The Price She Paid [35]
and they were about to divorce when she died. He made the second Mrs. Siddall an allowance, a liberal allowance. Her follies compelled him to withdraw it. She resorted to underhanded means to get money from him without his knowing it. He detected the fraud. After a series of disagreeable incidents she committed the indiscretion which caused him to divorce her. He says that these experiences have convinced him that--''
``The second Mrs. Siddall,'' interrupted Mildred, ``is she still alive?''
Harding hesitated. ``Yes,'' he said reluctantly.
``Is she--poor?'' asked Mildred.
``I should prefer not to--''
``Did the general forbid you to tell me?''
``On the contrary, he instructed me-- But I'd rather not talk about it, Mrs. Siddall.''
``Is she poor?'' repeated Mildred.
``Yes.''
``What became of her?''
A long pause. Then Harding said: ``She was a poor girl when the general married her. After the divorce she lived for a while with the man. But he had nothing. They separated. She tried various kinds of work--and other things. Since she lost her looks-- She writes from time to time, asking for money.''
``Which she never gets?'' said Mildred.
``Which she never gets,'' said Harding. ``Lately she was cashier or head waitress in a cheap restaurant in St. Louis.''
After a long silence Mildred said: ``I understand. I understand.'' She drew a long breath. ``I shall understand better as time goes on, but I understand fairly well now.''
``I need not tell you, Mrs. Siddall,'' said Harding in his gentle, tranquil way, ``that the general is the kindest and most generous of men, but he has his own methods-- as who has not?''
Mildred had forgotten that he was there--not a difficult matter, when he had in its perfection the secretarial manner of complete self-effacement. Said she reflectively, like one puzzling out a difficult problem:
``He buys a woman, as he buys a dog or a horse. He does not give his dog, his horse, pocket-money. Why should he give his woman pocket-money?''
``Will it help matters, Mrs. Siddall, to go to the other extreme and do him a grave injustice?''
She did not hear. At the picture presented to her mind by her own thoughts she gave a short satirical laugh. ``How stupid of me not to have understood from the outset,'' said she. ``Why, I've often heard of this very thing.''
``It is more and more the custom among men of large property, I believe,'' said Harding. ``Perhaps, Mrs. Siddall, you would not blame them if you were in their position. The rich men who are careless--they ruin everybody about them, I assure you. I've seen it again and again.''
But the young wife was absorbed in her own thoughts. Harding, feeling her mood, did not interrupt. After a while she said:
``I must ask you some questions. These jewels the general has been buying--''
Harding made a movement of embarrassment and protest. She smiled ironically and went on:
``One moment, please. Every time I wish to wear any of them I have to go to him to get them. He asks me to return them when I am undressing. He says it is safer to keep everything in his strong box. I have been assuming that that was the only reason. I begin to suspect-- Am I right, Mr. Harding?''
``Really I can't say, Mrs. Siddall,'' said Harding. ``These are not matters to discuss with me, if you will permit me to say so.''
``Oh, yes, they are,'' replied she laughingly. ``Aren't we all in the same boat?--all employes of the general?''
Harding made no reply.
Mildred was beside herself with a kind of rage that, because outlet was necessary and because raving against the little general would be absolutely futile, found outlet in self-mockery and reckless sarcasm.
``I understand about the jewels, too,'' she went on. ``They are not mine. Nothing is mine. Everything, including myself, belongs to him. If I give satisfaction in the position for which I've been hired for my board and clothes, I may continue to eat the general's food and sleep in the general's house and wear the general's
``The second Mrs. Siddall,'' interrupted Mildred, ``is she still alive?''
Harding hesitated. ``Yes,'' he said reluctantly.
``Is she--poor?'' asked Mildred.
``I should prefer not to--''
``Did the general forbid you to tell me?''
``On the contrary, he instructed me-- But I'd rather not talk about it, Mrs. Siddall.''
``Is she poor?'' repeated Mildred.
``Yes.''
``What became of her?''
A long pause. Then Harding said: ``She was a poor girl when the general married her. After the divorce she lived for a while with the man. But he had nothing. They separated. She tried various kinds of work--and other things. Since she lost her looks-- She writes from time to time, asking for money.''
``Which she never gets?'' said Mildred.
``Which she never gets,'' said Harding. ``Lately she was cashier or head waitress in a cheap restaurant in St. Louis.''
After a long silence Mildred said: ``I understand. I understand.'' She drew a long breath. ``I shall understand better as time goes on, but I understand fairly well now.''
``I need not tell you, Mrs. Siddall,'' said Harding in his gentle, tranquil way, ``that the general is the kindest and most generous of men, but he has his own methods-- as who has not?''
Mildred had forgotten that he was there--not a difficult matter, when he had in its perfection the secretarial manner of complete self-effacement. Said she reflectively, like one puzzling out a difficult problem:
``He buys a woman, as he buys a dog or a horse. He does not give his dog, his horse, pocket-money. Why should he give his woman pocket-money?''
``Will it help matters, Mrs. Siddall, to go to the other extreme and do him a grave injustice?''
She did not hear. At the picture presented to her mind by her own thoughts she gave a short satirical laugh. ``How stupid of me not to have understood from the outset,'' said she. ``Why, I've often heard of this very thing.''
``It is more and more the custom among men of large property, I believe,'' said Harding. ``Perhaps, Mrs. Siddall, you would not blame them if you were in their position. The rich men who are careless--they ruin everybody about them, I assure you. I've seen it again and again.''
But the young wife was absorbed in her own thoughts. Harding, feeling her mood, did not interrupt. After a while she said:
``I must ask you some questions. These jewels the general has been buying--''
Harding made a movement of embarrassment and protest. She smiled ironically and went on:
``One moment, please. Every time I wish to wear any of them I have to go to him to get them. He asks me to return them when I am undressing. He says it is safer to keep everything in his strong box. I have been assuming that that was the only reason. I begin to suspect-- Am I right, Mr. Harding?''
``Really I can't say, Mrs. Siddall,'' said Harding. ``These are not matters to discuss with me, if you will permit me to say so.''
``Oh, yes, they are,'' replied she laughingly. ``Aren't we all in the same boat?--all employes of the general?''
Harding made no reply.
Mildred was beside herself with a kind of rage that, because outlet was necessary and because raving against the little general would be absolutely futile, found outlet in self-mockery and reckless sarcasm.
``I understand about the jewels, too,'' she went on. ``They are not mine. Nothing is mine. Everything, including myself, belongs to him. If I give satisfaction in the position for which I've been hired for my board and clothes, I may continue to eat the general's food and sleep in the general's house and wear the general's