The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1914-02-02
Married Life
the Third Year
BY hABEL HERBERT URNER.

BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.
Della had one Of her periodical fits
s0f sullenness. Usually they lasted only
q few days, but this one was going
Unto the second week. and Helen's pa
thence was soTely tried.
In spite of Dela's many good quail
sties-her honesty, economy and clean
Nness, there were times when those
sullen spells got Oh Heleus nerves
that she felt she would have to let her
sgo. And this one was not only lasting
longer, but seemed more trying than
all the others.
Helen was far too reasonable to ex-
meet an unchanging evennesz Of anna
shility III any one. An occasional HriSa-
sbility she could have easily forgiven.
Almost any other form Of disagreeable-
ness would have been preferable to
the sulky, dogged silence which De
liza displayed at these times.
She would go for days without
speaking unless forced 10 by direct
;Question and then her answer would
Ebe as sulienly brief as she could make
It,
whats the matter with Della Got
one of her hroucneS? ?' Warren had ask
ed that morning when lie wanted more
cream, and Della had brought in the
bottle, slammed it down on the table
and flounced out, pretending not to
hear Helen when she asked II that
was all there was.
Yes. she's been like that all week.
i don't think she said two words yes
'terday. You don't know how trying it
is to be with her all day when she
acts that way
why do you put up with it,"
What can l do?"
Fire her."
MIGHT BE WORSE.
"Oh, but Warren, l could never get
anybody like Della She's so honest
tand dependable You can't have ev-
,erything, you know. | might get some
one a great deal worse.
That's up to you," indifferently. eff
you want to put up with her you can.
sBut | wouldn't stand for it, l can tell
you that
And that day Helen almost came to
the conclusion that she would not
stand for it either.
1t was ironing day. In the same stol-
i'd sullenness Della washed up the dish
es put on the irons and got out the
ironing board.
Della, | wish you would iron that
white skirt first. l want to mend the
Lace didn't have time before l put
1t in the wash. Then you can press out
that sheet next. ! want to hang that
up"
Della was rearranging the irons on
the stove, and did not deign to reply,
and Helen went out to straighten up
the bedroom, which she always did on
ironing day.
Half an hour later she came back
into the kitchen to get the skirt and
shower sheet. But Della was calmly
ironing tablecloth.
Della, l told you to iron my skirt
first"
No answer.
Didn't you understand me. Della,
when | said to iron my skirt?
Had to iron this fore it got dried"
sulkily.
You could have sprinkled it again.
Now finish that as quickly as you can,
and iron my skirt" Helen's voice was
unusually sharp.
A little later she came back to find
Della ironing another table cloth. Still
the skirt had not been touched. For a
moment Helen was too astOnished and
angry to say anything at all. And Della
pretending not to see her as she stood
in the door, ironed on without looking
up
Della. you can put that tablecloth
|.
A STUBBORN GIRL
Have TO iron this while it's wet"
still without looking up.
Only once before had Helen come
to any real issue with Della and then
Della had won. It had been shortly
after her marriage and Helen terrified
by the thought of the unknown incffi-
clenClcs Of a new girl. had yielded
Now she was determined she would
not yield. Without further comment
she unrOlled the skirt from the towel
in which it had been sprinkled, laid it
on the ironing board before Della and
then deliberately drew the tablecloth
from under her iron
She was not at all sure what Della
would do. She might put the iron
back on the stove and flounce out of
the pace. Helen knew that she was
taking chances, but she had been so
thoroughly frritated by this week OF
Della s surinoss that Just then she felt
she did not care.
For 4 moment Della stood perfectly
still. Helen turned away and calmly
started to resprinkle the tablecloth
and roll it up again. When she turned
again Della was ironin2 the skirt But
her face was ii duh brick red
Nov, Della when you've ironcd thai
bring it in to me. I want t. mend the