| Show 11 bear AID wai can h va MARGARET WEYMOUTH JACKSON copyright by liauba arrin oo co service THE STORY a childhood attachment urnestine Urn ostine Ill pr Iceland of ft a wealthy family 1 in attracted by will todd newspaper artist her fler ulster sister lillian urges urge her to break off th the affair but ernestine re fuses uaea A runaway marriage toli foli leiv owa loring lorane hamilton wine I 1 alanl consent to become hi his wife wit will and ernestine begin their married ufa life in humble surround ina john poole walli best beat friend gives ft a birthday party for ernestine at lauby castanos Pim Pa lanon stanos resort ernestine and will have their heir first quarrel an a result CHAPTER V continued I 1 e 1 I say may that certainly he tins responsibilities bill ales ile he 19 9 to provide for her to the best of ills ability lie ile la Is to share all hla his earnings and hla his honors honora witt with tier lier ile he til in to shelter tier her rind and speak kindly to tier her anil and love tier her and not find fault faull ile ho la Is to be faithful in word and thought lie ile la Is to ile bo natural in hla his relationship with tier her and avoid sentimentality bilut also sho Is in to ho be a woman and un tin afraid lila its equal nota child for him film to protect like a child you are so ao liard hard she wept so hard with me lie bent and kissed tier lier and pressed ma ills faco face to tiers hers its life lio ho said we have to grow up life Is hard ernestine wakened next morning to ond find that the pain and confusion of the he night before lint had vanished into a new flew and not unhappy perspective on her life for the first time mile filie could see what a blow it had been to mamma and papa to have tier her living in urla bria street with no margin no possessions no possibility of restraint restrain tor or economy how dini dilli cult t la was perhaps for their makes abea site bhe ought to operate cooperate co with mamma and papa to do something for them enough money for a decent flat a small email comfortable house it ft would be so much easter easier tor for mamma hut but urnestine felt again the cold wind on her cheeks checks remembered vividly idly how hosy slie sho had wept and how site bhe had said ago again n and again 1 I promise will 1 I promise ile he tied had asked her tor for no HB such euch statement slie site had done the bargaining whatever it cost to tier family or to herself she would keep that promise to willand 11 liva va on what he brought her un tithe himself told tier her to do otherwise ernestine began to wonder tf if she would be as aa good a wife and mother as elaine briceland Iceland Ill when tile the time came that will had made burde rood good she bhe paused to consider this thought jant skilled happily tor for now she saw that for the first time she was waa entirely confident of et wills success it had been as much longing as conviction before but now she bho was waa sure ilow how hold lie he wast was ills his hardness brought only admiration tills morning the practical respect ot of it practical person it you want to go back youve only to your lint hat and do it I 1 silo sha wondered how ninny many men had tile the courage to take a stand like that she did not regret tile the quarrel lit at all tier her marriage had attained a new reality silo she knew that she ahe was not simply having a good time she knew that she aho could not go homo home when tile tha party was waa over they had advanced from the honeymoon period into permanence ma ima nence in what way here and now could the ehe make tills this now feeling practical it effective ilow how would they meet the obligation of childbirth Would aho sho go home hoina to inai iuna or oito to some hospital they the Y would have to plan without it if they were to be consistent she understood that babies were frightfully expensive sho she had rend articles in magazines about them yet thou sands of women with no more morel money than the she possessed luid had bahtes babies silo would have to ind out how they man aged aeed site she would have to see sea a doctor ask aak questions answer them she rho would have to find out tile the rates at different hosp hospitals itata under different conditions and after slie site had investigated the matter and decided on tier her own onn plan the cho would have to begin to rave a definite amount every week out of wills pay so BO that they might meet the emergency emer geney that would bo be fun to have money in I 1 tier her hand when her time camel she decided to say nothing to will about tills this until rho ahe knew like ike her mother she must exercise tier her virtue privately and lot results speak tot for tier her sho she tind had it a few dollars with which to open a savings account tl ero cro wak waa a batik nearby a brunch branch of a downtown lank hunk she would get a metal coin cho chot choat at for herself and will iler her mental acta now becala physical and she roseand roie and dressed kissed will lightly on tao tae cheek and bat a note on the dresser for him lest feat he chonk she bho had taken its his advice and genii kone home downstairs she found a 10 lox full of roses rosea for her and it ft card in it with a f few words written in an erect elaborate script to beg bee forgiveness for my rude neif nebs and to express the hope that we wa 0 nay my bf bd real friends some day L S Pa atan ernestine gave the roses to mr hirs bennett without comment and went weal out lost last april she had been a school garl now mow she was filled with the not enin importance of wifehood and motherhood the sweet air filled tier her with happiness ifer her husbands face fled before tier her minds eye down the long curve of boulevard an indignant cou countenance n te nance fiery strong ifer her heart contracted within tier her at the thought of liliu film nud and tile his love tile the visit to tile the doctors was prolonged long cil hut but she reached hammit monin ms house in vale for lunch and found the two women so BO full of lillians plans plan that she kept tier her own secret determined to make tho the day com she left early and set out for tile the long tiresome street car ride to the he northwest side sho she was ashamed to realize how few were the visits she bhe and will had made to the little house where hla mother and and father lived silo she was at her mothers home two or three times a week but they had not been to see wills mother half a dozen times in the months of their marriage it was not intentional neglect but it always seemed to work out that way find and will had been as lax as site she about spending its his one day a week on that long journey CHAPTER VI ernestine asks a favor when ernestine reached her mother in laws house rho fihe was astonished to find a crowd of people standing about the door and to see a taxi just driving away and another car at the curb when she came into tho the group every one fell silent and ernestine looked at the tha faces with curiosity and a sense of tear fear the matter she aha said nervously to a big housewife who opened the door for her ber wills been trying to find you they just brought his pa homo home iles hes dead dropped dead at tits hla work today and his mas real bad I 1 got will on the tha telephone at the paper and lie he came right out here but he know where you was ernestine stood staring at tier her and tier hand went up to her heart in a frightened gesture I 1 wheres sherea Wh erea will she naked wildly lies iles in with his film mo ma go 00 stilt still the doctors working with her sties been awful bad the lost last few days daya ive iva been with her all the time nut but sho she tell us silo sho thought shed bo be better ashes been sick so lonz long will looked up as she came la in and called her hep name softly she went straight to him film and put her arms around him film ills face was wet with tears lie ho wits was not the positive flery fiery creature with whom site she had quarreled so go bitterly tho the night before hut but a little boy lost and confused cont used site she kissed alro quickly several times and he said to tier her im glad you got here mrs lira bennett know where you were oil oh moms so 80 sick the doctor know whether shell ever be better and dad gono gone like that just tike like a breath I 1 seen him tor for throe three weeks darling hod hed want to go quickly said ernestine feeling the futility of words tha emptiness of comfort it tier her father tier her conscience told tier site she and will had been neglectful the tha doctor came out of 0 the bedroom and asked crisply to get hloi him some hot witter water ernestine took oft tier her fur coat and her little red hat fiat and went into the kitchen there was a alre in the small range bauge and awkwardly she alio put some coal upon it and met act the teakettle on to heat the doctor asked her tor for towels she waited batted on him as well as slie she could and accepted it in silence tits his sharp reprimand when she was waa clumsy tho the neighbors had dissolved mrs who lived next door came in and niada it a little supper site she put it on tile tha kitchen table and sold said to ernestine see it if you can get will to eat lies in there crying 1 11 I will said ernestine and mrs went on have to stay here now I 1 guess wills ma have been left alone and now his bis pas dead theres nobody to look out tor for her ber but you and will of 0 course ill come said ernestine id have come before it I 1 had known that I 1 was needed we want to be a burden site she found this phrase in her mind iii at site she coaxed will to eat a little sup per had their motives been entirely unselfish in going dolny to erie eric streett street they wanted to be alone away from tits hla people should she ehe have stayed with wills mother and nursed tier her und and done the work I 1 there was no question but that mrs and probably other neighbors as aa well thought that she should ifer her heart ached witt with remorse will stayed la in the kitchen with her and ernestine fished the dishes and put them all away going to him at times end and putting or caressing him the undertaker came tile the doctor left and returned about nine ile iio called will into the other room but after a time will came back into tho the kitchen where ernestine sat not knowing what to do ernestine will looked at her uncertainly his eyes appeared small and red with weeping tits his nose seemed deemed unusually big in ills his pule pale face find and his mouth was like a childs L the doctor thinks we ought not have the funeral here because of mother being so 10 ill tile the noise and people coining in and out he thinks she la Is ill enough that it might go against her 10 do you do you think your mother I 1 dont want him burled buried in a chapel and he belong to any church lie ile was waa an officer in an ethical society have the services I 1 dont known what to plan the back door opened and mrs Sctt luaa came in while he was talking and with tier her another neighbor ernestine remembered having met him once before ills 1119 name was jolin john pryor and he was a printer ernestine understood der stood the entreaty in wills eyes but her heart sank mamma did not like funerals and least of all would she like this one ill ask she said uncertainly and went to the telephone which was hung on the kitchen wall it seemed an I 1 4 he patted her arm and tried to control his HI feelings eternity before ernestine heard her mothers voice falteringly she told tier hor what had bad happened wondering why site she had not called her ber sooner but darling cried mamma to think of you in all that trouble V ill 11 send ohp car right after you sou you must come home to mamma until tills this is all 0 over ve r youve never been to a funeral in your life it will be so hard tor for you A mamma lamma said ernestine with ves veat ution atlon you know I 1 cant come im needed here its something else I 1 called you for or mamma they cant have the funeral here at the house because wills mother Is so lit it would ve ba dangerous for tier her and of course will want his fattier father burled buried from the funeral parlors and he belong to ciny any church we e dont know just what to do mamma she say it she simply could not its ita too bad you and will arent keeping house said mamma if you ou had find let papa help you you could do this for will now you dont want to mamma I 1 thought perhaps your house la Is so beg that you would do tills this for will im asking you to have wills fathers funeral at our nt at your house mamme mamma all their eyes were on her tier her face was scarlet her eyes were suffused sulT used with tears of humiliation why ernestine said mamma in a troubled voice 1 I 1 dont know ill have hava to talk to daddy grandmothers not well walt wait a minute hold the wire er ernestine estine stood in silence saying to will with her lips ashes asking t papa waiting in the endless interval certain ot of refusal already hurt ard and resentful ernestine mammas voice was terribly sympathetic were all just as sorry as we can be but papa think mr todd would want it it it seem practical dear the funeral home right there in tits his own neighborhood lots of people are buried from such chapels chapela every day darling tont dont ask mamma to do such a hard thing ernestine hung up the receiver without a word and turned strained great eyes upon will john pryor regarded her with a sarcastic smile ile he was ft as a socialist or an anarchist or something ernestine recalled will he said with instant kindness lot let me have this funeral for you its right here in the neighborhood and tt it wont be a bit of trouble your father and I 1 belong to tta the same society it would be all right with him aim I 1 know all right said ald witt will dully dally and turned to the th undertaker fix it that way will you yon tend to the notices will ernestine implored him its not ray my fault they dont understand lie ile patted her ber arm and tried to control his feelings all right kitten I 1 know you cant help it its just their way ills face worked and suddenly he c clenched 1 his bis baij bij big hand my father ti lie e was good enough to work tor for yours youra for halt half hla his Ilfe lifetime time good enough for that but not good enough for his dead body will will dont dont darling 0 oh it you must not say such a thing a sweetheart ee theart let him cry said mrs wisely and will cried upon ernes tines shoulder his tears wet her blouse and she held him feeling the great sobs rack him wondering dimly if she would mourn moura for her father that way tills this would be tier her home she re soloed so ived kissing his tear wet face holding him to her heart she would stay with will and his mother iler her people had denied her husband the kindness that was nas due among kinsfolk they had denied tier her she felt that she care whether she ever saw them again it if they had done this for will everything ev ery thing else would have followed but now in ia common loyalty to her husband she had to recognize this hurt she was almost fainting with weariness it seemed to her the night would never end papa came in his big car and took ernestine and will and tits mrs to the burying ground will accepted this courtesy with dignity lie ile was not the person to quibble at a 9 time like this the services of the ethical society were brief and dignified it was ernes tines first acquaintance with death and sho she felt the power of human dig alty felt as she had never felt before the common inheritance the integrity of wills fathers life when they came linek back sat gat in the car and talked to her father a few minutes she told him that she and will were to stay at the little house that she was going to try her hand at housework and nursing she should I 1 have ave done it sooner she realize she said that she was needed she ought not reproach herself her father |
