The Glenwood post., 1924-01-24


ful world"
"Beautifulw All Of Anita's bitter
ness, all the dregs Of her accumulated
thinking. lay in the word.
Eyes, 1t is. Struggle 10 not beautiful.
nor shirking; but Just living is."
There was death back there, wasn't
there. Pain first, and death, and sor-
row. Is that beauttfulf And your days
the way you have to work, the way
peOpfe-that stone How can
you call 1t beautifulr
II know" said Miriam. 81 used to
feel that way, too. hadn't weighed
things. 1 used to think more about
what had to pay than about what l
had. OF course you have to pay for
whatever you have. Everybody has to
pay, one way or another. But that's
only fair. Lifes worth it."
"Never Nothing could be worth
what you have to pay sometimes"
"Ah-." The word was murn,ur Of
protest; then Miriam said, Look up
at that sky! 1t was night like this
that l went away, with-him. Oh. 1
| knew what was doing. knew what
they'd-think Of me. Rightly, too.
knew I'd have to pay, but I'd made up
| my mind that what I would have
would be worth 1t. It's the greatest
thing there is; guess everybody pays
for 1t one way or another. We had
always loved each other; I threw him
over; and after mother died, and l
came back here to teach the school
and look after father, he was mar
ried to someone else. They lived next
door. Yes, those are his children. He
always worked hard, but he never got
on. His wife-she wasn't easy to live
with; at last they had to take her
to the asylum-hopeless. Her mother
came to look after the children. Then
he got tuberculosis. There on the
porch, night and day; not a chance for
him here, but the West-so we went.
He lived eight years. And I lived
them. Now-Tm paying, that's all. It
was worth it."
Oh, those thoughts that sobbed and
sang, those thoughts that stung and
throbbed and famed Worth 1t Then
what you had was different, somehow
greater-?"
''It was just what other women
have Good and bad. The better and
the worse. Marriage is like that.
Neither Of us was an angel. You don't
live. with any man eight years on
honey. His wife died soon, and we
were married before the law; but
sometimes remembered what I'd
done, and something In me shrank
away from myself; sometimes he was
lonely, fretful impatient. We said
things; we wanted things. But we had
each other. We belonged. Yes. it was
worth it,"
They walked on through a shadowy
place, came out into the starlight
again. "You are so strong" whispered
Anita.
Because l came back here to look
after them all? I'd have had to pay,
anyway. It's life that's strong. You
don't get away from life. Life makes
you pay, even when you think you're
dodging payment Honest-life is. 1t
gives-but 1t makes you pay for value
received One way or another"
They were passing the house next
door, where the surly girl and the
cruel lad lived. "One thing you e.
capped" Anita said. "You must be
thankful that you had no children"
Miriam stood still, looked at her. II
would give all the rest of my life" she
mine into the arms of the man loved.
would go into any bondage If might
only serve living child Of my own,
and 1t would be freedom, blessed free.
DOM"
Anita shuddered. "Ah-you're not
like any other woman! No one else
would say that honestly! Children are
care and anxiety and mostly sorrow-
do you think anybody deliberately
chooses that. today?"
'I know they do! It's a small price
to pay for the Joy of It, child"
"Never! It's not worth IT.! I don't
believe anyone honestly thinks 1t Isl"
Miriam walked on. '+Come with me
tomorrow" she said, II think perhaps
you'll understand, then"
So. In the morning. they walked the
road together again; this time Miriam
had a great sheaf Of blossoms In hes
arms. They came to quiet place on q
hill. and there they met the man Of the
night before There was a small box
at his feet, carefully wrapped, and In
his hand spade. He began to dig,
and as the yellow earth became q
mound Anita drew back, shuddefins
zone was a boy and one was 4 girl" "
the man said. Twins The others is
all girls"
"Yes," said Miriam, softly. 1.-TWO "a
love. Two to remember"
"We1l do that" said the man. Both
Of us will do that"
Anita's hand went to her throat.
They waited until the mound was high.
er. until the man stood waist-deep In