The Coolidge examiner., 1937-11-04

No, you didn't break my heart. :"
Breaking a persons heart is a
cheap way of putting it," Quentin
said. 1T sounds romantic, when it
wasn't anything but damn stupid
and selfish. You said what it really
did, a minute ago. 1t made you
think less of me; that's the real
price. We never can go back Of
that. You'll never be able to trust
me again. There'll always be that
feeling. somewhere, way back in
your mind, that failed you'll
Vicky, her elbows on the kitchen
table. her chin in her hands, looked
thoughtful.
Il suppose So" she said slowly.
But don't know that it matters.
You've seen me looking pretty hor-
rible. ugly and crying and fright
ened and only anxious to be let Off
pain; it doesn't seem to make you
like me any less when I'm all gotten
up in my new Paris clothes. Luck
lily people forget those things. when
under it all-they love each
other"
Quentin answered her with long
look.
Il think you really believe that"
he said after a while. You're not
like anyone else in the world!"
Vicky in her turn was thoughtful.
Perhaps we're both tired" she
said. For that matter. what's hap
pened tonight is enough to throw us
into nervous breakdowns. We don't
often talk this way. But it's only
fair to tell you something, Quentin.
that may partly explain the way
I feel. the way / act When we
were married, eleven years ago,
talked about marrying for reasons,
about not being carried away by
excitement, about not falling in love.
Il told you my idea of marriage
was companionship. home. children.
You were a widower with a deli
cate youngster-" She laughed. 1T
seems funny now to think of Gwen
as delicate, doesn't it?" she said.
Women were making your life a
burden, and you needed just what l
had to give. remember our talk
ing of it once, and your saying that
whatever the agreement was before
marriage, however reasonable and
dispassionate the feeling was, no
man could have young wife around
and not come to love her, that is
presuming that he didn't come to
hate her Do you remember that?"
Vaguely"
well, the joke was on me-" Vicky
said. ''for l had it-had it desperate
ly, the whole timel / trembled and
got silly when you spoke to me,
thought of you all day long and lay
awake dreaming of you all night.
l was the love-sickest woman who
ever knelt down and thanked God
that the most marvellous man in the
world had deigned to look at herl
I never told you. / was too proud.
l tackled the big house and the serv-
ants and Gwen; 1 even went to the
hospital and had your babies. Quent.
But / never dared tell you! You
never asked me to; you took me
calmly for granted. meals and fur
mace and Gwen and babies and an
swering the telephone and buying
you new shirts, and that was the
way 1 wanted 1t to be. l didn't
want to be the one to introduce the
silly, the sentimental side of it. cry
when you forgot my birthday, and
expect you to compliment me every
night on the way my hair was done!
I'd said / wanted a certain kind Of
marriage-work and responsibility
and companionship, and plenty Of
criticism if l didn't do my job, and
1 got it, But I've loved you all the
time! Quent, when you come home
tired at night and go to sleep with
your big heavy head on my shoulder.
lie awake sometimes for JOY. Juliet
has nothing on me, nor Beatrice, nor
Nicolette!"
She stood up, smiled at him.
''There!" she said. That's my
awful confession. I've made you
a speech"
Quent took Victoria in his arms.
you've made me a speech, Vic.
III never forget it"
THE ENDl