The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-05

~ OMANcE had never ceased to play part
X and large one-in the career of Edith Cor
don. The regret of her life that
John Gordon, her husband, had become so intensely
practical It, had been Jack in those days when
the blood burned and the heart prodigal with
vows and protestations; but that time long past.
the stout somewhat prosac entirely unromantic john
II man eminently unsuted to play Romeo to Edth's
Juliet
Edith herself had not stood stil-outwardy-w the
advancing years While, Of course, the freshness of
youth longer shone her face the classic features
about which Jack had been to rave but which
John viewed with such complaeency. had been
left unravaged by the Of time. The gloss and
sheen gone from the abundant chestnut hair that
waved above her sweet low brow but the soft light Of
the somewhat premature gray crown Of advancing
provided substitute scarcely less charming
Her figure. too, not quite what it had been. The
fulness of rpe-Edith thought sometimes with dismay
that it was arpening- development of womanhood had
overwhelmed the slender of grlhood; but the
result was still satisfactory especially when aided by
those mysterious devices by which feminine humanity
successfully conceals the overlooking tendency of aging
hesh No greater insult could have been offered Edith
Gordon than have said that she getting fat"
No one in the house said it, either although il-natured
people outside sometimes did not refrain from such
Islander and evil speaking but Ediths heart was as
young. IS fresh, verdant her mind as imaginative,
Is subty apprehensive Of the mysterious the beautiful
the heroic, as it had been when she girl
In that OF development she had stood STILL 1t was
= never-ending source Of grief to her that John-she
hated that name. and called him that except in
public in private II was often Jack dar something
else equally afectionae-that John was so changed so
unresponsive unromantc. Why, he had actually de-
than look well in them any day of the year! That he
didn't really enough about growing stout to diet
himself! That nothing earth would induce him to
"bant. and for exercise, he abhorred it! He was
disreputable pair of his slippers, by his hresde
with Edith beautiful than ever he averrcd-and
with truth. tooin his eye, opposite him, and the chill
dren Of this singular pair. six in number clustered
around them
But after ALL John was good sort Of man. He was
the best Of husbands and absurdy devoted to Edith
his own quiet way He really left her if he could
help it. When he went away from the city business
he always took her with him. He delighted to see her
beautifully dressed and while he sometimes Knocked he
inwardy approved Of all her efforts maintain and re-
tain the charms which had won him to her affections
many years before But he wasn't demonstrativc. No
contingencies that could arise would prevent him from
eating his dinner Edith was furiousy jealous at times
of the children. who moilcd and toled about him and
him. and to whom he frequently addressed those
pet names and endearng terms which she had once
thought were her peculiar property.
But she had the slightest chance to be jealous
anyone else She sometimes wished that he would give
her opportunity to rise out of the placid humdrun
consciousness of his steady affection; and in more dar-
ing flights Of imagination she frequently wished that in
some way. without doing anything wrong or compronis
ing herself in any way, she could make John ragingly
jealous see him lose meal or two and get thin
But nothing happened She often thought, with a
ssh that all the OF her life was past there wa:
nothing before her but live in this conented
full. unevensfu way until the end If Edith had had
wider experience Of lfeand husbands-she would hav,
known that she was blessed almost above all women
John honestly tried at times rise to the measure
her rsqurements. He consciously forgot an an
aiv<rsary. There anniversaries in Edith
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