The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-11-05
THEIR FIRST QUARREL
BY LAURA KlRkMAN.

It was their first quarrel. Helen
sat out on the veranda staring into
the darkness. John sat in the library
"A thing he had never done before
In the evening.
As II were to blame because
Bridget happened to forget to iron
one Of his Shirts" sighed Helen.
For It was over 20 trivial . matter
- q shirt-trivial to Helen's mind at !
least-that the quarrel had arisen.
John that morning. being in . hurry,
had put on . newly laundered shirt
without giving It close inspection.
I'm delighted to have my friends
think we have our clothes wet
washed!" he had told Helen. sarcas-
tically.
Then had begun the quarrel
Helen's defense of her housewifely
eficiency-John's insinuations that q
little less time spent at card parties
and little more at home was not q
bad thing for the general running OF
the house.
HE was horrid-jugt horrid!" she
told herself, making q quick dab at
her eyes with her handkerchief. For
now the tears were coming freely.
Then she sat up. petrifed: John
was stepping through the door
coming toward her! II he discovered
her crying, he would think she was
sorry.
Il He halted before her. DO you
know where my old fishing boots
are?" he asked briefly.
Then he was going away for the
night with the men-he was going
fishing or spearing, or something!
So he was tired Of her!
She tried to make her tone convey
that she didn't care.
"Oh, in the closet under the stairs"
she threw out.
II When he had gone in again, she
) leaned forward and buried her face.
! She did care-care horribly. She re-
: membered when he had thrown the
old boots into the closet and said that
sports would never again hold any
attraction for him. That was week
8 after their marriage.
Z She was still sitting with buried
4 head when q heavy step sounded
3 again on the porch. He didn't come
I close, this time. however. He stood
s near the door and called to her.
81 II say! They're not there. Perhaps
e Bridget has put them somewhere!"
H) His tone said plainly: "She seems
Z to be running the house."
i Like an iceberg. Helen arose from
& her chair and sailed toward him.
8 She passed him with silence that
Z must have been chilly. Like . cold
= blast, she blew along the hall to the
~ closet under the stairs. She found
!" the boots where she supposed they
7 would be. She picked them up gin
gerly. Leaving him to dust them
she set them down on the hall moo
and started back to the veranda.
But she was intercepted. In tn
doorway stood John. obviously block
ing the way 80 that she couldn't pass
He has seen her red eyes!
"Helen!" he said. shall We max
upr"
He had said Just the wrong thing
That he could see she wanted to
She sprang away from him. furious
Her tone trembled 40 she hurle
back her answer:
make up? No! A thousand time'
no! IL have q cinder in my eye
I fear you have mistaken their rec
ness for signs Of deep grief"
He let her pass now. He stoo
back, % angry AZ she. With heav
tramp he swung down the hall ate
the boots.
III Helen sat out on the porch till h
had gone: then she went in. Sh
went up to her room and flung he
self on the bed.
For . full hour she lay there, thel
suddenly. she sat mp. She leaned 70
ward in the darkness and listene'
What was that sound?-a latch key
Il surely was q latch key. An
John was the only person who ha
one. Then he had not gone OF wit
the men, after all! He had not foun
sports more deiectable than home!
With beating heart. she tiptoed
the top Of the stairs and listene
He had gone into the library. In
moment the light fiared up. Was
reading. she wondered?
But she did not care much VIII,
he was doing. The main thing WI
that he was there! He had CON
homsl She gathered up her Skin
and started down those stairs vii
noisy heels.
She found him sitting on the
brary couch with his head In h
hands. At her entrance, he locke
up fleetingly. then sank his hes
again dejectedly in his palms.
She few to him. She raised b
face. With happy heart, she not'
that his eyes, too. were red.
"John!" she cried. "Oh. Johl
You want to make up. tool"
But he shook his head.
mol" he denied swiftly. IT'S
al "a t.