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

her back by offering her such terms as
she would accept. and then. In order
to bind her to him, he was to induce
ture her sympathy and at the same
time insinuate an image of himself
into her affectionate consideration.
Those who had children rarely sepa-
rated-or so said
The thought interested him at once.
1t satisfied his practical and clerkly
soul. He left me hopefully and | saw
nothing more of him for several
| months, when he came to report that
all was well with him once more. In
order to seal the new pact he had
taken larger apartment In a more
engaging part of the city Bessie was
| going on. with her club life, and he
! was not opposing her. And then with
In the year came child, and for the
! next two years all those simple,
| honey and seemingly binding and re-
straining things which go with the
rearing and protection Of a young life.
But, as / was soon to learn, even
during that period all was not as
smooth as might be. One day in
Wray's absence Bessie remarked that,
delightful as 1t was to have child Of
her own, she could see herself as little
more than milk-cow with calf, bound
to Its service until 1t should be able
to look after itself. She spoke Of
what chain and a weight q child
was to one who had ambitions beyond
those Of motherhood. But Wray,
clerkly soul that he was, was all but
lost In rapture There was q small
park nearby, and here he was to be
found trundling this infant In hand
some baby carriage whenever his du-
ties would permit. He liked to specu-
late on the charm and innocence Of
babyhoOd and was amused by a hun
dred things he had never noticed In
the children Of others. Already he
was planning for little Marie's future.
1t was hard for children to be coOped
up in the city. If he could win Bes-
sic to the Idea. they would move to
some suburban town.
They were prospecting now and
could engage a nursemaid, so Mrs.
Wray resumed her intellectual pur-
suits 1t was easy to see that, re-
spect Wray as she might as an affec-
tiOnate and methodical man, she could
not love him, and that because of the
gap that lies between those who think
or dream little and those who aspire
and dream much. They were two diff
ferlng rates Of motion, flowing side by
side for the time being only, he the
slower. she the quicker. Observing
them together one could see how
proud he was Of her and his relation
ship to her, how he felt that he had
captured a prize regardless Of the
conditions by which 1t was retained,
while she held him rather lightly In
her thoughts or her moods. Having
won her back he now sought to bind
her to him In any way that he might,
while she wished only to be free. For
surcease she plunged into those old &C.
tivities which had so troubled him,
and now In addition to himself the
child was being neglected or so he
thought. The arrival of Marie had
not influenced her In that respect.
And what was more and worse, she
had now taken to reading Freud and
kraft-Ebbing and allied thinkers and
authorities, men and works he con-
sidered shameful even though scarce
ly grasped by him. Once he said to
me: do you know Of a writer of
the name Of Pierre I,oti"
Eyes" l replied. IT know his works.
What about it?"
what do you think of iIim?"
"Why, 1 respect him very much.
What about him?"
"Oh, know, from an intellectual
point Of view, as fine writer, maybe.
But what do you think Of his views of
life-of his books as books to be read
by the mother of little grip
"Wray," I said, II can't enter upon
discussion of any mans works upon
purely moral grounds. He might be
good for some mothers and evil for
others. That is as you will. Those
who are to be injured bv a picture of
life must be injured, and those who
are to he benefited will be benefited.
/ can't discuss either books or life in
that way. l see books as truthful
representations of life in some form.
nothing more. And 1t would be un-
fair to anyone who stood in intel
lectual need to be restrained from
that which might prove of advantage
to him. l speak only for myself, how
ever"
1t was not long after that, six
months or less, that heard there had
been new quarrel which resulted in
Bessie's leaving him once more, and
with her, which perhaps was illegal
or unfair, she had taken the child Of
which he was so fond. Not hearing
directly from him as to this, / called
upon him after a time and found him
living in the same large apartment
they had taken. Apart from a
solemnity and reserve which sprang
from a wounded and disgruntled
spirit. he pretended an indifference
and a satisfaction with his present
state which did not square with his
past love for her. She had gone, yes,
and with another man. He was sure
Of that, although he did not know who
the man was. 1t was all due to one
Of those two women about whom he
had told me before, that Mrs. Drake
She had interested Bessie in things