-'-»-as,
JANUARY 26, 1924 THE CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN _ PAGE THL
The Middle Ground
____ .
(Contiiiiii-tl from P55013), _
""'f-I* the comlllllly 0ff|¢' bmldmlg 1, ‘zxrgf the heads of the 9” ‘lm ,;,l,,,,.,.,| every evening for pm? §m| gossip. Jane found her- caff Tn 'iii odd position. seshe ;,._,5 the most intelligent . man iii tlic cainp, and bl’ fl" the “ost Serious -'uid the best educat-
- Bao Same of tho women were al- eéii lotta...-.tint in tier presence Hthe iiiosi ignorant oiies-liecausc
4 she too ii-as ti doctor. All of them
talked alilti‘»~tli0ii' children if they had any, their trouble with native sei-vaiits. tiihii' husbnnd's faults and vii-tii<~.~. anti any scandal of gossip about tht* llltlcff-
Jane lozict-ti for good conversa-.
tioii-not iivtzossarily intellectual. but m,.,-ply liriglil, anti broad. the views nf l\.»oplt,~ ili touch with the new and iiittii-tistiiig nioveuients of life. Donald not this to an, extent
oiig tht- uit-ii in the card rooni--
gli; had iiothiiig nt all but the
~asioriil vwtiiiigs \\'lien souie of
til; nicii t-iiiiio to play at' her house. "I'iii st-ttiiiig down, ini ttisefiil, Jane said once to Donald. lin bc-
gliiniiig to li.- to yogii, what Mrs. 'Striker i_» to ier, ni-some one to be iiroiiiid to talk to when you want to talk, to stay home when you want to talk, to stay home when you want to go out alone, to help with your work and run your house."
“And why not?" Donald asked.
his quick eyes glancing to her to see if sli»- st-t>inc_d discontented. "That sounds as though you _were an itical wife. .\lost wives run a housc, iuorc or less badly, and let it go at tluit. Jim Strakcr says his wilt-'s another hand and foot for him." ,
“Sho is. siit»'s another part of
.lim Sti'akt>r. Tlint is, i’m an addi- tion, an aiiiicx. something built on for iitilitariiiii purposes. Both of us -have strong individiialities and in a niai'i~iagt~ between two such people, one individuality must sink itself into the other.
“And i'm the weaker and the
more yit-hliiig. so it will be I that bccouit-s subnierged by your indi- viduality. l suppose it's always that way when two people marry. All my psycliology books said so-- l supptis-~ l thought I was superior to the laws of nature that governs ordiiiiii-y people."
IN THE CITY Chapter 84
Whitt- .lane was working out
her oivii prolilcui in a rough and tunihi-~ niiiiing camp in South Amoricii. tht- little apartment in New York was going through its own si-i'it>s of little crises.
There was a note one day, in
Clalres t'liai‘acterless, affectedly- mannisli liand-ivritiug. Luther open- .ed it as lie and his mother snt at
the lirt-altiast table together. Amy,
§f(§0i1i‘>`<l‘.k\\'1."ts sound asleep in bed u not i c y to be up until nearly 11.
\\`itiiout saying anything. Luther
D21*-311-ti tht- note over to his mother
vi\.-.- coins and see me this
glftcrntiion or tomorrow.-I shall be one .oth iiinos. Yours. Clalre." hir.-_ 'l`alliot laid tho letter down.
Th. . ` i ,i.ii.- blue paper exhaled a 1t_iirit»ii.-r pvittinie. Cliilre, of course, neil' iii ri scented atmosphere, 9‘<‘l‘l~tliiiiR froui lingerie to note. llflilvl” hrcathetl out her favorite llliiillttilij Jane had once observed
- flirt- could be made to like £11'-lil wiiiti and sun if only the n““-*_ l1l.\'>‘ were permeated with Sillllslil and aiiiber, and the wind ¢__tIii.i_tt-tl with sacbet do violettc. nm; iljilo ylou think she wants to " "lb" . t`:=. Talbot asked. l know what she wants-I BUD-
WUMEN! Illia T ANY GAHMENT A
iii IJFIAPEHY
Kimonos Draperies Dresses Ginghams Sweaters Sfoekingg
Diamond Dyes
»-»»».- -D.. “mm ics coals-ina direction! lo “__ eldflhy womtin.oon_ dye or tint w:n°“- ‘i°\‘D. faded thing new, Dm she has never dyed before.
I Stores sell all colors.
Wnists Skirts Cents
-v ,. ._-,`.
pose she thinks that if I go over there when she’s alone. sho can twist me all around her little finger. You can guess what she wants-it lsn_'t to make up."
Mrs. Talbot sat silent, staring at
her coffee cup.
“Why don't you let her have her
way?" she asked suddenly.
"A divorce? She wants to
marry Clarke, for his money, I ex- pect, and his social position. You don't approve of divorce-nor do 1. I used to. I think living with you has changed my ideas."
Mrs. Talbot smiled a little wise
smile.
“lt isn't living with nie that has
changed you, my 'dear. lt's be cause you don't approve of it in this case because yoti are _quite nattirally reluctant about tlraggiiig yourself into a nasty busness-and because you don't want to let Claire go." '
Luther nodded. "You'i'e qiiitt
right. I do approve of it generally; there arc so many people all about \vlio are tied do\vii to oath other. who should be a`pai‘t-and it's wicked to hold tlioin together. llut. of course, l`in fond ot`-Claire." Ht- hnlted n little bctivcen his words us he often did when lic t`otir.d it hard to talk about a subject.
i\irs. Talbot said-- _“l don't believe in divorce. any
more than I believe in cutting off a leg or an arm. But when the le.; or arm is diseased beyond cure. it's better to have it off than sacrifice the entire body. Divorce is an evil. but sometimes it's a lesser evil than continuing an un- happy marriage.”
Luther was still silent. Since the
letter came. be had forgotten his breakfast. Quietly, without giving him a cliance to say so, the mother removed his cup of cold coffee and poured him another one that was hot. He began to drink this, still silent. and she went on.
"Claire is not the sort of wife
for yon. You’re serious and quiet, you want a companion who ,has your tastes, who has depth. who isn't ii pretty little doll. Clarke would probably get along very well with Claire. he likes the doll type- and she likes to be that." Shewas thinking of her last vision of Claire, in the short clinging dress of shining material, her proud little head tilted to get a better view of herself in the glass, her shining hair, her pretty mouth drawn init a hard line.
Luther, whether he agreed or
not, said nothing.
After a time Mrs. Talbot went
on, meditatively.
“l wish-I wish sho had just
one or two sensible traits. She_'s really-very likable. Brt she's so different from you."
Luther smiled a little. _ “Sometimes opposites attract.
Mother. I think the quiet sensible wife you would pick out for me would bore me to death."
' Mrs. Talbot laughed suddenly.
“Perhaps sho would, Luther.
Are you going to see Claire?"
“No. She might coax me into
giving her. her own way." Mrs. Talbot thought. "I really disapprove of divorce
because it's n public confession of failure. And l_dlslike failure. The ideal love is that between two people and lhoso two only. ’l`hat’s why \vc have marriage- at least. that is the ideal conception ' of marriage. Tbat's really why I'd like to see you and Claire try it again."
"We've proved livinil f-08<‘\l1€'l` <1
failure. At least, Claire thinks it -was a complete failure. Anti even I could-not go hack to the old way. lt was nothing but quarrels anti. on her part, tears when sh" coiildii‘t do what sho wanted! 01” little lies to t-oncoal the fact that she had done things she knew l disapproved of."
"Still," Mrs. Talbot said hope-
fully, "There iiiiist be :i basis some- where for a compromise. to beslll on again."
Luther looked rather hopeless.
Chapter 85
Luther went off to his office.
leaving his mother sitting below' an untouched cull of coffee. with the discarded newspaper tossed aside for Amy‘s perusal ister in the morning. _
Clalre‘s letter was in Luthers
pocket-that was so Amy would not .ee it tina i~'e¢agii.mas the writ ing, begin to uk questions. There was not the sympathy between Luther and his critical little sister. that existed between Luther and Janie.
Mrs. Talbot was thinking. Even
though sho ntlll frowned, as lhe concentrated on her Df0bl°m~ 11°’ forehead wal not as deeply "D95 as it once vu all the time. Her cheeks had filled in a,trifle: her
skin wal fresher in texture: her
» ‘.‘, ,
1181108. resting on the table, lay lax,
gisety did not knot themselves into
C'laire would be alone that after-
noon.
And Luther was not going. lf she went, what would shc say
'-0 this Pretty, petulant girl? Once before she hail tried to heal the breech. and she had tailed. sae “'f-“lld try asain-but all she want
room, thc eternally blue elm]
Claire rect-ivetl liur in it dis
"l thought the telephone boy
made u mistake when he said‘ Mrs Talbot/ " Claire i'oinnrketl rudely. “I wanted Luther to come. Did be sent you?"
“.\.'o, and he wo:i't conie_-he-‘s
afraid of you."
Cla-ire's pretty lip curled, her
eyes were trittnipliant. A woman loves to think a man is afraid of her! Claire thought she would have ber way'no\v. _
“I can‘t do anything for you.“
.\lrS. Talbot went on. "l've done niy best. l`\'e tried to make lilm cou- sent to a divorce-"
“Youi But you don't believe in it" "I don't. But we can‘t have the'
world as we want it, we have to take it as we find it. Jane was right when she said that. The - trouble isn't that they make divorce too easy, they make marriage too easy. if there had been as niuny difficul- ties in thc way of your marriage with Luther as there will be in the way of your divorce from him yoti'd have appreciated him more when you got him. .lust as you'll appreciate being freewben you get free." ‘
“On that theory, Luther will
appreciate being free to-if he ever consents to take steps to- ward freedom--" ' “Luther's case is different." “l suppose you mean he apprecia-
tes me more as a wife now that he docsn't live with mc!" _
"Yes," the mother answered un-
e.\-pectedly. "Luther's been mostly to blame in this affair." Claire look- ed at her wide eyed. She could not accuse Luther of faults-for here all his faults were admitted be- forehand! It was no use even
C1ea.nKitlneys
By Drinking
Lots of Water
Take Salts to Flush Kldneya if Bladder Bother: or Back Hurt:
` Eating too niuvli rich food may produce kidney trouble in some form, says a well-known authority. because the acids created excite the kidneys. Then they become ovt-rworked, get sluggish, clog tip and cause nil sorts of distress. ,particularly bnckache and misery .lu tho kidney rcirlfm. \`|l€lll1ll1UC itiviuges, scverc headaches. acid 'stouiack' constipation, topid liver' sie-eplesnt-ss. bladder and urinary irritation.
The moment your brick hurts or
'kidneys tiren't acting right, or if bladder bothers you. begin drink- ing lots of good water and also Bet about four ounces of Jatl Salts from any good pharniacy: take a tablespooiiful in tt KIHSB Of \‘/Hfcf ‘before breakfast for n few days ‘anti your kidneys may then act ifine. This famous salts is made from the acid or :rapes-and lemon juice. combined with llthia. and has been used for years to flush clogg- ed kidneys and stimulate them to activity; also to neutralize the acids ln thesystem so that they no longer irfitatefqirs often reliev- ing disorders.
Jad Salts cannot lnlure anyone;
makes ii. delightful éffervescent iitiiia-water di-ink which millions of men and, women take now and then to help keep the kidneys and urinary organs clean. _thus often avoiding. serious kidneys disord- ers. By all means have your physician examine your UGIIBYI at least twice A Nif-
.-\.__.__ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ ________________ ,\ .
itho contrast between him and other
it I! r
BHILUHEN Bill Fill ili5l|]Iili C
Especially Prepared for Infants and Children of All Ages
.\iotlier! Fletcher's Castor ery'\\'here recommend it Tho
Clalre‘s point of view. l . ’ .g C' “thing
Slie'had_no idea what she would Bgopa and Soqthmg §‘vmps' Con
‘S1152 but she sat there thiiiliing‘HU§:_ :fe narcou§s` Imven mm” - . _ . . on eaei in »
ibleeu in use i`or over 30 yea;-,S as 3 klnti you have itlways bought bears
Ed to do now was to understand £;>sti§]r;nt,0l;arn;less slubetiltute for signatiii-e or
are or
itz E W' "
until sounds cninti frolii Aniys, I Ckage- I'hl5lC`l _ 0 ‘
.
.\li'.~'. Talbot went on. i
joined, "thc woman could appreci- ate his perfection more by seeing
less perfect men." Claire laughed. "\\'hy. tio you want to get away frotn Luther entirely?" Mrs. Talbot' threw at her suddenly. “He's fond of you-I necdn’t say ho\v much, You know that. \Veren't you ever ln. love wth him? You're too clever a woman to have married lilni for money-had it been that you would have marrieti Clarke." 5 This was ni-aking_ it rather thickly
coinpiinientary. Claire did not like to confess that she had tried hard to marry Clarke. that along with a great many other women in and out of the theatrical profession, she wanted nothing more. -But Clarke was not marrying and her only consolation was that il he had not wanted to marry her,- he had not wanted to marry anyone else, at least.
Clarke had been more 'attentive
to her than to any of the others.
~ CLAlRE‘S REASON
Chapter 86
Clarke anti herself ' had become more complicated.
Clarke was devoted-his low,
lc/ng car was her’s almost when- ever she wanted it, but Clarke was not her's to trot about town with. The pleasant genial companion that lounged in toy hat shops and made humorous remarks about the way the feathers \v.ere put. was a creature of the past. Clarke no longer leaned back in the lo\v seat. staring ahead tlirougii clouds of
handkercliiefs anti gloves and rib- bons and blouses anti the dozens of things wolnen are always shopping for. Nor was Clarke often avail- able to take her out for ten and gossip anti more cigarettes and idle hours urou't1tl tiny liolcl tables.
Some of the people in the
theatre world gossiped ug to ro- :Lsons for Clarke’s seini-disappean alice. Claire was inclined to be liurt by it, then jealous.
Then she was soothed by finding
that if he was neglecting hcr more than half the time, he was neglect- ing`lhc other girls almost entirely. She missed niucli of the back stage since her promotion to a good part, for she had it dressing room to her- self iio\\'-it was inore aofiable ii‘ less iinpressivc, dressing in the bij.: rooiu with the chorus and thc girls who had siunll parts.
But by comparing notes, she
Recently thc affair between*
"Ellie trailed do\\'n the hall and _ T T Ain"-sleei - ‘ - '. .. - . .. _‘_
'J s ty .\oite called hello_ct.iiiiiti.itiiig tlitili. hor wlioit. nm, lmulliwi of _ho mv _I rm’
through the dining room door. ut‘gtiiiit=i'.t was :ukcn auay from ‘witliiii lli ‘ L
_\|,-_-_ T, 1| , .i , ,. - , _ _ “ \'rl'l' llliivr izinir. ii gii-l . 1 l 10 .del dui' hu' .Ol siniplt- tastes and i.tt't~ul cuiliirf-,
wiiti in hot' siiiiplit-ity, gnmpimtv
cotii‘t\§.'l11gly hostile manner. Sliei “You'\'o often to'd nie v'irinu" ~ ~- -- _ was d__(_SS\_d for me =__n_et in H trim ___l_n_`_ub why You rvould not HY; .o.i. tlii sift-il moi). ollioi- ivoultiii in little bl1t'lt satin frock the cure \"itlt Iuthti' ll \vi~ ' ‘ ` !'5"“’* “F19 -‘il 'llllfll in \'0£Zue liiat iotlivr fi-1t~iitl.<liips‘->yt'1~4‘ mhtliatgg 5-Ima, "ini .h0“;"` "nd h".`l f‘ :"""“l
_ - . t - . . . » . . , ""~““f1'- =1 l<=\1'H1l‘\1L Iiiiiinwutly ciiti\\‘1'out:. ln an ideal i\»oi~td ot-i~han-` Erlil .I-mtv? 'ff t"“.. °°"f"""" mill' il sill-.\!l~‘ piece of nititcrii.liulle woiiiiiii should be ‘ ~aiisi`icti` hd “Ulm mumlcd m hw ‘hut \\'i'li slet-vt-s only as long as the with the soli cont ' ' -A ' "
_ » » . . _ ». pttniousliip oi, -- g . _ . _ ividtli ol' the niateriitl allowed. ionc uiaii-but in tlrit cttw- c\'oi‘v”,, I! bw. hc ,`1"“°“n°0‘l ‘ Inn"
Mrs. Talbot lr‘nc\v enough to ttntin and o\'i‘i'y woninii would have ` tml! M I “mum M ‘V lm
know that .siuiplit-ity is deception, lto liavc :til sorts of interests audi I Six* i . t .ind that this tlt'e.~'s which seciiietliilit- iuost coiiiplcx pt>i°souzilitv" in,-:,~,~;~ 2:i',,1l,u:L an udlfy mHMi~‘(; , . ., . - , , .... _ __ _ _' _ _ -_j __i ° . 4 ' \ il \‘l‘ sit* iii:tl‘t‘it>t .ti li.t\». tost iiotliing at all, was] _ilu ptifetl inatc doesnt exist, ‘|,m|,,.1~_ pc,-h,,l,§ ijusr.. had i,,.,.,, .l pitibably the uiost expensive in iC`lt11i‘e .~iipiil.ioti. ‘haw mm of it .1-ml. th, ., ._ .» ` G-lnirc`s whole \vartli'obe. 4 "lf he did," Mrs. Talbot re-i 1' ‘ J "M'“md`m"'
tuwn, who |'t»aii gootl books tiutl
lio v.'zis cilizailotl.
for Claire was easily iiifliit-iit-.-tl iiiitl her t`latt¢=ring friends hail told l\_f.>i‘ slit- could tio it easily.
“Once you are rid of the pi'os<=iit
t~iit~iiiiiliei‘tince," they put in flipp- a'ntly. “You're just throwing' your-_ sclf away on a nobotly when you might really marry someore wortli wliilo like Clarke."
it was that teasing. tiaggiiic,
praising coaxing attitude of her fiicutls that kept ht-r front liiiu.
“lf l go back, be’ll make inc stay
off the stage, and l've been promis- ed the third print-.ipal part in the next review," sho walled to l\ii‘.~:. Talbot. '
“No. he won't l{e'll let you play.
After all, it's your right. You have as much right to he an actiwss, to dance anti sing for a living, or a career, as souic»ha\'e to be liiwyiirs and others to be cooks and house- wives."
lllrs. Talbot wus only sayiiig
what Claire had suitl lic-fore.
“Luther sees things dift`ert»iitly,
now," Mrs. Talbot said.
But the real reason why (`laii't¢
had sent this latest note to Lutht»r was a curious one.
The day before Clarke confiilt-tl
the news of l1is_eiigE.getiie1it. 'That meant definitely, that Clarke would appear less and less often anioiig the theatre people and would fin- ally drop out entirely, as his wii'c's friends absorbed hiui.
"Until he gets tired of her and
wants excitement." Claire‘s cynical little lnind told her.
But just because she was furious-
ly disappointed at the idea of Clarke inarrylug another girl. just because, without atittially wanting him herself she now knew she never could have him-sho turned
cigarette 5m°k° while She b°“Kh'fiii angel' against Lutlfcr, and was
ready to iunke her most serious tleiiiantl for frcctlotn.
lt was it feminine, illogical -re-
ason, which only another its feniin- ine and illogical as herself could understantl-or else a woman with. great wisdom and great coin- prehension. Claire tlid not know why sho did it-.lane might liavu igiicsscil.
Anti now, in bor pique. and lutio-
liness and her soiise of bt-ing _sutibbt~d» iio\v_i\li's. Talbot caiuif, iaiid instead of tit-ftintlliig l.utlit~r, islio condoiiiuod liiiii. anti santztion- ed tht- separation ('laii't\ had asked for! ('laii't> wus angvioi' than ever.
t’l't\ l-i» t‘oi:tinii.:di
Guard The Baby
Against Colds
To guard the baby agaliist colds
founil that within ri period of tlirer-._ weeks, site had seen (`liirko four times, and none of the others more thtrii once, most of them not at, till. .
There were hints-n woiuan,_ fl.
juli. he wus nwtiy on ti trip, lie “had gotten too grniitl for his old friends." ' ,
Clai'l.'.e's car was consplcuoiis,
even among tht- fine motors that. spun along the Avenue. Claire saw Clarke with an exceedingly pretty; girl one afternoon, n little girl with, brown eyes anti broiv hair, a pink, little mouth and o sweet smile. lt‘ was ten time-the car stopped, not at one of the expensive, garish. hotels he took her to, bitt at one of the tiny. ultra~niodlsb restaurants where the customers pay .five prices for excluding the noise. arid where the head waiter "regrets" the tables' are all reserved, unless be knows all about you. _ ,
The second tiijnesbe -_saw then‘i» Claire knew what was happenlnsf
She found out about the girl--she wss the daughter of one of :he old.
nothing can equal ll:ib_\"s Owii Tali- lets. The Tablets are ii iiilld laxa~ tive that will keep tho little ont-'s stoniacli aiitl bowels working reu- iila.rl_v. lt is a recoixiiizt-il iavt that. wheel' the stoinavli ziutl li:iwt~l.< are in good order tiliiit. colds will not hx- lst; that the health oi` the litti~~ uno will be good and that lic will ibt'1\'<i anti be happy. Tho new sitltrs lax will not increase the l\1‘i<"‘ Ulf Baby'-s Own Tablets, its tim coni- pany pays the tax. You can still ob- tain the Tablets thi'-ouoli any nititll- cine dealer at 25 cents it box. or l>.V mail, post paid, .f-rom The llr. \_\il- iiiims' iueiitctiie Co.. .Il\'~“‘l<\'1ll<'-- Ont. ,
HOMEWORK
\\’e require portion to knit vnf‘n'H
wool socks for i°n nt. lminv.. cillit-i'_
with nineiiine nrrhv hlnfl- 9°"" stamp and addressed cmelope fill' information. The cannula# \vm»i¢»i.|» mntrlmit-
lgg CQ., Dflllll, 0ll.
i
. ~ i
»» - _ 1~;- |...-- ,._... ,,..~~ . ._ _ _ / J *_
~ o