Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1942-05-08
Her
Husbands
Son
A SHORT STORY
by REY. l.. GILLESPIE

tina Scott. Yet she considered her.
self the real mother of her hus-
bands son. The woman whose body
had borne the pains of his birth
was to Martha Scott only a char
acter on the stage who had played
her part and then passed ON be-
hind the shadows of the curtains.
The story of her husbands al
fair with this woman had for the
moment shaken the whole founda-
ton Of her existence. AT first, she
had found it hard to believe. Then
Richard had told her himself. She
had never forgotten that day when
she had gone to- his office and found
Jesse Harper there. Each impress
sion lad remained in her mind as
if stamped there by burning
Branding iron.
Richard had said, "Come, in Mar
tia. You may as well know now
as later. You're going to have to
give me a divorce"
"How absurd, Richard" she had
answered. Her voice had been
steady. but she had felt as if she
were about to faint. Her eyes
searched the tense face Of her hus-
band and then turned to Jesse
Harper's.
Richard said, 81 want to spare
your feelings as much as possible,
Martha. But we're going to have
to be very frank about the whole
matter"
$50 right ahead, Richard" She
said.
Richard was finding it difficult
to get together what he wanted
to say. He realized that it was
very delicate situation and the
wrong words might create scene.
When he spoke, however, his tone
was that of q doctor giving adj
vice to a neurotic patient.
Jesse and | have been In love
with each other for years." hi
said.
$50 our friends have told me,
| Martha answered. She was deter
j mined to make it as difficult al
lpossible for him to explain.
He tapped on tn dssls for
\ moment in Eindecision. Then h,
said. you've just got to give me
a divorce, Martha"
"Have you forgotten that you
will ruin your practice if you 60
through with this? ?"
Eyes, know all that, Martha,
but even that must not stand in
the way"
Jesse Harper cut in. "You don't
understand, Mrs. Scott I'm going
to have baby
Martha's nerves had reached the
nreaking point. She could no long
er control herself and broke out
in hysterieal crying. Richard tri-
cd to comfort her.
"Try to understand me, Martha"
he said. His words seemed tC
crash at her brain with physical
force. They awakened in her mind
the memory Of the operation that
had robbed her forever of tht
chance of motherhood. She remem.
bered every detail of the circum-
stances that had brought it about
| Richard put his arms around
her. She felt strang comfort ii
his arms. She thought to herself
81 must pull myself together.
must not let this woman know how
deep has been the hurt
| Jesse Harper had walked over
to the window. In her trim tail
ored suit she looked the part Of 9
smart woman Of the world. She was
a good looking woman in a man.
nish sort of way. There was some
thing about her that made hel
seem different from other women
1t was a sort of air of indepen-
dence and the way she carried hel
head. Suddenly she turned ant
walked back to the center of the
room. Richard looked at her.
! Jesse said, "What about an OPP
! ration, Riehard?"
"It's too late for that now, he
| replied.
"Then there is nothing to do but
go through with it now
"Dor.'t you think you should