South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-04
SECOND YEAR OF
MARRIED LIFE.

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 him running the water Tor
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
a 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 a sort of
desperate hOpelessness. He could
never have said to her the things he
said last night if he cared at ALL
Helen il Miserable
With a dull sense of misery she fin
ished dressing. After all, did it mat
ter what happened? Since he didn't
love her-what difference did anything
else make?
In the heat of his anger he had said
that they would be happier apart"
He had never said that before. But
and the words still burned within her.
Suddenly in the act of closing a bu-
reau drawer she paused-what was
that? Was he whistling? Could he
be so indifferent-sO callous2 Yes, he
was whistling a popular air with elab-
crate variations-and he was doing 1t
purpOselyl He was trying to show her
how little he cared!
Oh, if only she need not meet him
morning-if she could have claimed a
headache and not gotten up! And the
headache would not have been feigned
the sleePless night had left her with
a thrObbing head
But he would have gone through the
sitting room and would have seen her
lying there, flushed and tear-stained,
with disheveled hair. looking most un-
attractive in the strong morning light.
And she could not let him see her like
that.
With a final touch of the powder
puff to the still faint traces of tears
she started out TO the kitchen to see
that everything was ready for break
fast
As she passed the bathroom she
stepped suddenly in a pool of water.
With a startled exclamation she push
ed back the partly opened dOOr-the
tub had overfOwed, Already there
was several inches of water on the
floor and both faucets were turned on
full,
In a fash she had shut off the water
and forgetting her resolve TO be cold
and rCserved-called eXCitedly:
oh. If she only need not meet him this
You've let the hathtUb run over
Already she had thrown down two
big bath towels in vain effort to soak
up some of the water. But il was Sc
deep that the towels were instantly
/ drenched without seeming to take uI
any.
Here Warren appeared at the door
in his bathrobe. a razor in his hanC
and his IA q lathered and half shaved
"Jove, You can't do anything VIII
towels" rushing out TO the kitchen
and coming back with a couple OF
basins.
"Oh do YOU suppose it has gone
through - cried Helen. as they franri
cally dipped up the water
Just in the midst Of all this the tel
cDhODe rang.
"Oh. il has gone through and they're
telephoning about it now, cried Heller
panis-stricken.
The NeighbOrs Complain.
Answer it," said Warren. II car
get this up faster than YOU"
Helen ran 10 the phone. Yes
know" eXcitedly. The bathtub RAJ
over-I'm very sOrry-we're getting /
up as fast as we can-Oh. il has, on
I'm so sorry"
Here, You don't know how 10 tall
20 those people," Warren hurried owe
and took the receiver from her hand
while Helen ran back to dip up tn
water.
ives. this is Mr.. Curtis-Yes. tn
bathtub ran Oyer--I'm sorry II there
any damage-there's no escape L
these tUbs-this thing is likely to hap
pen any time-very we'll, I'll see abou
that"
When he came back to the bath