Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-05-16
OVER THE
MORNING CUP
A MARITAL TIFF.

4
%@-o-s.<~.s-e<e-e-s.N%
"It is the money that has done it,
Mary-the miserable money
at is your pride that has done it, l
tell you, Basil. couldn't help having
the money, could 1? You liked the lux
uries it brought as well as did. new
er thought whether it was yours or
mine"
"But thought. knew 1t was yours,
and other people knew it. They took
pains to make me feel it too"
"But had the money when you mar
ried me, and you knew 1t. If you took
me in spite of it, why should you be
angry now because of it's existence and
the existence of the things which are
the logical outcome of itY'
81 now realize that it would be log
ical outcome for people to say and for
you to think that took you because
Of it."
"If people have said that, they have
not said it in my hearing
Naturally they have not, but they
have said it."
"And I've never thought anything
about it one way or the other"
maybe you don't appreciate the fact
that you have thought Of it, but the
possession of that money has given you
an independence which is not condu-
Give to the happiness of this home. l
asked you not to go on that journey
last week to your cousin. l don't like
your cousin. | don't approve of the
people she has about her or of her man.
ner of living. don't like that betting,
sporting husband of hers. / heartily
disapprove of the men you meet there
and of the unnecessary attentions you
receive from them. | told you all this
or limited it, but you decided that as the
journey cost me nothing and as you
could provide good housekeeper in
your absence it was practically nothing
to me. So you ordered six new gowns,
paid for them out of your own purse,
bought your railroad ticket and went.
staid at home. fuming to know | was
not personally able to provide luxuries
or pleasures for you and thought of
you among those reckless people, tax
ing your strength beyond what was
right, listening to compliments from
men who could spend more money in
one month than l ever earned in my
life, and knowing that If commanded
you to return you probably would not
obey me-"
I'm glad you didn't put my obedi-
ence to the test. BASIL"
''You would not have returnedY
mot if you commanded me. Neither
would you do anything l commanded
you to do. Commands are out of date
between married folk. | have always
tried to regard your wishes"
"You went to your cousin, and | ex-
pressed wish that you would not"
Because you are such provincial.
You've never known anything but this
humdrum, supervirtuous, formal, in
sufferable town."
This lnsufferable town has sent out
number of distinguished men. Your
cousin and her kind would knock a
long time at certain doors in this vii
lage before they would gain an en-
trance"
''You are mistaken, for they would
not knock. Why would they deliber
ately give up the pleasures of life and
enter into these social crypts which you
call by the name of drawing rooms?
Why, the nearest pleasure the people
in this village have ever come is in
reading An Elegy In a Country
Churchyard' They are ignorant of ev-
erything that has happened since the
battle of Bennington"
'You think so? thought some of
them had led in more recent battles. |
thought some of them had framed the
laws we now enjoy. | believed that
some Of them had enjoyed great hon.
ors abroad as well as at home. They
don't know much about the record of
che favorite trotter of the year, | ad-
NIT. They are unacquainted with the
latest scandal about the reigning prima
donna They are not up on the latest
slang. By your standard they fall
short undoubtedly"
81 am glad you understand my stand
ard so we'll I'm glad. No, no; please
don't answer. You spoke spontaneous
ly, and you said what you thought
quite honestly and without any reser-
vations At least hope there were no
reservations"
"But there was reservation"
"Indeedp'
"Shall / tell you what 1t isY'
"If you please"
"Well, then, think you do not love
me-"
"Ohv'
81 think my society appears as dull
to you as the society of the other in
habitants of this village, which you
frankly confess you detest. / think
there are men-and one in PARTICULAR
"Basil, / wouldn't go on"
'sWhy not?'
Because there is a candor cannot
endure and keep my self respect"
.Then I'm not to speak the whole
truth? I'm to keep my reservation
IT think you'd better"
"Where are you goingT
"To my ROOM"
II shall not be home to dinner"
"Neither. shall l."
"Why mott"
Because I'm going away"
ITO stay oyernight?"
TO stay over many nights"
"Maryr"
Many nightsl What do you care?
What do you want with a wife whose
standard Of living is what you say