The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-09-14


upon him after time and found him
living In the same large apartment
they had taken. Apart from
solemnity and reserve which sprang
from a wounded and disgruntled
spirit. he pretended an Indifference
and 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. II 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
which did not and could not interest
him. They we're all alike. those peo-
ple-crazy and notlonal and inslncere.
After time he added that he had
been to see her parents. could not
guess why. unless 1t was because he
was lonely and still very much In love
and thought they might help him to
understand the troublesome problem
that was before him.
There WAS no other word from him
for much over a year. during which
time he continued to live in the apart
ment they had occupied together. He
had retained his position with the
agency and was now manager Of a
department. One rainy November
night he came to see me, and seated
himself before my fire. He looked
well enough, quite the careful person
who takes care OF his clothes, hut
thinner, more tense and restless. He
said he was doing very we'll and was
thinking OF taking a long vacation to
visit some friends In the West. (Bs
had heard that Bessie had gone to
California; Then OF sudden, noting
that ! studied him and wondered. he
grew restless and finally got up to
look at shelf Of books. Suddenly he
wheeled and faced me, exclaiming: "T
can't stand II. That's what's the mat
ter. I've tried and tried. thought
that the child would make things
work out all right, but Il didn't. She
didn't want children and never for
gave me for persuadins 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 sAs ought to
wake up and And out what WAS going
on In the world, that she ought to get
out with intelligent people. 4.
But II 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
10 me.
Now, Wray," interposed, how
useless to say that Which Of us 10
as he ought to be, Why will you talk
soT'
But let me tell you what she did"
he went on fercely 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
| could never find ont who he was"
And he gave me details Of certain
mysterious goings to and fro. of se-
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
I loved her. And I love her now"
Once more the tensely gripped fingers.
the white face. the fash of haunted
eyes. "Once I followed her to res
taurant when she said she was going
to visit friend, and she met man.
I followed them when they came out,
and when they were getting into n cab
] told them both what ! thought OF
them. threatened to kill them, and
then he went away when she told him
to 60 When we got home I couldn't
do anything with her. All she would
say WAS that II didn't like the way
she was doing ! could let her 60 She
wanted me 10 give her divorce. And
| couldn't let her go, even II | had
wanted to, loved her too much.
Why, she would sit and read and
ignore me for days-dsys, without
ever n word"
YES" said, but the folly Of II
all. The uselessness, the hopeless
ness"
"0h, | know, hut couldn't help IT,.
! was crazy about her. The more she
disliked me, the more loved her.
have walked the streets for hours.
whole days at time, because
couldn't eat or sleep. And all ] 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 II was
two years ago live In the old apart
ment, yes. But whyi Because ] think
she might come back TO me. | wait
and wait. know It's foolish, but
stlll wait Why God only knows
Oh" he sighed, ats three years now
three years"
He paused and Razed at me, and I
at him, shaken by 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 raincost, took his UNI
brella and marched out into the rain
again, to walk and think, pre-
sumo. And !. closing the door. studied
the walls, wonderngly. The despair.
the passion. the rage, the hopeless
ness, the love. Truly" | thought,
this is love-for one at least And
this is marrlage-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, | have seen
here in this room, and with mine own
eyes"