The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-21
"a Delightful Narrative of Domestic
Life by a Popular Magazine
!, Writer.

at his listener. He knew she was
crying. He could see the white
flutter of her handkerchief. He
tried not to spare himself in his
narrative, nor to palliate any of
its most unpleasant phases, only
when he reached the last scene
Of all did he falter. His Jaw
trembled, his hands. the fingers
interlocked. gripped each other
until the pain of the terrific
squeeze steadied him. He could
not bring himself to tell Mary
Rowland that Marjorie had hit
him and that he had struck her!
The words would not come out of
his throat. He disposed of the
scene briefly.
''She left me then-that was
all. She just walked out and
went to the house of a friend
and I was glad, was thankful to
see her go. We had nothing in
common, not even a tattered
thread Of the old attraction that
first drew us together. We never
really loved each other. Neither
of US had the capacity to love
when we married. We grew to
hate each other-despise each
other-there wasn't any, use going
on"
He stopped and a long silence
followed, until he finally found
courage to glance at her. She
sat. staring blankly into the cold
light of the window, her face
set, tear-marks streaking her
white cheeks.
Perhaps you see, now, Mary.
why I haven't mentioned that
part of my life to you before.
find no satisfaction in remem-
boring it. couldn't love you
and go hating anybody; love
drove the hate away. And after
: I had gone, it seemed an ugly
thing to speak OF, or to remem-
Der. tried to forget every
thing connected with it. You
were SO wonderfully pure and
good I held back from telling
you what was ugly or unpleasant
about myself. It wasn't that I
wanted to deceive you. It just
never occurred to me that that
old affair, which is all past and
gone, could possibly make any
difference to you-or to us.
had put it. out of my life, and
Marjorie had married again. The
only link with the past was
little old Paul and he's too small
to make any difference. :.
Mary, you do believe that had
no intention Of deceiving you?
Mary-say that you believe me. I
could not bear it, Mary, If you
thought 1 had not been square
with you from the very first.
Mary-say that you believe me-"
Clumsily,- awkwardly, he got
down upon his knees and knelt
beside her chair, reaching for her
white hand. For a moment she
attempted to evade him, then
relinquished it and left it cold
Presently he began to talk again,
going over his story, justifying
himself, arguing, pleading, re-
peating, himself over and over,
but he could coax no word from
her. Occasionally her eyelids flut-
tered, and she draw a quivering
breath, but otherwise she re-
manned motionless, fixing her
gaze steadily into the white glare
from the window.
A Long Silence.
Philip wore himself out. He
had said everything there was
to be said, and realized he was
talking to deaf ears. He rose
and sat near her, and together
they remained so for a long
time.
A faint complaining voice from
the next room finally reused the
girl. She quilted Philip in order
to answer the summons and it
was long time before she re-
turned to shut the door of the
bedroom gently behind her, and.
with back set against it and her
eyes fixed upon the floor, to de.
liver herself of a speech obvious.
ly rehearsed.
You must allow me sufficient
time to think this over, PhiIip.
1t Is a grave matter; need re-
Election. You will do me a favor
by going now and leaving me to
think. I will write you-per.
haps tonight or tomorrow. IT
will be as soon as possible"
But, Mary can't-you must
not expect me-