The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-05-25

you know | can't go, Burton. I'M
right in the midst of housekeeping,
and"
Leave your old housekeeping, and
come along"
Leave my housecleaning! What
are you thinking Of? Do you suppose
1 could go away with my house in
this condition and enjoy MYSELF"
Il don't see why not. 1t won't hurt
anybody or anything. and this is the
first outing of the Engineers Club
since our marriage-and you know 1
can't go without you"
"You don't have to stay at home
on my account, I'm sure. What
would people say il I neglected my
house as you pTopose?"
What do you suppose people
would say if l neglected my wife, as
you suggest 1 should at least appear
to do? Married six months, and al
ready away for good time, and Ieav-
Ing her behind! You'd be proud to
have such husband brute, people
would call him"
We'll, suppose you'd be proud to
have a wife that everybody called a
sloven."
The voices were becoming gradual
ly more sharp, the words more I'M
pleasant to the ear.
What do l care what people call
you? / think you might consider my
pleasure once in q while"
Consider your pleasure! Just as
IL l wasn't Shaving here from morn
ing to night trying to keep this house
clean for you to live in, cooking your
meals, darning your stockings, doing
everything a woman can to make a
man comfortable And this is all
the thanks l get"
Tears were coming by this time.
and Burton Stevens hated tears. With
a great appearance of calmness, he
said:
II certainly never would have mar
ried you if had supposed it would
make you so miserable"
We'll, l wish you never had" was
the quick retort. Il supposed I was
marrying a man of some feeling. who
would appreciate all l did for him,
but as it is, 1 wish I'd never seen
you"
This was a little more than Stevens
could stand. He rose abruptly from
the table, grabbed his hat and coat
as he rushed through the hall, and
passed on out of the house. slamming
the door behind him. Whereupon
Genevieve dried her eyes and sat
back in her chair, "tO think" as she
called it, but in reality to give way to
tumultuous feelings that surged over
her in recurrent waves.
This was what they had come to
after Just six months of married lifel
She had known that feelings changed
AFTER marriage, but not like this
not so soon as this. Where was all
the love and devotion that mad trans
formed their lives a few months be-
fore? Once she had thought that to
serve Burton's breakfast would raise
her to the seventh heaven of delight
Wen, she did enjoy that still. But
nc was so unappreciative. He seemed
not TO understand how she slaved-
yes, shaved was the only proper word
from the time ne left I'm the morn
Ing until he came back at night TO
Keep their little nest. as he had once
called it, spotlessly clean. He was
always coming homo and wanting her
to go off with him on some lark. and
he never failed to be put out when
she could not 60 lie ought TO an
preciate her self-sacrifice. but no
never did lie ought to be thankful
that his wife was a good housekeeper
but he was not
Was it worth while, after all? Had
she not been wiser to refuse Burton
as she had done all tho others. and
remain single, free to live her own
life, loved and appreciated and adj
mired by her own doting family?
Here the tears of self-pity came
once more. If things continued as
they We're, she and Burton would get
to hate each other i'm time. Would
they have to go on living together
and hating each other, or would Bur
ton some day get a divorce? She
shuddered at the thought Divorces
were getting more and more common.
but she had been taught to shun the
very thought of them as she would
plague
But she must get her work done If
her heart broke. The woman would
soon be there 90 so on with the clean
ing, and che must be ready for her.
Burton did not come home to din
nor "A farFraofrr.s t.f..f....