Evening star., 1926-03-28
Contempt of Families
BY RUTH COMFORT MITCHELL -


shivering on the brink Of a divorce,
you know, often think Maybe, if we
had a child. Well, we tell
em, All right then, behave yourselves
and we'll see, but you can't have one
OF our babies to play handball with"
''I think that's very wise and very
wonderful" said Marcy, steadily. She
loved the work, partly for its own
sake and partly because it took her
mind and heart off her private prob
lem. The new house was brought to
finished perfection and she moved into
1t and settled her lovely belogings
with high hopes of happiness. And
20 minutes before their. house-warm-
ing dinner to the rest of the clan Hill
ton lost his temper and the newly In
stalled waitress gave notice. Hilton
was sunny and serene by the time his
guests arrived and he kissed Marcy;
"All right, dear We'll let that fool of
girl go, and we'll just forget it!'
Marcy said nothing then, and
nothing that night, but after breakfast
next morning she spoke of the Incl.
dent. Hilton, heartily handsome and
glowing from his daily dozen, his
shower and his shave, stared at her.
Look here, Marcy" he said. Il hope
you're not the sort Of woman who
broods over things and makes noun
tains out of molehills, Why. I told
you the subject was closed! 1t had
completely passed out of my mind.
And now you drag 1t up--and spoil
the day for mei'
After he had gone. without forgiv.
ing her, she sat down to think 1t over.
What should she do? Was there any
thing to do? She loved her husband
as much. more than she had loved her
lover; but she didn't like him as well!
Could she change him? Or should she
change herself, as Faith and Helena
and Grace and Sylvia had done?
Taking them in turn, she considered
them. 1t wasn't in her, she was sure,
to reach Faiths sanity fortitude, and
she wasn't sure she wanted to: and
she knew she could never stoop to
Helena's evasions. Well, then, which
would Ii be-Grace'S shrinking terror,
her expression of For heavens sake,
don't drop a match"'-or Sylvia's bit
ter recklessness. The beautiful Sylvia
had the worst of it; the Trayquair
temper had its pinnacle in Derwent.
There were ugly tales about him,
strangled in their cradles because he
was-who he was; Marcy recalled how
his young Airdale had fiattened him
self against the wall and crawled
across the floor on his belly at sight
of his master. "Ugh!" said Derwent,
his fine face contemptuous, "I hate a
cringing cur!'
Two days later the dog was missing.
"Oh, do you think he was stolen? Or
run over?" Marcy sympathized.
Sylvia shrugged. We'll, he's gone,
at any rate she said
Now Marcy sat thinking until it was
time to go to the home. There was
an exquisite baby girl for adoption; a
fiawless child Of young love, sound,
beautiful. 1t was going to be a great
JOY and great responsibility to place
her. IN stop thinking, now" said
Marcy. "Ill put 1t all in the attic
of my mind and lock the door and at
tend to my work. but I'm going to do
something about 1t! l don't know
what, but l know l can't go on this
way"'
On her way downtown she stopped
In to see Nine. Trayquair. The old
woman had never exhibited the least
fondness for her, but she treated her
always with grave courtesy. and
Marcy often found her eyes upon her.
Il suppose she's wondering how long
1t Will take me to conform to the
proper pattern for Trayquair wives, :"
the girl thought. There was some.
thing rather awful about the silent
mother Of all the tribe, austere, expires.
sionless. Her cane seemed to be a
symbol of authority; she was never
seen to lean upon 1t.
Il see,' she said now. with a rare
unbending, that the wildfowers are
beginning to come. I regret that l
cannot walk in the woods. I used to
take great pleasure in it."
Marcy made a mental note; she
would go for a tramp before dinner,
and bring Nine. Trayquair a handful