The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-07-12

Come on, Valerie, let's get GU
of here. Jack Moore and Mabe
are waiting for us"
"Sybil!" Richard Eustis put on
his hand. Entreating. Agonizing
Furiously she struck it away.
GO to hell" she told hin
hoarsely. And her voice, with ha
tired, was coarse and rough.
She snatched at Valerie.
You do what I tell you! ASH
him now to take you away with
him tonight. Or come with me
now-and tell him you will never
see him again so long as you live
"Darl! Darl!"
He gazed at her in%coherently
Impotent before SYPHILIS rage.
And, because her god did not
answer her. Valerie turned from
him. Gathered her wrap about
her. And walked with Sybil from
the dining-room.
He watched them go. And Ma
bel and Jack saw him drop his
head, groan aloud.
= =
They drove home in silence-a
dreadful silence, broken only by
Valerie's muffled sobs, and the
foolish remarks of polite people
seeking desperately to make CON
versation.
Sybil and Mabel speak of it,
sometimes, as the ghastliest ride
of their lives. Jack Moore groans
to this day when he thinks of it.
But Valerie has never mentioned
it. From that night she has. been
a chastened sort of creature.
Whats got into you, Val?" Tad
used to joke. you've a guilty
conscience or you'd never be so
sweet to me-"
And Valerie, glancing nervously
at Sybil, would flush and STAN
mer. But Sybil held her peace.
Sybil was very quiet that win
ter, and Tad wondered unhappily
if she was disturbed by Craig's
inattention. Since that day on
the beach, when Tad had express
ed his horror of a divorce and its
attendant notoriety, Craig had
seemed rather to avoid the
Thornes. He was devoting him
self intellectually to politics,
and Sybil saw very little of him.
From the papers she learned that
the Young Republicans had or
ganized, and that Craig was the
particular protege of the Old
Guard. A distinct honor for a
young lawyer, and seasoned poll
ticians were predicting big things
for him.
In April he took temporary resi-
dence in Washington; and, Sybil,
feeling altogether forsaken, put in
motion the machinery that makes
divorces. Tad disapproved, as she
knew he would.
What are you going to get out
of it." he demanded but a lot Of
cheap talk and a bunch of head
lines? And every virtuous crow
in Boston talking dirty talk about
you. You've no idea, Sib, how
the papers would eat up a thing
I;Jxo Tborpo diuoroo
But Tad" she cried, cit could
all be done so quietly, nobody need
ever know"
Quietly" he scoffed. Say, a
nice, juicy divorce has about as
much chance of going off quietly
as a presidential election. Look
at the Stillman case"
But that was different" she
insisted.
How was it different?"
But the Stillmans have such
coolies of money" she protested.
We'll, we're not exactly church
ourselves" he reminded her.
been Somebodies in Bos-
ton too long for the papers to
leave us alone, You belong to
he Vincent Club, don't you? And
he Sewing Circle? And you're a
larn goodlooking girl, Sib. You
know how You used to have your
picture in the papers about every
)ther day. They've got plenty in
heir reference rooms. Just start
something, and see what they do
you. You'll be smeared all over
he front pages"
"At least" she retorted bitterly, +
it would establish my status" !
"a dear establishment" he
sroaned. And a pretty status, if
'ou're asking me-" !
I'm not" she told him icily. r
I think you're being dreadfully :
,ld-fashioned, and just as hateful .
S can be-" :
1t was Valerie who put the v
.ivorce idea in SYPHILIS head. The /
in New Haven had made a c
l~ifferent girl of Val. Humility t
nd gratitude had cured her
estive spirit. She devoted her e
elf intensely to the baby, and a
ven took him out in his little C
troller. Valerie, who had declar- fl
d it the depths of provincialism r
o wheel a baby! r