The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-03
Married Life
the Second Year
eY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

Helen could hardly see to dress
through the tears that filled her eyes.
She opened the top bureau drawer
looking nervously for some hair pins,
as with trembling fingers she did up
her hair.
Then she tried to hide the traces of
tears with powder, so that he would
not know she had been crying. She
could hear the running water for his
bath He had probably slept all night.
While she--her red and swollen eyes
showed how little sleep she had.
There had been a quarrel the night
before, perhaps the most bitter they
had ever had. And she had slept on
couch in the sitting room, leaving him
in the bedroom alone.
She knew now that he had ceased to
love her. She told herself this over
and over again with sort Of desper-
ate hopelessness. He could never have
said TO her things he said last night
If he cared at all.
HELEN is MISERABLE.
With a dull sense of misery she fin
ished dressing. After all, did it mat
ter much what happened? Since he
didn't love her-What difference ola
anything else make?
they would be "happier apart" He had
never said that before. But he said it
last night and repeated it-and the
words still burned within her.
Suddenly in the act of closing bu-
reau drawer she paused-What was
that? Was he whistling? Could he be
so indifferent-so CallOus? Yes, he was
whistlng a popular air with elaborate
variations and he was doing it pur-
poselv! He was trying to show her
how little he cared! Oh, if only she
need not meet him this mOrnlng-f
she could have claimed headache
and not gotten up! and the headache
would not have been feigned-the
sleepless night had left her with
throbbing head. But he would have
gone through the sitting room and
would have seen her lying there, flush
ed and tear-stained, with disheveled
hair, looking most unattractive in the
strong morning light. And she could
not let him see her like that.
With final touch of the powder
Duff to the still faint traces of tears
started out to the kitchen to see that
everything was ready for breakfast.
AS she passed the bedroom she step
ped suddenly in a pool of water. With
a startled exclamation she pushed
back the partly opened door-the tub
hadoverflowed, Already there was sew
eral inches of water on the floor and
both faucets were turned on full.
In a flash she had shut off the wa
ter and forgetting her resolve to be
cold and reserved called excitedly:
ooh, Warren-Warren! Quick!
You've let the bath tub run over"
Already she had thrown down two
big bath towels in a vain effort to
soak I'D some of the water. But 1t was
so deep that the tOWles were instantly
drenched without seeming to take up
any.
Here Warren appeared at the door
in his bathrObe. a razor in his hand
and his face lathered and half shaved.
"Jove, You can't do anything with
towels!" rushing out to the kitchen
and coming back with couple of tin
basins.
ooh, do pou suppose it has gone
through" cried Helen, as they fran
tically dipped up the water.
lust in the midst of all this the tel
ephone rang.
"Oh, it has gone through and they're
telephoning about it now" cried Hell
en-, panic-stricken.
THE NEIGHRORS COMPLAIN.
"Answer it," said Warren, Il can get
this up faster than you"
Helen ran to the phone. "Yes,-I
know" excitedly THE bath tub ran
over-Im very sorry-we're getting 1t
up as fast as we can-Oh, 1t has? Oh,
I am so sorry-I-"
Here! You don't know how to talk
to those people!" Warren hurried over
and took the receiver from her hand.
while Helen ran back to dip up the wa
ter.
YES, this is Mr. Curtis--Yes the
bath tub ran over-Tm sorry if there's
any damage-there's no escape to
these tubs-this thing is likely to hap
pen any time-very we'll, I'll see about
that"
When he came back to the bath
room, Helen had dipped up most Of
the water and was no hopping up the
rest with towels, holding her skirts
tightly about her. The place was sick
was the hot water that had been turn
ed on the most.
Call Delia-let her do that" de-
manded Warren.
'Oh, no, she's so slow--I can do
without her.
There was nothing for Warren to do
now, so for a moment he stood awk-
wardly by while Helen continued to
mop up the floor and gring out the
towels. Then came a knock at the
door Warren went to answer it. 1t
was the janitor.
Whats the matter up here?"
THE bath tub ran over" said War
rem curtly. EFF you don't put any es-