And so the weeks passed, with the problem yet unsolved. They were
still much together, for she could not turn him away, and he would not
stay away. There was more pleading on his part, and more anger
sometimes. It seemed to him absurd that lives should be blighted
because of a legend.
And she was unhappy, and, it may be, gradually attaining to broader
views and moral bravery. Jean Cornish was courageous, but there was
the legend.
And suddenly all was changed, the problem finding a solution not
expected. Grant Harlson's wife was, as has been said, a woman of
reason and of force, and she had her own life, with its objects. She
chafed under the bond which still connected her with Harlson, and she
broke it cleanly. It was she, not he, who sought divorce, and the
simple logical ground of incompatibility of temperament was all that
was required, in the State where she resided. There was no defense.
Grant Harlson became free, and Jean Cornish, since his freedom came in
this way, promised, at last, to become his wife.
CHAPTER XX.
TWO FOOLS.
They loved. They were to marry, but there were the conventionalities
to be observed, and they could not be wed at once. That was understood
by Grant Harlson, though he chafed at it a little.
There were certain months to be passed before the two would be as one
completely, and those months were very sweet months to the twain. They
were much together, this man and woman who were plighted to each other,
for why should they not be, since they were to become man and wife, and
since neither was so happy under other circumstances? They were not
what a profound, unsentimental person would consider models of
common-sense, but they were not depending upon the opinions of
profound, unsentimental persons for anything in particular; so this did
not affect them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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