The Cairo bulletin., 1910-10-24
DON'T ACT ON
ROMANCE !.
~
BY LOUISE. B. CUMMINGS
Copyright. 1910 by American Press
Association.
By LOUISE B, CUMMINGS


was written was this; A woman whosJ
husband was weak enough to fall iutc
the tolls of another woman held hin
by giving him free rein until he had
become tiEed Of the rival and came
back to his wife of his own accord
Lucille married Sam Smith. Even
Lucile's .roseate romance could not
turn the name into Spencer Courtenay
or some other such euphonions appel
lation, but she could think OF him as
doing noble acts even as Sam Smith.
He didn't seem to have any man bosom
friend. which troubled her greatly, for
she thought every man should have
such a chum. rs she had her own
bosom woman friend,
The Smiths had been married but a
short time when Mrs. Smith thought
she discovered that Samuel and her
bosom FREUD, Gertrude Church, were
becoming ehthralled with each other.
The suspicion Killed Lucile's romantic
attachment, an attachment that had
lasted since childhood for Miss Church.
Indeed when she was married she
had told her husband that she would
never consent to marry any man who
did not In the same way, of course.
love her friend as well as she loved
her MFR. Smith promised TO do so,
When Mrs Smith recovered from the
first shock of her discovery that her
traitorous friend was slowly bun surely
winding her tolls about Sam she
thought of the noble heroine of the
novel and how she had saved her hus-
band Lucile's first move Was 70 In
vite Miss Church In evenings TO play
cards. Smith hated cards especially
three handed games in which no Que
beats or In trying TO do SO eHhies
some one else to beat Very We'll.
them" said the compliant wife; 'you
and Cert play. and I'll take a book.
Smith and the guest would then SIT
down at the card table, and Mrs
Smith after reading few pages
would go out Of the room. not to ap-
pear again till it was high time that
Miss Church went home Then, OF
course, Smith must act as her escort
Then Mrs. Smith bought tickets 70
amusements and when the evening to
use them came round would have u
headache and say: I've sent wWd 10
Cert that I have the tickets and can't
go tonight, begging her TO take my
place. / know you'll be glad TO take
her. IL only for my sake" And when
her husband knitted his brows and
said ard much rather stag home with
vouv she knew he was lying In his
heart and that he was counting the
moments till he could be with the
charmer.
One day Mr. Smith told his wife that
ne must go west or eaS or south or
somewhere, on business. When a man
tells his wife-especially in stories p
that he's going on a business trip sac
Immediately becomes a prey to the
green monster or is stupidity contiding.
Mrs. Smith saw in the move culmi-
Miss Church. or, rather. that Miss
Church had succeeded in winning him
away from his own wife. But when,
the day after her husbands departure,
she called up Gertrude by telephone
and was told that she had gone out OF
town, too. the cup Of her misery was
full. She went to the library, took out
| the story OF the noble woman who had
saved her husband by throwing him
at her rival. took it to the furnace
| opened the door and threw 1t into the
white hot Goals. Then she went up tc
her room and had good cry
However. having been committed'f'
the game Of keeping her own counSl
she nerved herself by the time he
husband returned to dassemble further
She received him as aAectionateEy a
she was able never Said anything
at all disagreeable.
One evening she went to the tele
phone, intending to cal up Mis-
Church and ask her to come to tn
house, that she might bring her AM
Sam together and charge them witt
the crime they we're committing
against her. 4
els that you, Cert" !
Eyes Are you Louf"
"Yes. Can't you come over tonight
, Sans anxious for game Of cards. III
tired and wish to go to bed"
"Wait minute"
Then Mrs. Church. forgetting this
telephones have ears, vas heard
say:
"It's Lucille. She wants me to com
over and play cards with that stupI
, husband of hers. She liz constant
boring ME to entertain him. I've jul
gone away on visit to get rid OF
all and now I'm back 1t has begu
: again"
e Then came the reply: I'm awful
0 tired. Lou. | think you'll have to e
: cuse me"
I "All right, IL you really can't come
@ Mrs. Smith went into the librar
d where she found her husband. A gre
/; JOY had been born in her, but she st
dissembled
wouldn't you like to have &c
come over and play cards with yo
dearie"
A pent-up food broke It's barrie
and poured forth.