The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-09-10

TO near II, was ike sword blade
naked in the air.
''No, it isn't what feel for her."
Quentin, hearing nothing, went on
after moment. cts that-that I
can't see any sense in hurting her.
What about Spencer?" Victoria
asked simply after silence. "She
has him."
what did you say?"
Didn't she love Spencer"
mo, that was a funny thing, too.
She tells me :"
Quentin told the whole story ca
gerly, believingly. 1t was the story
Magda had told her daughter years
before; the story Of the beautiful
woman wheedled into marriage on
the promise of love sure to follow.
Spencer, and Ferdy so long ago, and
all the other men to whom these
beautiful women later were to prove
false, had promised to Glove enough
for two"
"She's as sorry as l am" Quen-
tin presently finished.
Victoria was silent for a while,
looking fixedly into the fire. Then
she said temporarily:
"You feel that something must be
done?"
Quentin sent her startled glance.
"Well, Lord, Vicky, she can't 60
on this way, you know. Her life
over there is simply hell, that's
what it is. Morrison never has ap-
preciated her, he's completely
wrapped up in his own troubles, and
what has she to live for?"
''What do you want to do, Quen-
tin?" Vicky asked at last in a
temperate, expressionless voice.
His dark rumpled head was sunk
in his big hands; he spoke hope
lessly:
81 don't know. I told her today
that I thought you'd jump at taking
a couple of the kids off for a holt
day - France, maybe - we could
close up this house :"
Her world was tottering about
her; she heard the hurricane Shrek
ing in her ears, breathed the rush Of
smothering dust, felt the good earth
shake.
"You mean leave some of them
here in the house with Nurse and a
cook and take the others off to Eu-
rope?"
"Well-" His tone was dubious,
family irritated. He was still tum-
bling his hair with restless fingers.
eve could make some arrange
ment," he said. what l mean is,
it doesn't seem fair to have you
here Shaving yourself to death for
the kids, when-when things have
changed so. There's no use of three
people being unhappy, when with a
little common sense everyone'd be
satisfied.
"This is as much a surprise to me
az you, Vic. 1t came to me like a
thunderbolt, the other day, when
she told me what it meant to her.
She said she wished to God she
had never met me-she actually
said that. She felt that way about
it.
"Now owe her-I owe her some
consideration about it. She's got
some rights in this matter. It's
too bad when it happens this way,
but the only thing is to be honest,
and to work it out for the best for
all parties. And you must believe
that it doesn't in the least affect
what I feel for you and the chill
dren, Vic? mean-that's separate.
It's simply that you come to a time
in your life when you've got to be
fair to all hands"
"You mean that you want di'
vorce?"
The instant she said it she knew
that it was a mistake. She should
not have been the one to introduce
this word. But at least it seemed to
be no shock to Quentin. He said,
with a half-smile for the fire:
"She says she simply hates the
word. She was divorced once, and
the idea makes her sick. I sup
pose it makes any decent woman
sick"
whatever you decide to do,
Quentin" Victoria said, after a mo-
ment, standing up as an indication
that the conversation was over,
"count on leaving me here with
the children. I couldn't leave any
of them-it would only mean
expense and trouble for you. I'll
stay here-I'm glad we've talked
about it, anyway, and I think I'll go
to bed. Goodnight.
81 think you're a tremendous
sport to take it this way. Let me
talk to her-she'll work it all OUT"
Quentin said. The library door
closed; there was no other answer.
Hes a genius, of course" Vicky
said to herself, against the surge Of
pain in her heart, as she went
slowly upstairs in the big house
that of late had seemed so wintry
and desolate. Hes a genius, and
geniuses have times of not knowing
what they're doing or saying! Ev-
eryone says that Quentin is in
class by himself-he's temporarily