The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1937-04-22
A GOOD LAXATIVE

reverie. and taken the chair nearest
to his desk.
Because I must. You of an peo-
pie should remember the quotation
Of putting the hand to the plow
and looking back"
Then you must drop he ploW.
share that demands too much. You
are cutting IN empty furrow. while
the golden seed that should an it
Is being scattered BY the wind. what
ID this which you are trying 70
weigh against the death q . Wom-
ans hearth"
Now realizing In fun to whom hs
was speaking. Vance Jumped from
his chair, calling out half angrily:
what do you mean? Why are you
here when ! thought you on your
way to my people In Westoverf"
my meaning? That you must
by the depth Of your o1a
soul. How came I heree Because
Eleanor, who was troubled at your
faith on Christmas eve.
took comfort in knowing that you
would not have to make the journey
alone. Poor E1eanori"
Againi The same pityi and from
people Of such different view
II believe that I must be hungry.
and everything seems incoherent";
was Vance's half spoken thought, ~
he passed his hand over his eyes.
perhaps I would better wait be-
fore doing anything more until the
situation clears itself q little" he
said. turning to The Stranger. Let
us dine together, but hrst I'll try to
get a motor to take us to West
over"
Lifting the phone. Vance leaned
heavily on his desk as he gave the
number, then made his request in
q rapid curt way. the reply evident
ly taking the same form.
"What? No cars for out Of town
service tonight at any price? Then
that settles 1t. Did ! know for what
reason my wife sent back the chauf-
feur from Westchester and would
not let him carry out my orders?
How should /, when I am here in
town? But" here Vance steadied
himself with great effort, 1T Mrs.
Vance dismissed the man it was
for good and sufficient ~reason!" the
last words being shouted in i'll con-
cealed fury.
Dashing the receiver At its hook
Vance asked aloud with a groan-
why has this been done?"
In a single moment his entire APP
pearance had changed, the inscrut-
able expression that he normally
wore as a mask had fallen away
to one Of something akin to terror.
II wished to deny Eleanor moth
ing, least of all pleasant companions
ship. to give her all possible free
DOM" Vance almost whispered
through his hand that was clasped
tightly before his face.
Freedom? There is one form Of
freedom that every honest m
breads. the knowledge that her hus-
band does not depend upon her So
ciety and counsel in his intimate
hours. When she is freed from this
responsibility, then her liberty is
merely another name for loneliness
- recklessness - despair"
"But Eleanor always has the chill
dren with her to whom to turn"
Children? Yes, but alone they
are not enough! Before she was a
mother she was your wife, your
sharer of plans. with you a dreamer
Of dreams, a builder Of home. What
is she now? A mistress, to whom
only a few of your easily spared
hours belcng, not your entire cor
idence. If only your mistress why
not another's?"
Out into the street the two HE
went and dined almost in silence.
Numb with many apprehensi~ls
Vance was still conscious Of a sei4se
of comfort in The Strangers trcs-
ence that it did not occur to him
to analyZe.
At last the train pulled out and
crossed the bridge of chained i,ghls'
that spans the East river. :
Finally leaving the main Inc, the
single track branch road stretched
its lettering way into tn. neart of
the hill country itself.
we are due in Weslover Mt
twelve believer" psaf, said
mechanically TO the coa,iu.tor Of
the train to w'hicipir. mi .:r,sgcd
at the junction. q s.iorl H.. sh., a
single passeE.-i ,aI 49,. The
place of the usir~i s.o3o.s