Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-04-28

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$3.50 1st
aYou know I.can't so, Burton. I'm
right in the midst of housecleaning
and
Leave your old housekeeping, ant
come along.
Leave my housecleaning! What
are you thinking Of? Do you suppose
/ could go away with my house II
this condition and enjoy myself?"
II don't see why not 1t won't hurt
anybody or anything, and this is tn,
first outing Of the Engineers Clut
since our marriage-and you know
cant so without you"
you don't have to stay at hom;
on my account, I'm sure. What
would people say if 1 neglected mJ
house as you propose?"
What do you suppose people
would say if 1 neglected my wife, as
you suggest should at least appear
to do? Married six months, and al
ready away for good time, and leav-
ing her behind! You'd be proud to
have such a husband-'brute,' people
call him"
,.WeI, I suppose you d oe proud to
have wife that everybody called a
sloven."
The voices were becoming gradual
ly more sharp, the words more un-
pleasant to the ear.
What do care what people call
you? think you might consider my
pleasure once in a while"
Consider your pleasure! Just as
II 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 woman can to make a
man comfortable! And this is all
the thanks I get"
Tears were coming by this time,
and Burton Stevens hated tears. With
a great appearance of calmness, he
said:
y certainly never would havesmar-
ried you If had supposed it would
make you SO miserable"
Well, I wish you never had," was
the quick retort. 81 supposed was
marrying man of some feeling, who
would appreciate all 1 did for him,
but as it is, I wish I'd never seen
you
{ This was little more Stevens
could stand. He rose abruptly from
tie 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
Geneviere dried her eyes and sat
back "a her chair, ':.to think" as she
called it, brt.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 life!
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.
Well, she did enjoy that still. But
he was so unappreciatiye. He seemed
not to understand how she slaYed-
yes, slaved was the only proper word
4. from the time he left in tho 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 home and wanting her
togo OF with him on some lark, and
he never failed to be put out when
she. could not so. He ought to ap-
preciate her self-sacrifice, but he
never did. He ought to. be thankful
that his wife was 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 the others, and
remain single, free to live her owr
life, loved and appreciated and ad.
mired by her own doting family?
Here the tears of self-pity came
once more. If things continued as
they were, she ard Burton would gel
to hate each other in time. Would
they have to go on living together
an6 hating each other, or would Bur
ton some day get divorce? She
shuddered at the thought. Divorce!
were getting more and more common
but she had been taught to shun tht
very thought of them as she would T;
plague.
But she must get her work done i
her heart broke. The woman would
soon be there to so on with the clean
ing, and she must be ready for her.
Burton did not come home to din
ner. A perfunetory telephone mes
sage informed her that he would b,
detained at the Office until late il
the evening. Gsnevieve nursed he
grievance, and was not her brighs
CHEEKY self even by the time they sa
down to breakfast next morning. Op
pressed by her chilly politeness, Bur
ton, in; his tura, began to wonder j
@the boys were right when they toll
Elm that marriage didn't pay"
The same thought persisted Il
GeneTieve's mind for week. When
ever she went out to an afternoo
social gathering, only the "bachelo
maids" seemed to be free to enjo
themselves. They talked about par