Evening star., 1914-10-28


marks he reused himself. Are you
dull. Lutie?'' he'd ask in the evening.
Lets go to nickel show"
Pm tired of nickel shows. Besides
it COSTS" scornfully. 40 cents. And
10 cents will buy two spools of thread
And 1 need the thread"
David looked worried, but his silence
was more irritating to Lutte than
speech.
Are you going to stay in that runt
factory all your life?" she asked de-
terminedly.
Lutte. / couldn't quit now and leave
Jimson in the hole
Hes been in hole for three
years." Lutte countered; ever since
married you. He'll likely be in one
where will we be-"
David wriggled. There was enough
of truth in Lutie's words to make
them unanswerable. But then there
was Jimson's need of him. That. too.
was unanswerable. So he kept silent.
His answer had infuriated Lutte, and
she flung her sense of injury at him
in gust of angry sentences, hateful
words and loveless phrases.
"1f that's the way you feel said
David after his first stunned minute
of silence was over, why, it would
have been better if you hadn't married
me-.
Lutte in her turn was sullenly silent.
She would not explain that she had
not felt that way until recently, OF
that some of the angry words and un-
loving phrases had not been altogether
meant. She went to bed, and the next
morning at breakfast both were still
and sul1en.
And as the days went on David once
or twice made faint attempt at rec.
onciliation. Lutte would have none OF
it.
And as the days went on her wrath
at life in general focused itself at the
two blatantly cheerful. rich old people
across the way. In the evenings they
walked around their yard, picking at
q plant or gingerly pulling up unwel-
come weeds. Their very gait, which
was rather stilted, and similar.
seemed to mock poorer folks. Lutte
in the dusk-David had fallen into the
habit of going back to the factory
after supper for two or more hours
| work-used to watch them from the
small kitchen window. her face pressed
close to the pane till it seemed that
the glass must take the imprint of
every discontented line. Hateful old
couple! Why need they have SO much
that satisfaction fairly radiated from
Lutte felt dismally that this was a
most unfair world when a young.
pretty woman had only one cheap
summer dress and an old, unattractive
sired. And then she put away the
supper dishes, fixed the table for
breakfast and went to bed before
David should come home. She didn't
want to talk to David. And when he
came she pretended that she was
asleep. He moved about softly not to
| disturb her.
| It was two days later that Lutte
| decided to leave and get work. David
| would not let her work and remain
| with him. she knew. He had queer.
old-fashioned pride about a wife
working unless absolute necessity
drove her And the strain of the con-
! slant quarreling-Lutie admitted that
it was one-sided quarreling, hut it
| was a strain-was uncomfortable. She
would be glad to get away where she
home. When she had packed her
trunk and telephoned an expressman
! to come for it, and written the card
for David-he needed no lengthy ex-
| planation!-she walked triumphantly
past the big house. 1t could taunt her
no more! Hateful place. So she said
| almost aloud as she passed the ornate
iron gate, her shabby handbag swing
| ing from her wrist.
| Good afternoon" said Mrs. Brad
ley from the other side. "Are you in
a hurry? Won't you come in: I want
Oh. well, there was an hour before
vengefully that she would go in and
was Lutte was not quite poised at
the moment.
1t was merely trifie that Mrs.
| Bradley wanted to ask her. Did she
had crept over the fence next their
cottage? II so, Mr.. Bradley would
prune it. But it was a lovely vine,
| and it would be q pity.
| ing on to say scornfully that she
| wouldn't be there to mind when Mr..
| Bradley came in sight around the
] house. He was breathing hard under