OCR Text |
Show M ILOVE and MARRIED LIFEj f taj, the noted author I Xdah MgGlone Gibson I is T It l s GROWN ''H Alice stood for a moment beu do the .! W deck chair on which my bnhy ly-ing ly-ing iifllf und for the first t'.me I : realised how (Treat had been her lie- fU r.lre and how unaatlafled her Ionian. 1 ror a child, f k.n-w that th- uno that wub coming to her w mid seem like It tnc conaum mat.on of her womanhood. - IB Some n;n although AIlci had lIOJ . Jmh lnt me thai f..i.l never known the UE Rirat i Tom I bat w. IjH taught is necessary to a successful Ifjfl marriage. I knv that of all my friends y ll the marriage of Alice and Tom Stnun- I jgm ton was thi mo si successful I had ftvl even known. Nelthi r had cared for uiLsssssf ' 'nor to 'he extent where n.no- H lute possession seemed ncrtsMiy, eon- 3 41 sequently each was- perfectly willing 1 that the other should own hlmsrlf and AjM herself. 1 As the years had rolled on. both Hi Alice and Tom had come to that place where they were almost Indlspensabli K3 to each other Never having Know:-. HHJ that all-consuming passion, they never felt the regret when life showed them .J what mlfrht be ta ashes, growing -JTrfi colder and colder They hud always H managed to k"i, th. soft, warm flrc- i ' jK light of mutual affection steady, and ', tA knowing It was there, they went their . ' several ways, only to come bark to L'liij face cayh other before Itj warming Mt glow They h id grown much alike. In the dyl years they had been together. Alice f j had lost much of Her exuberance, favm much oc her aggressiveness, und It 4? fjj the truth was Id be told, much of her f mm stubbornness And Tom had lost that fj vfl air of disinterested paanlveneea, that fa quiet repose, which always marie him ! B seem a little too sslf.ccntered. a little -W 'on sufficient unto himself j-'. "Truly." J mused to myself, as I r looked upon Alteo sitting ull uncon- L srlouo of how i was analyzing her and ,j her llii- with Tom i. j!' ii Triage X, in ver different from love. And hen M , r. .;.... . i : i ... I i ' i QWOmW known A la. ii i I rJuB a marriage of mutual f orbcaranci a marriage of individual respect, a mar- rJ?fffl rlagc of unselfishness and undcrstand- Ztf jH 'nK And now this marriage was go- 1 tg to be crowned with n child. Anil , ' If looklnT at It. each of these dear 4 J friends of mine will come to realize 1'. Jyj that If there are such things as 'ftm matches thai are male In heaven, the match of Al.ce a. a. I bij oUiilon Is one of them." Almost ..s though I l.ad ppoken nloud. Aiir.- turned to me suleklj and, putting ou: hT tiumi wltfl a little cry. she said. "On, Katn rln , I Wish I were got.lg to mvtl 'ian W( nr live Into p ji t toiiiorrov I want to Wi tch his fnee when I tell him It n.-. ins tj me now i.at the only n-fiai n-fiai pfrieaa i have ever known in my iiLiriage was t:e foci that it was childless. And I Kfiew hut more than anything ! In the Uorld that Tom wartted a ch.ld lo call him "i Lber.' It'sa wonderful thought, Isn't it K ilh-erlne. ilh-erlne. to tulnk tli.it because two people peo-ple hae learned a. id lived, '.heir children chil-dren and the r chlldrcu'u children's phUdren ahaii go sir.rring, dancing, and mayhap. Stumbling down the paths of time, i ih, OS much as I have wished for this wonderful gift. 1 do nol think 1 realised whul It was until now. Maty, sleeping on her deck chair, stirred uneasily, and Alice anatched her up to tak" her In to her berth, cm-ii pafore Miss Parker, who was cuuidlng near, could reach her. ! "Let me carry her. Hiss Parker," said Alice. "1 want to undreSB her little helpless, listlcRi, sleeping body. I want to la her close within h r'tlny bed, and 1 want lo UIk': her softly folded fold-ed eyelids, and 1 WtlDt to understand thai all this. ea. all the world of motherhood Is coming lo me Jiecaus? I unde.-.stand. I did Q( I F" with AIlci- to the baby's stateroom, but sat there dreaming In the i.-.oon-Mrtht until she icturned. And I thought that Fate was vrr good to inc nrter all. She had not meted out to mo (more than I could bear and sh - had left mo Mary, my child As I sat there, I allowed my Imagination Imagi-nation to run riot, and I saw my baby 'a girl, a maid and a matron And I even went so far as figuratively to dangle grand-children on my knees. And then I s'mok myself out of the 'dreams that th.- moonlight seemed to 1 make almost real. I heard Alices light step coming down the deck, and when she got very closv to me she jsuld. "Look. Katherlne. do you not see I the lights r re grow'ng brighter, al-' al-' reaily you can smell the land and I am very glad, Katherlr.e. When we sail Into port tomorrow, lot's go from there back home." (To He Continued |