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CONFESSIONS OF A WIFE A CHILD MAKES A CHANCE IN LIFE "Dear, dear Mollie," I exclaimed as she told me her news and I saw her face light up with a radiance that is only seen on the face of a woman who is conscious that she is going to give the man she loves the greatest proof of her devotion. "What does Chad think about it?" I asked. "He does not know yet" Mollie paled as she said it "What if he does, not like it?'1 she whispered. "Why, of course he will," I reas sured her. "Every man wants chil dren; it's an inborn instinct" "Margie, Chad is the dearest man on the face of the earth, but he is very queer. He does not like to be disturbed in his habits, and some times I think he will be almost jealous of a child if I show it much atten tion. "Why, Mollie Hatton, you surely don't think Chadwick would be jeal ous of his own child." "Well, you see, dear, Chad's first wife was so selfish and made his life so miserable he seems always to be afraid he is going to wake up some day and find that I, too, have grown cold and selfish and am only looking for what I can get out of him. Isn't it too bad, Margie, that when one woman goes wrong, every other woman in the world has to suffer for it? I don't believe that Chad will ever really trust me or any other, woman. Way down deep in his heart he thinks the best of us have only the rudiments of a souL" "Yes, but Mollie," I interrupted, "do you not think Chad will be very proud of a child of his own?" "Yes, dear, very proud, but he will never get used to having anyone or anything come between him and me. I am sometimes frightened wnen I see how much he depends upon me. Perhaps I am somewhat to blame, but you see outside of my love for him, which as you know is the most wonderful thing the most -absorbing thing in my life I haye always had a great pity, for Chad. " He cer tainly was the poor little rich boy. You may thank your stars, Margie, that Dick has had a business in which to be absorbed. Chad, you know, has nothing to do except to amuse him self and me, and I tell you he takes his amusement very seriously in deed. This coming baby will make a great change in our lives." "Don't you want it, Mollie?" . "I never wanted anything so much in my life," she answered fervently, "and yet, if I thought it would make any difference between Chad and me, I would be tempted not to let it be born." "Mollie!" I exclaimed in horror. "Evidently, Margie, you have none of the new feminist ideas on. birth control, but please don't look so shocked,- for as I told you some time ago, I am going to have a large fam ily if I see this first baby makes itself as indispensable to Chad's happiness as it will to mine. ' "I believe, Margie, healthy people of wealth should have large fam ilies. Every child has a right to be well born, and if I neglect to have a half dozen or so it will "mean some poor, little, starved soul will have to take the place of my well-bred, well born' child and make the best of things as they are, with less than half my child's physical stamina or edu cation. To live in this world is a continual battle for all of us, but we who have the means can make it easy for all who come after by hav ing larger families of well-urtured, . well-intentioned children." " "The one great thing that will, bring you back to the joy of living, Margie, will be the touch of baby fingers, and the greatest wish I can voice for you is that you will feel them. Besides, I think Dick needs the responsibility, pf children By the,i