10 Molly looked up.
y IL suppose suppose you don't wan
II me, either, now it's come to the point?'
}. shc said there was q burning spot O
'e color In her checks; her eyes were furi
, ousy ashamed.
10 Wharton lifted her hand to his lips
-, he kissed 1t very gently once, then le
- 1t go;
-. "My whole life, to do with as you will.
~ Molly was dressing the followin
~ morning when a message was brough
to her. Could she speak to Mr.. Har
-. den for moment--he was leaving i
IN half m hour for London?
Noilv vwuuU rO,NI her hair Svo