The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-16
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G . . = . . q q . . q . o . . . . =
absurd child. "Don't break my
heart by telling me you're disap-
pointed in our life together, sweet!
Don't say that you prefer guy
like this Eric Whatnot to your law
full welded husband!"
"If did," She looked at him
somberly.
"Pd send for an alienist and have
your wits examined! No, Sue"
he went on more seriously. "it's
turned out lot better than even
| hoped-our marriage, mean. It
took Cecily and her being here to
show me my good luck. You were
right; loving is much more inn
portant than being in love. Take
Allen, now," he said conversation
ally. ITO this day he's in and out
of hot water because of Pats. She
keeps him in state of emotional
upheaval so that he never knows
whether he's on his head or his
heels. That's romance, from his
point of view. It used to be from
mine, too. I'll confess to you, Sue
dear, that when we were first mar
ried I'd torture myself by compar-
ing one days response to my kisses
to another. drove to town almost
every morning to the tune of: is
Sue. growing to care for me more,
or is her love diminishing? Tom
myrot," he said cheerfully of his
own uncertainty. "A relationship
like ours is infinitely more salts
flying. know | can always depend
on you; you know the same about
me. We're two decently consider
ate people, warmly devoted but
not up in the air all the time about
the varying degrees of being in
love. And so saying" he concluded,
rising, "this station is signing off
and going to bed! Night, sweet!"
"Ill be UP pretty Soon," she re-
piled.
Rapture
DUT it was hours later before
- she left the fire. She built it
up about midnight, laying fresh
logs on the glowing embers.
What had become of the eager
young lover whom she had mar
ried? Was it really true that Bob,
tired and concerned now with
whether they were to spend the
evening out or whether he could
get to bed early, had only a few
years ago been the importunate
young man who hung on her light
est word, was lifted up or cast
down, as the case might be, by her
warmth of affection, or lack of it?
Was he suffering by comparison
with Eric'S perfect understanding
of her? Certainly her mind had
never rushed toward Bob Trenton,
sure of that sympathetic fusion it
met when joined to Eric'S
thoughts! There was both rest and
excitement in Eric'S companion.
ship: and wordless thrill in his
love.
Again and again she jerked her
thoughts from Eric to center them
on her husband. Either Bob was
changed-marriage had changed
him as Eric sailor she had over
emphasized the importance of his
wooing. If she could--if it were
now within her power to give to
Bob what he had so wistfully de-
manded in the beginning, he would
without doubt be bored. Certainly
surprised and perhaps displeased.
He had caught his streetcar Rum
ming had ceased to be an exhila-
rating exercise and would seem to
him undignified. The streetcar
itself was expected to keep to its
tracks and indulge in no eccentric
gyrations hither and yon. 1t was
exactly as Eric had said it would
be.
Would it be like that with Eric
himself?
A cold little doubt began to
squirm in her consciousness. She
was woman. Love would never
be to her a thing apart; some
thing to retire comfortably to the
background of the mind as even
the amorous Bob had retired it.
Were all men like Bob? Was-in
particular-Eric?
Her heart said mo-; her mind
said Eyes" The day would come
inevitably when it would be she
VINO would reckon the sum of each
days assurance, each days ca
reSses. fearfully weighing them
against yesterdays, those of the
day before; while Eric, if he we're
too subtle to put 1t IN Boo'S naive
words. would nevertheless achieve
Bob'S comfortable philosophy:
that it was more important to love
than to be in love.
What then would she gain by
leaving Bob for Eric?
The cold clear question for the
moment OVERRIDE the feverish
tumult of her brain.
She would gain &, . rapture, If
fieeting; ecstasy. if ephemeral:
love. if only a springlike ardor
soon to burgeon into lusty and
commonplace summer warmth.
And oh, she wanted those things!
They constituted her woman's
birthright. Men were so made that
they could love and ride away.
love and ride away, the miracle re-
newing itself perhaps time after
time. To a woman it came in all
its exquisite freshness but once
if it came at all!
1t was hers now for the mere
acceptance. She had but to stretch
her hand to lay hold of it. Must
she relinguish it for duty, barren
and astringent handmade to ro-
nance? Would Bob benefit if she
waved Eric away, vowed per-
petual allegiance to what her hus-
band himself called "a satisfying
relationship" Was it not a femi-
nine zeal for martyrship which