The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-10-05


class. The house was deserted. Eliot's
spirits rose, He would actually sit
down in his own sitting room and read
or think-or do neither. without any
one saying, What have you been do
ing all day, dear" or Did you remem-
Der the butter.' or why must !. ia
ther?'
lie did it. He clasped his hands be-
hind his head and looked at the cell
ing. The little country neighborhood
was silent 1t was the first moment
of this kind that he had had for
months. He thoroughly enjoyed 1t,
He began to think about little
1 parody he was trying to write for a
/ newspaper-he had been trying to do
it at odd moments--in the train or in
+ his bath-for several weeks. The oc-
casion that made 1t appropriate had
long since passed, but he wanted TO
finish it IL he could Within few
minutes, however, he heard the voices
of his daughters returning, He wished
+ the class had lasted little longer.
Yet he was not an unnatural father
/ anu wien lHtN NittNlNh Aht tPNAht
/ flushed with exercise. elegant in their
+ sheer white dresses and blue bows, he
/ felt proud of them and glad to see
/ them He loved them even when the
/ following interchange took place:
"Hullo, father. Do you like my new
Shoes2 What is jazz?'
well. Marietta, It's kind of mu-
I 81, IL Ia, te
"Why is it2a
Because people like it that way
/ the time changes"
what is time, father?"
Remembering Mary's assertion that
he didn't try to answer them. he
paused moment To consider, but
| Marietta went on; Il was called out
In front of the class to make cour
tesy, father Where's mother? why
did she go awayf'
She hasn't gone away said Eliot,
disengaging his mind with difficulty,
from the problem Of time.
"She took bag with her. Why did
she. father?'
We'll see said Eliot, thinking to
AitiiASNI mat SAlt hhh fibbhfiS AhhNh
the wash to the laundry, as 1t was
Saturday, and sometimes, If they were
short a shee, and some one coming to
stay He flshed her letter out of his
pocket He had put off reading ID for
fear il would ask him to do something
that would have fnterfered with his
moment of solitude. He opened II,
4ff .,fh i.s
chair. and Doris aged four balancing
on his crossed feet
The letter said:
Dear Eliot Something strange has
happened that makes it impossible
that rou aud | should ever live to-
gether again want TO he alone for a
few DAYS and think over how | can ar
range my life | will come to the Of
flee Monday, and talk It all over with
you. | am sorry this is Nora's sun
day out hut sou can probably manage
somehow with the children. They are
so good, Yours,
MARY.
He became aware that Marietta had
been saying for long time: what
does mother say father? What does
mother say, fatherf
He put the letter back in his pocket.
"Oh, nothing. dear" he answered. "She
had to 20 away for sunday"
"Nhy did she7"
There WAS u question he couldn't
answer He had nv idea-no explana-
tion--uo possible theory occurred to
him What could have happened? Had
he deHe something; or rather, for
his conscience was absolutely clear,
did she imagine he had done some
thing 10 hurt her? Had she fallen uu-
der the spell of some sudden romance
one read Of such things happening
hut Mary M Had She gone mad3
He remembered NOW HAT she had
seemed silent at breakfast, hut not
porteutously silent lie had questioned
the children rs 10 the events Of the
day had any messages come-had
any visitors been ihcrel No, nothing
II was almost Incredible that you
should live With woman seven years
ami he unable 10 form even a ny
potbesis MS Ia why she had left YOU.
MOI that he admired she had left him
--it was just some misunderstanding
TO his first shock feeling Of anger
succeeded How could anyone treat
another fellow creature like that-let
alone husband And to leave him In
suspense for days. And the children
suppose anything happened to the
children?
They came TO ask him to sit with
them while they had supper and read
aloud They had asked him this al
most every evening since they had
been able to speak, and he often re-
fused. But this evening he consented
II was like reproof to Mary. He
chose Thackeray's Rose and the Ring"
to read to them. lie hadn't read it
for years. 1t was n magnificent piece
of narrative lie read it we'll too. At
that place where the naughty Count
Hoggnarme stepped into the arena,
ana the lions rushed out saying
"Wurra. wurra, wur-rra" he looked
up 10 see two level spoons arrested In
front Of two opened mouths While four
eyes dllated with excitement
After the children had gone TO bed
he had long uninterrupted evening
--oue Of those evenings in which he
could have finished a dozen parodles
except that his whole being was taken
up With anger and speculation He
walked up and down the sitting room
all evening, and then went to bed
but not 10 sleep. How could Mary have
behaved So lie began to Imagine
their interview on Monday-his side !
Of it at least. About four o'clock, he
found he was going 20 use the phrase
"Nfv little mofberIess Urls -