Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-08-23

that I studied him and wondered, he
grew restless and finally got up to
look at shelf of books. Suddenly he
wheeled and faced me, exclaiming: 81
can't stand 1t. That's what's the mat
ter. I've tried and tried. I thought
that the child would make things
work out all right, but It didn't. She
didn't want children and never for
gave me for persuading her to have
Marie. And that literary craze-but
that was my fault. was the one that
encouraged her to read and go to the
theaters. used to tell her she
wasn't up-to-date. that she ought to
wake up and find out what was going
on in the world, that she ought to get
out with intelligent people.
But 1T wasn't that. either. II she had
been the right sort Of woman she
couldn't have done as she has done /"
He paused and clenched his hands
nervously, as though he were de-
nouncing her to her face instead of
to me-
"Now. Wray," 1 interposed, chow
useless to say that. Which of us Ia
as he ought to be? Why will you talk
SOP"
"But let me tell you what she did"
he went on fiercely. you haven't an
idea Of what I've been through, not an
Idea. She tried to poison me once"
and here followed a sad recital of the
twists and turns and desperation Of
one who wished to be free. "And she
was In love with another man, only
I could never find out who he was"
And he gave me details Of certain
mysterious goings to and fro, of Sc
cret pursuits on his part, of actions
and evidences and moods and quar-.
rels which pointed all too plainly to a
breach that could never be healed,
"And what Is more, she tortured me.
You'll never know-you couldn't. But
/ loved her. And I love her now"
Once more the tensely grlpped fingers,
the white face, the fash of haunted
eyes. "Once 1 followed her to a res
taurant when she said she was going
to visit friend, and she met a man.
l followed them when they came out,
and when they were getting into a cab
l told them both what I thought Of
them. threatened to kill them, and
then he went away when she told him
to 60. When we got home l couldn't
do anything with her. All she would
say was that IL didn't like the way
she was doing could let her go. She
wanted me to give her divorce. And
couldn't let her go, even If I had
wanted to. I loved her too much.
Why, she would sit and read and
ignore me for days-days, without
ever a word"
Eyes" said, but the folly Of Il
all. The uselessness, the hopeless
ness"
"Oh, know, but I couldn't help II.
! was crazy about her. The more she
disliked me, the more loved her. I
have walked the streets for hours,
whole days at time, because I
couldn't eat or sleep. And all 1 could
do was think, think, think. And that
is about all do now, really. have
never been myself since she left. It's
almost as bad right now as 1t was
two years ago. live in the old apart
ment, yes. But why? Because I think
she might come back to me. wait
and wait. l know it's foolish, but
still 1 wait. Why2 God only knows.
OH he sighed, tits three years now
three years"
He paused and gazed at me, and I
at him, shaken by a fact that was
without solution by anyone. won
dered where she was, whether she
ever thought Of him even, whether
she was happy in her new freedom.
And then, without more ado, he
slipped on his raincoat, took his UNI
brella and marched out into the rain
again, to walk and think, 1 pre-
sumo. And I, closing the door, studied
the walls, wonderlngly. The despair,
the passion, the rage, the hopeless
ness the love. Truly" I thought,
''this is love-for one at least. And
this Is marriage-for one at least. He
is spiritually welded to that woman,
who despises him. And she may be
spiritually welded to another. who
may despise her. But love and mar
riage, for one at least, I have seen
here In this room, and with mine own
eyes"