my destiny. I live in
this world just once!"

"But what is your destiny, Tom?" answered the wife. "Leave me out of it:
but aren't the roots you have put down in this home, this career you are
building; our child's normal girlhood with a father's care--aren't these
the big things in your destiny? Lila's life--growing up under the shame
that follows a child of parents divorced for such base reasons as these?
Lila's life is surely a part of your destiny. Surely, surely you have no
rights apart from her and hers!"

His quick mind was ready. "I have my own life to live, my own destiny to
follow; my individual equation to solve, and for me nothing exists in
the universe. As for my career--I'll take care of that. That's mine
also!"

The wife threw out an appealing hand. "Tom, I can't help wanting to pick
you up and shield you. It will be awful--awful--that thing you are
trying to go into. You've always chosen the material thing--the
practical thing--and she--she's a practical woman. Oh, Tom--I'm not
jealous--not a bit. If I thought she would enrich your soul--if I
thought she would give you what I've wanted to give you--what I've
prayed God night after night to let me give you--I'd take even Lila and
go away and give you your chance for a love such as I've had. Can you
see, Tom, I'm not jealous? I'm not even angry."

He turned upon her suddenly and said: "You don't know what you're
talking about. Anyway--she suits me--she'll enrich me as you call it all
right. I'm sure of that."

"No, Tom," said the wife quietly, "she'll not enrich you--not
spiritually. No one can do that--for any one. It must come from within.
I've poured my very heart over you, Tom, and you didn't want it--you
only wanted--oh, God--hide my shame--my shame--my shame." Her voice rose
for a moment and she muffled it with her face in her arms.

"Tom--" she faltered, "Tom--I am going to make one last plea--for Lila's
sake won't you put it all away--won't you?" she shuddered. "It is
killing all my self-respect, Tom--but I must. Won't you--won't you
please for Lila's sake come back, break this off--and see if we can't
patch up life?"

"No," he answered.

Their eyes met; his shifting, beady eyes were held forcibly with many a
twitching, by her gray eyes. For two awful seconds they stood taking
farewell of each other.

"No," he repeated, dropping his glance.

Then he put out his hand with a gesture of finality, "I'm going now. I
don't know when--or--wel