The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-09-03

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made himself ridiculous" She
paused.
Gas far as the children go, if
man is successful and makes
money" Magda said, "they pretty
soon find good reasons for getting
back to him. He takes one to Eu-
rope, or he gives another car
they don't take sides. You never
resented anything did, poor kid"
Eyes, but that was my mother!"
81 know. But I was the one who
got out threw Keith Herrendeen
over. You know, Vic it's an awful
mistake to bring children into a
quarrel, because they don't under
stand and it just scares them"
II certainly wouldn't bring them
into this!" Victoria protested almost
Indignantly.
"Well, didn't suppose you would.
All you tell 'em is that Daddy is
going to be away for while, and
that you feel happy about it."
ooh, my God," Victoria prayed,
in an agonized whisper, as the full
sense of her own helplessness and
of the desperate nature OF the stu
alton strengthened in her heart.
Daddy going to be away for while
no Quentin to come into her room
from the dressing room in the early
morning, when spring light was
widening over the wet garden, and
a wood fire was swapping! No tired
doctor for whom to call at the office
so proudly, so lovingly, in the late
afternoons, and drive home to
warmth and fire and heartening din
ner. No picnics on the scimitar
shore of Half Moon Bay, with
Quentin's big figure recumbent and
asleep on the sand, and small
forms, barelegged to the hip, dig
ging and running in the level warm
rush of waves!
"'Feel happy about it!'" she
echoed bitterly. And in despair she
added: IT shall never feel happy
again! There's nothing I can do.
Whatever 1 do is wrong!"
people get over divorce" Mag
da said.
81 never will"
Funny thing" Magda unused, as
her daughters bitter laugh died
away into silence and the room was
still. eff a woman-I mean the wife,
now-could only keep her mouth
shut and wait, she'd win out every
time"
"You mean kiss man, and be
kind to him, and keep his house
comfortable, and let him 60 off
to the other woman whenever h e
likes?" Victoria asked, in proud,
quick voice.
"Yep. About that"
"You mean knowing that he was
unfaithful, knowing that he despised
her and wanted to get away from
her, knowing that another woman
was revealing in his compliments
and presents-in the love that be-
longed to her, to keep it up for
weeks" The indignant summary
halted; Victoria, her cheeks scar
let, was looking challenge at her
mother.
"Weeks!" M gda eel o e d.
Months, anyway. Years, maybe"
"Years!" Vicky echoed. And with
a brief and mirthless laugh she
plunged her head into her hands
and rumpled her hair. "You make
me laugh" she muttered scornfully.
"You see, she wants something
that you've got," Magda offered
mildly.
"Well, she can have i'll"
$50 that it's sort Of compliment,
in a way. You have to look at it
like that, Vic. You've got lowell,
face the facts. Quentin is a ter
ribly attractive fellow. Women like
him, and he's always going to be
around them-that's part Of being
a doctor. Don't be a fool about it
and run your head into the sand like
a giraffe or whatever it is. A strange
woman will always have something
for a man that his wife hasn't got
-"
eyes, and strange man some
thing for woman!" Vicky put in
holly, triumphantly.
$50 that if I wanted to run around
with-well, say DR.. Bledsoe, QUEEN
tin would presumably wait for me,
and bear everything, and then for
get it as if it had never been?"
"But you're not that Sort" Magda
reminded her.
81 should hope I'm not!" Vic
toria exclaimed, again with an air
of scoring in the argument. But
strangely enough, against this moth
er of hers who had known so many
creditable ways, and who so rarely
argued, or indeed said anything con-
siderable at all, she could not seem
to score today.
''You don't think, Mother" Vic
asked quietly, shat any woman
who had borne a man children,
spent years of care and love on his
own child, nursed him when he was
i'll, worried over his bills and his
diet for seven years-you don't
think that that woman can calmly