The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-01-27
THAT BRUTAL
HUSBAND,
BY HOWARD OTIS.
copyright. 1909. by American Press Assoc
ciation

next nat ABOVE nine. anu pltleu ncf.
How she could endure 70 live with q
man who kept such irregular hours |
could not imagine. should rather
say regular hours, for he seldom came
IN till morning II would be . o'clock
and sometimes O'Clock when he
passed my 1oor. would hear 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 ripple OF feminine laugh
ter. never scoldlng word. escaped
from their apartments.
Often in summer. when doors and
windows were left open 10 admit air.
could hear the rattle Of dishes. the
drawing of a cork. the clink OF glasses.
and knew the couple were having q
supper together. | remember one
night when could smell the odor Of
some sayory dish. cot up, dressed
myself. went ont to restaurant and
20; Il dozen oysters. with bottle Of
ale. But II was only my stomach that
was appeased. mol my heart. and
yearnel for such an angel as lived In
the Hat above me aud thought what a
different husband would make her.
Surely she must have had something
OF the bohemian 10 her nature. and.
above all. wanted for wife wo-
man Of that kind. pitied those men
whose wives must always remain at
home and make their husbands mlsera,
bic unless they are always az home
TOO. What a jewel woman must be
who could receive her husband nc all
hours OF the morning after he had
spent nearly the whole night caTous-
ing or playing poker az his club. give
him a loving kiss and cook q supper
for him. And when this In kept up
night after night what must the en-
during aniabilIty OF that woman be.
One day left my room Just In time
10 meet her on the landing. | lifted
my hat aud moved aside for her 10
pass. taking at the same time a good
long look al her face. II WAS rs fresh
rs II She were not awakened every
morning BY her brutal husband. II
VAS not such face as bad expected
10 see. had fancied II would con.
tain deyil-may-care expression COM
mon with bohemian women. Her Ten,
lures. Oh the contrary. were infclIectu-
II. With trace Of seriousness In them.
Then II occurred TO me that with
snch a husband how could she help
being serious. IL was wonder tIat
she did not show traces OF suffering.
She was going upstairs: was going
down. That was the iirst and only
glimpse got OF her.
one morning | did not bear the bus
baud come In ut the usual hour. and
the next day n Doctors buggy drove
up 10 the frDnt door. The doctor went
np 10 their Sat. lie sHne every day
for awhile: then u brarse stopped NJ
the door. aud knew that the poor
woman would not have longer 60 S.fTei
the Irregularities OF brutal husband
She never returned 20 the fat.
Some cighireD nl4asAS afierward
while AZ an evening party. saw bet
standing chatting with the hostess
recognized her III oHr. How could
help recognizing her since ! had rar
rled that one brief glimpse ! had rol
Of her 10 my heart ever since: 10 I
moment was Siding ~ 70 The hostess
and received the coveted introduction
! refraIned from telling the widow
that had lived beneath her aud wa.
aware Of how she had been obliged Il
slt up night after night waiting Tor
that husband. didn't Wish TO awak
en- paiafuI memories. Infinitely pre-
ferred that she should think she was
meeting me for the FIRST time.
The hostess arranged for a mors
than casual acquaintance between m'
and the widow. saw much ~ her
There wsc nothing Of the bohemian
about her. Indeed. she seemed to hav'
domestic tastes. Nevertheless want
ed her. and did my best 10 win her
All this while ! kept IN the back
ground my knowledge Of her past and
my surmises concerning her. In tim'
she consented 20 become my wife.
I had put OF 40 long telling her tina
had known Of her former domesfil
| life that resolved 10 defer doing q
tn Immediately after our marriage In
deed. wished TO make an experiment
Would she endure m much from I'M
AZ from her FIRST husband! proposes
| TO put her 10 the test On our return
from the honeymoon ! told her that
desired 10 visit a former bachelo
chum. she asscnfed. At 3 In 10
morning opened my front door an,
went upstairs. expected to zee IN,
wife's bedroom door open and feel he
arms about my neck. what was m,
disappointment TO hnd that the doc
remained closed. opened II and en
tered. Ny wife was sound asleep.
should have considered myself for
tnuate not ~ receive dressing. 80
did not. ! was angry. made =
fnuch nalse pur,osrly That finally
woke her NJ.
"rretty late hour this she sail
-for the day after the full " %
honeymoon. Could not you matte ies
noise and permit me 70 sieepr'
This was too much. Told her hos
lad often IN The pust heard her bus
band 70 home 81 that late hour anl