The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-20

enforced economy My husband would
say: Claudia. my clubs and things are
costing me a great deal of money. We
must tell father that the decorations Of
this house are costing all that"
So / turned interior Ndecorator and
father" paid for the clubs and things"
thinking he was paying for interior
decorations" 1t was the same about
clothes. Often the gowns that my mother
in-law complained were conspicuous and
must be extravagant were made at home.
My husband never gave me nickel. Not
a cent. / had carte blanche at the stores
But if l asked my husband for money he
would say: 20, get it at the store and
have it charged"
And l was not alone in my plight.
Three-quarters of the wives of the wealthy
men who visited us were as poor as I.
When l needed money used to borrow
half dollar or quarter from my maid.
Once 1 told Mr.. Wheeler that l owed
Annie SIS. He was angry. Annie said
"Please never tell Mr.. Wheeler again.
If you owe me SIS again we'll let it go
Until Christmas. Then the $40 that he
gives me for Christmas gift will cover it"
If | went downtown in our motor car
and did not return in it | would have to
order taxicab and let the man at the gate
of the Dakota pay the fare. 1t was the
same way at our country place. We en-
tertained a great deal, always at week
ends. We had fourteen horses and car
riages and often we would have all OF
them out to take our guests to the station.
Yet their hostess was literally pennilesS.
Bert began to stay from home a great
deal Night after night he would stay
away until three in the morning. l was
so racked by nervous fears for his safety
that faithful housemaid used to come
to the room and share it with me until
she heard him returning.
through Papa Wheeler the unwelcome light
broke. overheard him talking to Bert.
Distinctly these words came to me:
Bert | saw you driving on Fifth Ave-
nue. yesterday with Gle mentioned a GER
tain woman's nance. You must not do
that"
The next morning went to my husband
and 1aid: "Bert / heard what Father
. Wheeler said to you last evening about
seeing you driving on Fifth Avenue, and
what he thought about it. How can you
act that way?"
mind your own business" he said.
Don't bother about my private affairs"
Then his anger seemed to pass, and he
said: "You may hear good many things
gabott me, but they are not true. l have
double, and am often mistaken for him."
That's very poor excuse and unorig-
inal," said. IF you have double your
father wouldn't mistake him for you."
My reward~for this perspfcacity was
brutal scene. A physician was sent for.
1t took him a. hour and half to bring
me back to consciousness.
Yet l lived with my husband for year
after that incident. l was loving woman
and a fool, as loving women are likely to
be-.
1t was my discovery of letter written
him by the woman who caused our unhap-
piness that brought the end. She told him
her husband had deserted her in Parisa !
confronted him with the letters. 1t was
impossible to deny it. He could not. When
l wept and entreated him to cease his I'M
faithfulness he invited me to go to another
and more troubled region and left the
house. He never came back, and l have
never seen him since that day.
For a time had reaction against the
crushing force that had been applied to