Show Ii i I Th The e Luck of Geraldine i Laird By KATHLEEN NORRIS Author of The Story of Julia Page Heart of Rachael I Wife Sisters etc I Copyright by Kathleen Norris Dean came to see her immediately as she knew he would d. d lie Ire wrote wrote he her r first and she read the dignified brief brie f letter but she did not answer it Then his name was brought her by the mad lT She sent down the message that she was not at home to Mr 11 Laird But Rut his mere attempts fluttered her he herand r and possessed an undue share of he her thoughts Sometimes mad impulses o of f yielding mad dreams of finding hersel herself f In a mans man's arms again haunted her Ills His fourth call found her smartly and freshly dressed for the it was late In a March afternoon that smelled of spring The girls had had gone out with madame their grandmother was visiting in Stockham and Geraldine G Geraldine Gerald Gerald- ine was was alone Her lIeI car cat would call in ten ten- minutes minute Braced by a n feeling of absolute self confidence mingled with Indignation she asked that Mr Ill Laird be told to come up Two minutes later he entered entered entered en en- en- en the room and they touched hands Im sorry that I have o really only ten minutes she said firmly and quickly I 1 want ant to ask you to stop coming to see me Dea Dean n Sit down Youve You've come come now three three three-or or Is it four several times It annoys me I simply simply sim sim- ply dont don't want to see you You understand understand understand under under- stand that Ive I've been very ery anxious to talk to you he answered with a brevity and decision quite equal to her own own One conversation will will-will will will suffice I Im Im- agine I Imo exactly what you think of me because it is what I think of myself 1 I only want to say that I am sorry sorry extremely extremely sorry I wish l Iw wIsh ish you could forgive me If It that isn't possible now perhaps you will want to forgive lie me someday someday-if some day day It if you do I want you to send for me I 1 was wron wrong Jerry I know that now now I 1 think I always alys al- al ways ys knew it But nut there has never l n another woman in m my life except you ou and I realized long before belore I 1 found you this winter th that t there n never ver could be I You can say sav this now she said feeling strangely shaken en and reaching for words as to for I armor while he paused You can say this now of course cours I have made myself a separate life Dean Dean I I am independent of you now There was a time time there there was a time her time her voice shook but she controlled con con- trolled It when it when I 1 would have given everything I had in life lIle f. f to- to have you youA come A find and nd sa say that But But But-but but that I II I time has gone by I f know It he said quickly I have nothing to say sa say But I J have been I very unhappy unhappy unhappy- Y- Y You She interrupted him with a a. quick impatient breath There was a a. silence Childrens Children's voices sounded in subdued subdued subdued sub sub- dued la and chatter In the hall Geraldino called Janey Come In here sweethearts Whom have you with you you Thomas Thomas How lIow do you do Thomas Let me feel your hands baby you baby you didn't get your I feet teet wet I They came In with never a glance tor for the caller rosy exquisite little creatures in plain sailor hats and coats I with their rich tumbled hair falling about their rosy cheeks They stood stood at their mothers mother's knee smiling at her answering her questions with bashful laughter and shy undertones and yielding her the little hands she caught so eagerly When they went out ot of the room she turned to look at Dean but he had walked d to the window and had his hH back toward the roomI room I want to say this Geraldine said In a silence when the children had hall left the room I feel myself partly to toL blame lame L for the old trouble old trouble I 1 was too much married to the old life life to to tomother mother and the boys 1 I see that now She was silent silent but as he did Jid not speak began hegan again hesitatingly feeling for words I always alwa's dreamed of a time when YO you and I should be alone together to together together to- to I gether with the children but I I. I had no idea idea idea-as as I have now that now that it was forme Corme for Cor forme me to bring it about Ive I've learned since Ive I've learned that sometimes its it's I best to deliberately go against the people love love love-If If yott have you an end in I view Men l have always known that i j and always alwa's done it but I 1 was Inexperienced Inexperienced inexperienced Inex Inex- and I was a afraid fra It was the ho the way I r had been heen brought up Marriage Mar Mar- Marriage to women of or the last generation like Ike mother wa was an end and not a means to an en end When a girl irl got married narried forty orty years ago it was enough She was va supposed to have everything I I I I and to know everything desirable in life she life she was made It It-It It it isn't so o now Nothing 1 is firmly established any more Life changes very fast fast we we have to change too Women omen are individuals in individuals in- in now not Just a part of mens men's establishments They The have earned money most of them they have stood upon their ow own owr n feet They may be willing to cook and houseclean and bear children but bu t the they have to have something in exchange for independence independence independence dence and liberty I never ne knew that before I felt fell m myself self immovably fixed I in your house as your wife Our OurI Our Our- j I lour our quarrels didn't worry me for tor I thought all 11 men had hall their cranky times I I He lie had turned d' d from he the window and th they s stood od facing other a across s the library table Now ow Ive I've begun to realize Geri GeraJ- GeraJ l dine presently resumed still with the the unc uncertain manner of one formulating her I own thought as she expressed It that work and Independence and self- self expression are the rights of or life I Ilove Ilove Ilove love them Yes I was fortunate of cour course you course you e-you you n needn't remind me of that I But I 1 might have hn done fifty other things that would have supported me and the girls and nd had somethIng of the same satisfaction M My M work is hard and lots iota of it is disc discouraging and unsatisfactory As a general thing the people I associate te with are not worth while But th that's ts t's business business and and we women must gei get used to it The theory is that in her own home a woman doesn't come In la touch with anything that isn't beautiful and restful PerI Perhaps Per Per- I haps taps that worked worked worked-in in the old jiris t's but butI I it doesn't now no The domestic stan stan- j lard dard is too difficult It isn't living I now to keep house its it's maintaining a aI I ritual It 1 that gets more and more complicated every year Its It's a fine tine art And AndI I the women of my generI generation gener- gener I atlon must ask themselves whether they would rather do that for tor a possibly possibly pos pos- sibly unappreciative the man or m do something something something some some- thing else for which they the will be paid market value Silence The fire tire snapped lazily the subtle scent of freesia lilies drifted I through the the- air Geraldine raised her hert eyes and her hel glance met his husband his husband t I and wife looked steadily at Rt each ench other There seems to be nothing more to say Dean said tonelessly Geraldine shrugged She gathered up her gloves and furs hooked hocked the latter latter lat lat- lat lat- i ter tel carelessly sly about her shoulders and began to fit it the gloves glo carefully to her fingers The quiet room seemed filled tilled with unutterable desolation I Do you think she he said suddenly that It would ever have occurred to you to come and find me and and and-and and say this to me if I 1 had been dragging along at Lindas Linda's house I 1 think so fo he answered I quickly I j She looked at him in real surprise Deans Dean's New ew England ri rigidity In truth telling had often otten surprised her Irish She had never known him to shade the truth by hy a hairs hair's breadth I Was was wanting wanting you he added sim- sim ply I was was sorry sorry 1 T knew lenew what a fool my ambition and my discontent discontent- I And Miss Bond pond she reminded him What Miss Bond stood for tor he amended Yes I was a fool Cool And I Ica Ican Ican ca can n see e Il as you sa say that it is is too late Geraldine realized that she Ahe had not said exactly this but she ha did not deny it She was silent pushing on the second second second sec sec- ond Immaculate glove Do you yon think Dean asked In his turn that except for the hard position I In which you found yourself you would ever have consented to leave your mother and George and try try my way for a while white You acted after only a few weeks of it it I 1 had had been been been- an anold anold anold old bitterness rang in his voice r I had been submitting to it it Its for r years yens No r she faltered tattered honestly after atter a moment I suppose not nolo I perhaps I-perhaps perhaps would have seen It In dust Just that way But But But-but but de desertion Is desertion she added more c confidently y This was was' firm ground under her hel feel feet at last She I and Dean Dan looked squarely qua e y at each other othe Well VeIl Ills His tone ended the conver on Your time is lip up d. d nj I wont won't keep I vou you I am glad we ye had this s little talk And And I know that If ever e you feel dif dlf- differently feel feel like ke for forgiving and forget I forget forgetting ting you ting you ou will Ill send for tor or me me Geral Geraldine lne did not answer nor move o from where she he stood Her eyes alone I said goodbye to him as he took his his' hat and smiled his perfunctory courteous smile in farewell She heart heard him say Thank you you to the maid who J j showed him out and the room was so still that she could hear the stop of ot the elevator a few fel seconds later and the tho 1 clank of ot the closing door i iI I wonder if It I love him Geraldine 1 said half halt aloud Hose Rose color flushed to her face ace and she smiled I The maid entered quietly with an ani I open box of roses to find her mistress still standing lost in some half shamed I and half happy happ dream Geraldine suddenly recalled frowned when she saw the roses glanced at the tho card with sternly narrowed lips It was from Roger she Roger she called him Roger I with now w th with only his engraved card Knowing him him she knew that he be had hesitated over that card afraid to say I too much unwilling to sa say too little confident at last that the tho flowers would speak for lor him j Again the furs and amI gloves were I aban-I abandoned aban- aban i doped the car dismissed She sat down I at the desk in the tine alcove and bravely bravely and unhesitatingly wrote him My dear Roger Hoger ran the note the thee lovely roses have arrived to remind me of r a duty I owe you OU and Harriet and my toy own girls and myself At 18 I II I might have hesitated over o this at 28 81 I find myself able to write it We Ye arc are area arca a n. man and a woman woman Its Its It's the framework framework framework frame frame- I work of ot all the the tragedies isn't It I ILet's Lets Let's not have a a. tragedy it tragedy it never can i ibe I Ibe be anything else unless ss we stop It I Inow j now I 1 liko you more you more than any anyone one onee else elM that tho the new life Ute has brou brought ht me But the ties of the old life Ute hold fast Weve We've nothing to regret or undo now And this is the end Mollie l Bawn She cried over the note rewrote it and cried again It lt t was lying under her idle hand and her eyes full of oC I wistfulness and questioning were fixed on the great Jar of spraying ferns that filled the window when her maid again interrupted in a regretful undertone The car madame The car But I thought you dismissed dismissed dis dis- missed it an Rn hour ago Selma I Yes madame But this is for or the thee j I theatre theatre theatre-It It is 7 o'clock madame To be continued J j 1 |