She smiled in her large human way, as if she had tested the trials of life
and found that all held some sweet. Isabelle looked down at her thin arms.
The Johnstons had four, and they were so poor! As if divining her thought,
Alice said:—
"Every time I wondered how we were going to survive, but somehow we did.
And now it will all be well, with Steve's new position—"
"What is that?"
"Hasn't John told you? It has just been settled; Steve is going into the A. and P.,—John's assistant in St. Louis."
"I'm so glad for you," Isabelle responded listlessly. She recalled now something that her husband had said about Johnston being a good man, who hadn't had his chance, and that he hoped to do something for him.
"Tremendous rise in salary,—four thousand," Alice continued buoyantly. "We shan't know what to do with all that money! We can give the children the best education."
Isabelle reflected that John's salary had been five thousand at Torso, and as fourth Vice-president would be ten thousand. And she still had her twenty-five hundred dollars of allowance from her father. Alice's elation over Steve's rise gave her a sudden appreciation of her husband's growing power,—his ability to offer a struggling man his chance. Perhaps he could do something for the Falkners also. The thought took her out of herself for a little while. Men were free to work out their destiny in life, to go hither and thither, to alter fate. But a woman had to bear children. John was growing all this time, and she was separated from him. She tried to believe that this was the reason for her discontent, this separation from her husband; but she knew that when she had been perfectly free, she had not shared largely in his activity….
"You must tell me all about the St. Mary's girls," Alice said. "Have you seen Aline?"
"Yes,—she has grown very faddy, I should think,—arts and crafts and all that. Isn't it queer? I asked her to visit us, but she has another one coming,—the third!"
Isabelle made a little grimace.