Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-02-21
OUT
OF THE
RUT
20 by D. ). walsh,

~
F" Flaxman knew as a matter
of course that Loring Black
would ask her to go. Sometimes he
even omitted the Formally of asking,
merely remarking that he'd be around
for her at certain time.
She was thirty years old and since
they had been In high school Loring
Black always had been her escort.
Living so near he was In and out Of
the house constantly. When they were
younger, people had smiled In kindly
fashion at their devotion and expect
ed wedding in short time, but the
expectation had died as the years went
on. The rest of their little crowd
married ard set up their households.
Envying the girls she knew were busy
with their new furniture and curtains,
Edith would have died rather than to
admit to any of them that in all this
time Loring never once had spoken Of
marriage. She felt Inundated and at
fault.
He cared for her she was certain
and he took her affection for granted.
1t was a rut in which they travelled.
always on the same line, getting no.
where. Deep in her heart for long
time now had been growing fear that
nothing ever would change the situa-
ton. Popular, handsome, adored by
his mother and two sisters, Loring
was far too comfortable to feel the
urge to change and establish his own
home. Life was too kind to him. In
fact, she was too kind to him. But
determine as she might she never was
quite able to carry through any plan
to break the shackles of habit, to
make other friends among the men, to
establish her right to win her own
place in life. She had been a pretty
girl and was now too handsome a
woman to remain unnoticed but,
though she fought the fact, no one in
her eyes ever measured up to Loring
Black, selfish though he might be.
The summer in which she had gone
to Europe, bidding him good-by with a
heavy heart and smiling lips, resolved
to break away from the chains which
held her, Loring had gone down to
New York to see her or had Allied
her cabin with fruit and hooks and
flowers and had held both of her
hands Mt the eangplank.
"Hurrv homo Editbn ba bad
hepged har "This 10 a terr;hla ,dea
of yours, this tripl Don't know how
I'm going to stand your being away I"
They had looked at each other a
trifie breathlessly amid the jostling
crowd and then the gong had sounded
and he had left her. And that hope
died out. All summer she had
thought of the time when she should
20 home and when she did return his
unaffected Joy at seeing her had swept
AWAY all her stern resolutions. Loring
was Loring and she would take what
Was given her thankfully, though she
hated herself for what she felt was
lack of spirit.
"Ioring is never going to marry"
his mother was In the habit of say
ing. "He is too devoted to his sis
tiers and myself. Why should he mar
ry when he has a home like this-run
with no trouble and care to himself?"
She said II before him. anxiously when
he was younger, proudly as he grew
older. She had feared at first that
Edith Flaxman would have won him
away.
Even Loring himself could not have
told how he had placidly accented
things as they were with no great de.
sire TO change them. When the right
time came. he told himself. Edith and
he would marry. There was no need
of speech. they understood each 9th
er. All this time, he insisted to him
self when his inner self reproached
him, she had been free, he had not
tied her down to waiting. Yet II she
had not waited he knew he could not
have endured 1t.
Edith's married sister was at times
outspoken. "You are a fool TO let
Loring Black monopolize Won all this
time" she told Edith. "He has no
right 10 cut Won off from the rest of
the world and do nothing more. He
loves YOU and doesn't know II. II IA
M to YOU to bring things to n head.
Either marry him or send him away.
Or do you expect a miracle to hap
penn"
Flushed and miserable Edith had
Jared ont at her and silenced her.
BITTERLY she told herself that no mira.
cle would hammer. nothing wonId ever
change things as thev had grown To
he. She and Lorinp would grow old
and gray in this lifeless companion.