The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-01-13
THAT BRUTAL HUSBAND.
By HOWARD OTIS,


next fat above mine. and l pitied her.
How she could endure to live with a
man who kept such irregular hours l
could not imagine. should rather
!n till morning. 1t would be o'clock
and sometimes o'clock when he
passed my floor. l would hear a door
open above, and at times when my
own door stood ajar | could hear a
kiss Of welcome. After that there
would be moving about above. and
sometimes a ripple of feminine laugh
ter, never a scolding word. escaped
from their apartments.
Often In summer, when doors and
windows were left open to admit air.
i could hear the rattle of dishes. the
drawing of a cork, the clink Of glasses,
and knew the couple were having a
supper together. remember one
NIGHT when could smell the odor of
some savory dish. l got up. dressed
myself, went out to a restaurant and
got a dozen oysters, with a bottle of
ale. But it was only my stomach that
was appeased. not my heart. and l
yearned for such an angel as lived in
the fiat above me and thought what
different husband would make her.
Surely she must have had something
of the bohemian in her nature. and.
above all. | wanted for wife wo-
oe hnt .ir,I v,it ;I,1
whose wives must always remain at
home and make their husbands miSera-
bic unless they are always at home
too. What a jewel IL woman must be
who could receive her husband at all
hours Of the morning after he had
spent nearly the whole night carouS-
ing OF playing poker at his club. give
him loving kiss and cook supper
for him. And when this is kept up
night after night what must the en-
during amiability of that woman be?
One day | left my room just in time
to meet her on the landing lifted
my hat and moved aside for her to
pass. taking at the same time Il good
long look al her face 1t was as fresh
as if she were not awakened every
morning by her brutal husband 1t
was not such a face as | had expected
to see. ! had fancied it would con-
tain a devil uay -care expression COM
mon with bohemian women. Her fea-
lures. OH the contrary. were inteilectu
al, with trace OF seriousness in them
Then 1t occurred TO me that with
such Il husband how could she help
being serious. Ii was Il wonder that
she Gid not show traces of suffering.
She was going upstairs; | was going
down. That was the first and only
glimpse got of her.
One morning did not hear the bus
band come in at the usual hour. and
che next day doctors buggy drove
up to the front door The doctor went
up to their fat. He came every day
for awhile: then d hearse stopped at
the door. and knew that the poor
woman would not have longer to suffer
the Irregularities Of Il brutal husband
She never returned to the fat.
Some eighteen months afterward
while at an evening party. / saw her
standing chatting with the hostess
1 recognized her at once. How could
l help recognizing her since had car
ried that one brief glimpse | had go
of her in my heart ever since: In
moment was siding UP to the hostes:
and received the coveted introduction
! refrained from telling the widow
that had lived beneath her and was
aware of how she had been obliged t.
G ni,rI,f ~ IN
that husband. | didn't wish to awak
en- painful! memories I infinitely pre-
ferred that she shGaid think she Wa
meeting me for the first time.
The hostess arranged for q NOR
than casual acquaintance between III
and the widow. | saw much of bel
There was nothing of the bohemia
about her. Indeed. she seemed to liav
domestic tastes. Nevertheless | wan
cd her. and did my best to win he
All this while | kept in the bacl
ground my knowledge of her past IN
my surmises concerning her. In tin
she consented to become my wife.
! had put off Sc long telling her til;
had known of her former GonaSt
life that | resolved to defer doing
till Immediately after our marriage. !
deed. wished TO make an experimer
Would she endure as much from Il
as from her first husband: propose
to put her to the test. On our retu
from the honeymoon l told her that
desired to visit former bachel
chum. She assented. At in t
morning | opened my front door a
went upstairs. l expected to see L
wife's bedroom door open and feel b
arms about my neck. What was +
disappointment to find that the dc
remained closed. | opened it and
tered. My wife was sound asleep.
I should have considered myself f
tunate not to receive IL dressing.
did not. | WaS angry. | made
much noise purposely that finally
woke her up.