Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-04-01
THE CANCELLED DEBT.

l was standing with my back to the
fireplace, glancing at the headlines in
the evening paper Suddenly | laid it
down, and looked across the room to
where my wife sat at her writing table,
addressing the invitations to our forth
coming athome
"Di7 l said, q want to speak to
YOU
"One moment, Jack she answered,
without looking up. All her life Di
had expected to be waited for.
Pm sorry to interrupt you, Di"
said slowly: ebut what l have to say
is important"
Has Charles given notice, after all? ?"
She looked mp quickly as she spoke,
her pen held over the inkstand. Charles
was my man.
Charles win have no further oppor-
tunities of giving notice. / said "The
fact is, we've come to-the end
"To the end p Di repeated with puz-
lied frown.
Absolutely" l replied firmly.
Il don't understand she exclaimed
petulantly, blotting an envelope. "The
end of what p
Our money
Cant we retreneh?' she said alb
lsently.
my dear girl" l said firmly. "it's not
a question this time of giving fewer
dinners. or even selling the motor. It's
a question of selling everything"
"Jack!" she cried in dismay. l had
her attention at last.
Pm awfully sorry. Di,' I said lamely
Its rather futile to be sorry isn't
IL" she remarked, with careless
lcruelty. Its done now"
Perhaps it is futile" / retorted But.
| it seemed the correct thing to say"
we haven't spent much time lately
in saying the correct thing" she said
with d short laugh. 1t was not a pleas
ant laugh Unfortunately. it was grow
ing mere frequent after five years of
marriage
Look here Di." began hurriedly,
we've made a most internal muddle-
I'm sorry"
oh, don't apologize. quite agree;
it is mudde"
bit my lip. Her face wore an ex-
preston | hated to see. She was too
young to be cynical.
"Di.7 | said quickly, "there oughtn't
to be muddle. It's only because we
each 90 separate ways. and they happen
to be rather expensive ways"
mo more expensive thar other peo-
ple's,' she replied.
Perhaps not; only other people may
manage to pay for theirs; | can't"
said dryly.
How long have You known this 2"
Il didn't know till this morning that
things We're hopeless"
You must have known something be-
fore this. Why didn't you tell meg"
Since she asked for the truth, she
should have it.
Il didn't tell YOU. Di.' I said slowly
because in the first place. / was fool ;
and because, in the second place,
thought that i'll the midst of your
bridge and dancing, and-and flirting
hated myself for saying it when | saw
her vince. q thought that you wouldn't
understand"
Five years before We had spoken ex-
lultingly together of the perfect under.
standing between us. Di was making
aimless little lines wife her pen
well. we've had our day, like tn,
dog" she said shortly "What do YOU
propose TO do, now it's over?'
Il shall 90 abroad, anywhere Can.
ada probably and work | said reck
lessly.
Di laughed Perhaps it did sound ri
dieulous.
My dear boy" she remarked slowly
rather preposterous. isn't it, AnG
might l ask what sort of-'work' yot
propose doing$"
ANY sort" I replied, still more reek
lessly Il am strong enough, and young
, enough
And what do you propose that
: should dog"
: hcsitated. The pink shade OF tn,
electric lamp shed an alluring softnes.
over her white dress and delicate pro
file She looked eminently feminine.
Il had thought of a small hosse OF
, the river | answered, avoiding hei
4 eyes
She made no reply | thought of ,
certain summer afternoon in a Thame
backwater. and of our plans to havt
riverside cottage. | looked up at her
she was studying the nib of her pen
q and there was a strained look ON he
: dear face | had not seen before. Per
e lhaps She also remembered that summe
] afternoon.
e "You see. Dr. said gently-anythin,
TO take that look from her face-"vol
see. as soon as things were better yo,
might come out; or we might decide t,
!, live somewhere cheaply on the continent
1 I've been working it all out, and thinl
e 1--WE can manage to keep Henriettes
oh. Of course I couldn't possibly a,