The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-27
Daily Short Story
HER EXISTENCE

Ihe weather was doing very well
Ior August II was bright and vet
SooL Lingerie waists kept fresh ali
Cay and compilations cid not suffer
for PHYLLIS Stevens these two things
were vastly Important
There was balcony outside her
slhaows yet she sat inside the WIN
uoN. The balcony was too close 70
tle street Passersby. especially men.
uaa a way Of staring up az her She
life that there was no longer novsity
IN IL SO she kept within her win.
o TOW on this gay, gentle August morn.
l1g and wondered what she should do
all day.
Her rooms had been put TO rights
Nhile she Vas breakfastine. He had
~, ao~n 10 the table with Rex.
Ihyy had not talked muca. There was
really nothing 10 talk about: they had
zen married nine years. Then Rex
ausht MS car and went down town
10 his office and she was AZ liberty 10
y 80 rs she pleased until he returned at
O'Clock 20 take her down TO dinner.
les. she had actually been married
or nine years and for six years now
she mad lived In this house. which was
ne isshlonable home Of a good many
couples like Rex and herself-couples
without a normal home OF their own.
IN reanty ~ was "A boarding house
though she never thought OF Il as one
after The three years previous expert
/ ence which she had had with that
sort OF thing. But then. n one paws
enough one can get almost anything
IN ms world save happiness. And
certainly Rex paid enough.
The tiny brass knocker on her door
tapped twice. She waited a fraction
OF moment Come I'M" she said.
An irreproachably capped and
aproned maid entered. placed huge
norists box on a table. glanced at
fhyiis Tor an order. and, receiving
none. withdrew.
Phyllis opened the box. Within snug
sled great mass OF roses. A card
h bsid; Many happy returns Of this
gotten. then. that II was her birthday.
though no word concerning IL had
passed between them.
She stood looking down at the roses
seriously. They were very lovely. but
she mad had nine years OF them. She
wondered IN they had not become
something OF habit with Rex. Her
mind went back to all the other birth
GAYS she bad had with him and they
mad begun like this one: then his re-
turn TO dinner and the evening passed
AT the theatre. OF verify birthdays
were monotonous.
She filled n vase with water and
crowded the roses into H. 81 sun
pose must do something. / shall have
no appetite for luncheon else" she
thought.
Suddenly the room and fits contents
palled on her. She felt she could not
endure II. She donned hat and coat.
AS she was leaving she turned back
ana got one or ReX's roses.
Her manner IN the street was tho
hlrnless one OF a woman who has no
need 10 hurry and no place to go.
There was nothing new to see: she
mad been over the ground so many
LINES. People even did not interest.
she tried TO find fresh enjoyment pres
enty In the shop windows. There
seems TO be nothing new under the
sum- she sighed.
Phyllis wandered out OF the sbop-
ping district Into q quiet little square
Where there we're benches and green
grass and trees. She had walked FAR
enough TO feel little tired and Sc.
lected bench and sat down.
woman had trundled an old
baby carriage up TO within a few feet
OF her and was resting on the han
ule Dars. She was the veriest scrap