San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-28


drumming with finger nails ought to
be a legal defense to a charge of MUIR
der"
She cast n glance toward the ceiling
as IL asking Heaven TO give her pa
tience. And then, my dear, you say
at the end of every sentence: IF you
know what / mean? with rising in
Election which is enough TO infuriate a
saint"
He was aghast.
"These are things we almost never
see in those we love. Love is Il kind
of aneSthetic. my dear. 1t would inn
mensely soften a thousand irritations
which make a person want TO fly.
When we reach our ages" She
cleared her throat and finished: But
especially when the thing you call our
love has meant nothing to you, and
you have let it die-well. really, what
is there to say? 1t is better for US to
face the truth, isn't it:
Bertillon sensed the bitter fact. He
had come TO the well thirsting. The
well was dry. This was ruin. 1t had
not come when Polar Forge crashed.
1t had not come from the outside. Ir
had come from himself. He hinselt
was ruin!
He raised his eyes slowly. His wife
was looking straight at hin. Was
there anxiety now in her eyes? What
what can l do now?' he asked
feebly.
Its rather late for me to tell you"
she said. Rather late, isn't il!
There's Cynthia and there's Ted
"And little Alice" lie addec with a
trembling voice.
There's nothing the matter with
her" his wife asserted.
She did not know.
well. you see that it's impossible"
she concluded.
He was trying to remember when
last he mad sought and found an entry
| into his wife's heart, into Ler conf
dencc. into her friendship.
Heavens. Was it so long ago? Had
there been so long a stretch of ac-
cepting life as if life were kind OF
dream-as If the children were Il kind
| of lay figures for a fathers perfume
| tory assumption of his own love Tor
them, as il his wife were a dress form
upon whose waxen forehead and waxen
checks one occasionally laid down Il
kiss and mumbled n conventional word
of greeting and good-by?
Bertillon. in all except his business
| had become a mechanism. He realized
! it now.
IL say there is nothing more TO be
said" his wife repeated. The in
evitable has come about. and, as Tor
me, l have no more youth to give to
any repairs. A woman who has tried
to find life in family and cannot
find It there must gust so ON doing
: her best and playing bridge when iS
= becomes unpleasant. As for Ted and
II Cynthia. we can talk later. I'm worn
out with contentious and complaints
and criticism, and-StOp drumming y
He had been drumming-tapping the
edge of his empty coffee cup. Empty
cup of life, thought he.
Don't scream" he said. i've
stopped"
Are you going out?"
aNo, said Bertillon. "No, Alice. y
well" she rose, IF it's any Gem
fort to you TO know it, will tell You
again. John" She spoke with an un-
pleasant glance over her shoulder at
him. You asked if yoL were alone in
the experience. No. my dear, there are
thousands of men who do just as you
have been doing" She was gone.
And then, under the bright light Of
this family dinner table, he allowed
his head to fall on to his crossed arms.
He remained in that posture only for
minute. Something everlasting.
something partaking of uudefeatable
courage. seized him. He was the cap
tain of the ship; he would take the
wheel even at the moment OF the
wreck. He had run them on to the
rocks. He would remain on the ships
bridge come what might.
He would tell them now. They would
face reality together. all of them. He
would make them stand together 10
the end.
He flung open the portieres and
pushed the doors apart which opened
the wide way into the living room.
The family had reassembled there in
the softer lights and shadows of these
familiar surroundings. Over them all
there appeared to be blanket OF sup
|; preston, of dismay.
He closed the doors behind him. He
cleared his throat. Il suppose l owe IL
to you all" he said.
They started at him with curious
tense faces.
II owe it to you all 10 tell you the
truth. l thought tomorrow would do.
: But 1 find there will be other things
to talk over and adjust tomorrow.
have no good or happy news. On the
contrary. We have lost everything.
1t will mean absolute poverty for all
of us. Polar Forge has gone into the
hands of receiver, and every cent IN
the world and all our belongings are
| I n rr1fnnn
CYNTHIA covered her face with her
handkerchief. a what:" she said.
Her father repeated solemnly: a
ruined man."
His words appeared TO pull The tris-
ger of some blunderbuss of mirth. The
room suddenly shook with laughter.
He could hear his wife's contralto.
He could see Ted slapping his own
knees. and the younger Alice rippled
along in a boarding -chool soprano.
He stood for a moment, nonpluSed.
gaSping.
What's the matter, dad? Are YOU
footlel4" roared Ted. I'VE knew &C
six all about Polar Forge. Your blcary
stenographer. Miss COrliSS, telephoued
mother. She thought mother would be
able 10 nut some sense inCO you. 30
we all had talk
and thought we would put up a
little competition 10 show you whas
! ruin might look like if one really
tried" added Cynthia.
He remained stupefied. He felt ais
ewes swimming. He could not see
them all distinctly.
Polar Forge, Polar Forge MS
wife said near his ear. we are all
50, ,.lol tbas bo0er i dead NJ last IL