| Show The of Geraldine Laird By KATHLEEN NORRIS Author of The Story of Julia Page Heart of Rachael I Wife Sisters etc I Copyright by Kathleen Norris I For the theatre Dazed weary f Geraldine eral lne addressed an envelope rose roseo roseto roseto to o her feet The theatre of course The audience was waiting to be amused to tears by Mome Mollie OBrien Bring me a cup of tea Selma she said sald bring It Into the nursery and run and mail that letter Tell the bo boy boyo boyto to o say that Ill I'll be down In ten minutes minutes minutes min min- utes One hot June day dat wandering through Easthampton with the little girls a real sense of satisfaction came cameto cameo to o her when she realized that she was unhappy It was a fact to be faced She was lonely unloved and unhappy she he told her herself lf No man had a share sharen In n her thoughts her work and her love ove and she felt the essential lack The abruptly terminated friendship with Roger Hoger had left a strange ache in her heart It had reminded her poignantly of what she was losing of what married companionship and the oneness of Interest lends to both lives Sometimes she deliberately reviewed all nil the steps that had led to her separation separation separation sep sep- from Deap Dean to remind herself of her own innocence and helplessness in the matter It was the first knitting summer summer- the country was slowly but fully awakening t to the thought of war When the little family went back to town it was to find the avenue blowIng blowIng blowing blow- blow Ing with flags that showed a ripple of pink from the tho plaza far down toward the Flatiron building Men in olive drab filled the foyers of the hotels and ami saluted each other on the tho avenue the tho Jaunty white cau of ot the thA blue blue- jackets were everywhere e. e Geraldine absorbed knitted and watched sent the elevator boys bots flying flyIng flyIng fly- fly Ing for newspaper extras and felt her soul growing glowing so O rapidly that the tho process hurt her She stopped sufferIng suffering suffering suffer suffer- ing for herself her heart began to take in all Belgium all France all the wistful and bewildered bravery of as astonished astonished as- as America The blowing Stars and Stripes were no longer simply a t j flag tt to her behind them she began to see the grave rave dignity of Washington Wash Wash- ington and the tho sublime beauty of Lincoln's Lincoln's Lincoln's Lin Lin- coln's homely i face lC unknown men men n quietly dying on the slope of Bunker Bunker DunIer Bun Dun ker Ier Hill Hili boys of 16 at other boys she boys she could Just remember these coming home In tho the last year i of the old century when the war w was s I Idone done America had something something- to win and every week saw her pledging herself herself herself her her- herI I self more and more deeply to win It At Christmas time she was in San Francisco and when she came beck back to New York it was early in April and the trees wore their first damp crumpled crumpled crumpled crum crum- pled fingertips of green reen Easter tulips bloomed in Madison Square and the girls taller by Inches now leaping Into their mothers mother's arms were as sweet and gay as the flowers She had flung flung- off her traveling traveling- things loosened her hair wrapped herself herself herself her her- self in a loose Oriental robe and was enjoying a cup of tea and a mountain mountain mountain moun moun- tain of accumulated mall as they talked Suddenly the blood left hc her fare and find he her heart thumped Deans Dean's H t 1 Ing again Here was a square white envelope elope from Dean Sh raised it to her eyes to study the postmark postmark- December It had been waiting wafting for her more than three months Until this Instant Geraldine hardly realized how much she had been thinkIng thinking thinking think think- ing of him or how much a return to New ew York meant in her heart of hearts a return to the neighborhood that held Dean She had not forgiven him him no no nor had she ceased to tell herself that she never could But under all an her bitterness bitterness bitterness bit bit- there lurked a fierce and al almost almost almost al- al most triumphant conviction that she was his wife and set apart by the shame and suffering suffering- his treatment had caused her from the thought of any other man She Sho had har sometimes thought that he might write her and now In the very vert hour of her arrival she received the note as a sort of answer answer to her long memories s of him that had really reany partaken partaken partaken par par- taken of the nature of prayers On the envelope was heavily engraved the Washington square address and as she opened the letter Geraldine had a moments moment's moments moment's moments moment's mo mo- ments ment's vision of herself answering It by by telephone In Tn person At all events he was not an hours hour's Journey away My Iy dear Jerry said the letter all an my plans are changed and I will probably probably ably leave New ew York on January 10 o for Arizona an and It may be be- Colorado It will be just where Tom Underhill the fellow who has been sharing rooms with me for tor a year Is most apt to find his health again ag I I am giving up tip everything here herl I may try to go goon goon goon on writing although h I have he been en pretty prett well discouraged about It of late But ButI I would like to see you tou before I go o. o and see seo the little girls I T think even your tour an anger ter would not endure If you could know how I 1 have havo been hungering hunger hunger- ing for m my wife and children Dont Don't remind me that everything Is changed and by my mt own hand hand I I know It ft But I you Ou were always generous to me mt Jerry be he generous now I Let et me come cometo cometo cometo to see you you for for the sake of the old days when we were first so happy Send me me Geraldine G-eraldine pressed the letter over her her heart as If there was a burning pain there and rose blindly from her chair In a great Ireat surge of feeling that al almost almost almost al- al most sickened her with its violence all the tho old feeling came back the back the memory memory memory mem mem- ory of the times when he had been to her all an tenderness all consideration The exquisite first thrill of ot definite weakening weakening- toward him came to her She would do the Impossible thing She would humble hers herself herself lt forget torget reason and logic log forgive him Trembling she went straight to the telephone Mr Laird had given up his rooms I tho the n n- n nw new w tenant In the Washington apartment told her His Ills square ad address address ad- ad dress was was was-a a his delay his address ss was I ad-I Colo Cola Or a letter might be forwarded from Stockham N. N Y A little daunted Geraldine tried the I first address Delay Dela was trying but she must reconcile herself to it Tier Her I public welcomed her eager eagerly and the a always expected and always astonish astonish- 1 ing spring set her heart to singing After a while the letter limp end and nd grimy came back to her Person unknown un- un unknown unknown un un- known was penciled more than once over the different addresses Nothing for her to do obviously but drop the matter But that was Just what she could not do All An through one Ma May night she sat at her open I window staring out ut into the lights of the drive watching them vanish one by byone byone byone I one and th the stars brighten and wane and thinking of life ute and of great wars I and of what love means to men and women Perhaps her idle thoughts ran perhaps a man and a woman arent aren't Intended to live Uve together together perhaps perhaps wo woo make a mistake in trying It The sexes are much less alike than people think Women really reany dont don't like the things that men do women do-women women really feel teel differently different different- ly about all the laws that govern them Perhaps theres there's a better way of managing man man- aging things things things-a a way that woud keep I all that beautiful and wonderful relationship relationship relationship rela rela- free of sordid details Ice details Ice Iceboxes boxes and babies' babies naps and company dinners I But some one had to manage the household she reasoned and take tal up the tho endless details of laundry and grocer g and service which service which ought ht it be The less wage earner No that wouldn't do A housekeeper perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps a really well wen paid person who ho would take the responsibility of of- of say say five five or six such establishments as mine In such an apartment house houlE houseas as this one Then let the dissatisfied member argue with her her but but they wouldn't argue she Interrupted herself with sure scorn Its be because because because be- be cause they cant can't offend their wives that men are so IO critical at home The Instant the relationship with their housekeeper was as a purely purel business business business busi busi- ness one we e should see Bee a change A strange paleness b began gan to flow over the sleeping city the bla black k nothingness nothingness noth noth- became a gray nothingness and dim shapes suddenly stood out against the mass A dull dun metallic sheen smote the river and Geraldine and Geraldine saw In the soft bulky shadow that was the long line of apartment houses in do occasional attic window show a gold light The city's domestics domestics domestics domes domes- I tics were were sleepily preparing for the new day I She did not wait walt to see it Chilled and cramped In the gray Jray dawning dawning- she sho stumbled to her bedroom darkened darkened darkened dark dark- ened windows drew the fluff fluffy covers cover warmly about her and lost all conscIousness consciousness consciousness con con- of responsibility and trouble trou- trou trou trou- ble In ble-In in sleep The next morning she had Just finished fin fin- finished Ish d dressing and was regarding herself with some content In in the mirror when S Selma lma announced a caller Mr who Geraldine asked wrinkling her ner fine brows brow He Hp said to say Ray a friend of Mr Ir Madame Oh Oh A little wave of warmth and rose In her hor heart She caught up her great reat flowered knitting knitting knit knit- ting b bag g dropped a handkerchief into I it and her small shopping bag and andi i with a a rush of fragrance and eagerness eager eager- eagerness ne ness and with a smile read ready went Into into the drawing room A squarely squarely- built hullt man In the no now familiar olive drab with hi his back hack t to th the b bright l ht light of or the window rose rORe to m meet et her leer herIt It H was WIlS not until she had given him her hand and was looking straight up Into his face that she saw that It was waR Dean she cried with her Dean questioning questioning ques ques- fingers els wife on his sleeve slee I r didn't know To be continued |
