Evening star., 1936-04-13
INSTALLMENT VIII.
.AMARA spoke steadily to col

TAMARA spoke steadily to con-
troll tears. 1t shook her to the
soul to differ with him.
mo, not that. But there
isn't any use pretending that there
isn't "a code, Mayne, and that de-
cent people don't follow it. Mother
Lawrence said once that the flrSt-the
first danger signal was beginning to
ignore ones code, to think. "Oh, it
doesn't matter-to think it's what you
feel in your heart that matters, not
what some dear old moralist celibate
decided for you centuries ago!"
My God!" the man said under his
breath, as Tamara paused to gather
her forces. It guess they caught you
pretty young, my darling little girl"
he said kindly.
Don't talk like that, Mayne. You
know there are things decent people
don't do. You wouldn't say that if it
was question of man forging-or
creating at cards"
And Persis loving Joe. and going to
him because she loved him. and turn
ing both their lives into heaven-a de-
cent woman couldn't have done that?
That was like cheating or forging?
1T would have been nobler in Per-
sis" he added, in delicate satire as
Tamara did not reply, but walked
along at his side silently-"it would
have been nobler to go on living with
Cliff, whom she despises, and to have
made Joe wretched and been wretched
herself? That would have been the
pretty thing, would it?"
"Mayne," Tamara stammered, an
grily combating a tendency toward
tears, don't talk as if I were such
prig. 1t is a shock to me to find out
that Persis and Joe-Persis and
joe" She stopped, strangled.
We'll. what do you think of Pete
and Adriana, them"
Pete and Adriana!"
why, certainly, you little convent
saint you!" Mayne said in sort of
affectionate, impatient contempt
Don't they teach you anything in con-
vents? Is marriage to you just ques-
ton of the best bargain you can make,
the best contract you can bind man
to? It's all so petty, darling, and So
so puritannical and holier-than-thou
and narrow! Life isn't the Y. w. C. A.,
you know! Persis and Joe love each
other with the most beautiful, the
cleanest and finest passion I've ever
seen. She's the kind of woman who
can't see baby crying without want
ing to comfort it, that can't see an old
beggar on the road but that she must
do something about him. Listen,
sweetheart-I can come up, huh?"
Mayne interrupted himself to ask, at
the door of the apartment house
Lance has got cold and he's in
bed"
and maybe you'll make me some coffee.
Listen, darling, you don't have to like
the idea of married woman going
off with married man"
"Oh, is Joe married, too?" Tamara
asked, very lovely under the droplignt
In the kitchen.
"Of course, he is. That's why they
can't get married. Not" Mayne had
to add, that. it matters, but I sup
pose they would if they could"
Tamara suddenly changed her base
She measured coffee, managed care
less shrug and smile.
1T doesn't really matter to me, Of
course. Mayne. It's their affair. But
at first it does-it does shock one"
only as long as you remember
Mother Lawrence?"
mo. No, seriously, Mayne, I'm sorry
I mean" Frowning, Tamara looked
into space for second, put the coffee
pot down with decision over the lighted
gas Jet. II mean I'm sorry" she re-
peated.
But what earthly difference does it
make, Tam? Look" the man said,
cutting bread for toast as he talked
with a quiet accustomedness that
amused and pleased her Look If
two wonderful geniuses like Persis and
Joe decide to be their own law, what
Of it? Would 16 priests and car
dinal make difference? I mean, of
course, if Joe and Persis happened to
have no religion at all, which they
haven't, and don't believe a bit in
priests and cardinals, which they
don't"
"Your friend Mother Lawrence
would say that was sophistry," Tam
ara said smiling. She broke four eggs |
into n yellow bowl.
Are we having scrambled eggs?
Good!" Mayne said, watching her in
satisfaction. mo, I don't believe that's
Gother Lawrence would" he added.