The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-01-12
Married Life
the Third Year
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

When Mrs. Morrison came home
that evening. Helen met her in the
hall
Mrs. Morrison" hesitatingly, may
l speak to you for moment"
why, certainly" with note OF
surprise, for Helen was so rarely in
evidence. Won't you come in while
take off my things?'
Her arms were full of bundles, and
she threw them down on the bed as
Helen followed her in.
"Oh, l do so hate to carry things
but l needed these, and it was too late
to have them delivered tonight But
it's dreadful having to carry anything
in that crowded subway
Yes, | know it must be crowded at
this hour" murmured Helen, wonder
ing how she was to approach the sub
ject of the room, which she so dreaded
to bring up.
Mrs Morrison was standing before
the mirror taking off her veil. Helen
watched her absently while she thrust
the veil in the top drawer, threw her
coat and hat on the trunk and then
sat down to take off her gloves. She
looked tired and worn, and Helen had
feeling almost Of guilt that she was
to give her added worry.
ITS been hard day" throwing her
gloves on the bed with a sigh. One of
the days when everything goes wrong.
And one OF my best girls left me-go-
ing to get married. But I'm glad for
her that she's through with this daily
grind"
Helen was sitting by the window
pulling nervously at the cord of the
window shade, and now she said alb
ruptly.
Mrs. Morrison, you remember when
you came here that | said | couldn't
rent you the room for any definite
time"
Mrs Morrison looked up quickly.
Yes, you said only until your hus-
band came back. But he isn't coming
so SOON" with a note of dismay.
A DlsAGREEA5LE TASK.
Helen hesitated. NO, | don't know
just when he's coming-but he doesn't
want me to rent the room And then
quickly. "Oh. of course it's nothing
personal-he doesn't even know you.
It's only that he objects to my renting
the room at all"
And, why asked Mrs. Morrison,
coldly.
at does seem unreasonable, l
to think it reflects on him-that i'm
plies he's not able to take care of me.
I was afraid he'd think that, and |
didn't intend to tell him, but his
mother called here the other day and
found it out And she wrote him long
letter-I'm afraid she exaggerated
THINGS, for War-Mr Curtis was furi-
GUS"
Helen was uncOmf0rtably conscious
that she was telling Mrs. Morrison
much more than she wished to. But
she was talking nerEOusly. 1t was most
discOnCerting to tell a person who had
been in every way an exemplary
rOOmer that she had to give up the
room for such reason.
"Wcll, Of course, | have no choice
said Mrs Morrison, still coldly. It's
our busiest season Just now, and it
will be hard for me to move, But you
can have your room whenever you
wish tiff you'll tell me when that
it"
oh, mono. please don 'ttake it like
that. cant bear for you to be offend
ed. would like to have you stay
but don't YOU see" almost tearfully,
Il cant go against my husbands wish
es.'
NO. suppose not" thoughtfully,
but il does seem rather unreasona-
BILE"
81 know it does: that's why wrote
him-and | insisted on letting you
STAY. It was the first time I had ever
really gone against his wishes, and
after that he wouldn't write me- He
merely sent the weekly check folded
in blank sheet Of paper. I stood ii
for two weeks and last night some
howl got paniCstricken over it all
| felt I must hear from him-sO | tele-
graphed I would do as he wished"
Helen was more than ever con
sCiOus that she was saying too much
that it was not necessary for her to
go into such intimate details. But she
felt nervouslE apologetic; she owed
Mrs. Morrison more than a curt dis
missal and she talked on without
quite realizing how much she had said
A STRANGE STORY.
After a moments silence, Mrs Nor
risOn said gently, Il think ! under
Standard III not make it any harder
for You. I'll manage to find some
place next Week-probably a hotel
for YOU know the firms sending me &c
Europe in May"
Then she rose suddenly and open
ed the trunk Wait a moment
there is something I want to show
you"
The box she lifted out was full OF
letters. She looked through them hur