Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-08-24
sleepless Hours of Waiting Are Lonely
Hours, Indeed.


eleepless Hours of Waiting Are Lonely
Hours, Indeed.
Life looked very dark to me as. I
sat before the glowing gas CRATE In
our living room after Dicky had In
3, dulged in his temper fit and gone out,
presumably to Lillian Gales party"
| I contrasted the little leaping flames
trying so hard to initiate an honest
wood fire. with the heavy shadows
upon my married ife. Mine was only
an imitation happiness. I told myself
bitterly.
Then put myself through a course
of severe self-analysis. Was mine the
fault that so much of pickering had
been crowded into the first few weeks
of our marriage? If this were the in
dex of our future, better. far better,
that Dioky and l should part at once
and go our separate ways
A wave of utter misery swept over
me at that thought Life without
Dieky, even with his faults, would be
unbearable. With him there might be
misery, without him, nothing but ut
ter blanltness, life devoid of any
meaning.
I remembered my old cynicism
about married happiness. l had not
believed that there could be such a
thing until Dicky swept me off my
feet with his love. Now l asked my
self If ever man and wife had so
much bitterness and quarreling pack
ed in such short space of time as
Dicky and l had experienced this last
week.
I Iyoax.y - o,,o soI,,4Io.. - A. ,rol
lem, but ! could not bring myself to
take 1t. Dieky was darling when not
crossed. | only had to study his
every within, to subject my will al
ways to his, to ignore his outbursts
of petty temper when household af-
fairs were annoying, and l would
thave peace.
But my self-respect would not al
low me to take that course. Katie's
philosophy came back to my mind.
"If you do all times vat they want
no times vat you want, den they tinlS
you one carpet, dey wipe feet on
you"
No, for Diolys good and my own ]
could not blot out my individuality
The problem looked SO unsolyAblt
from any angle.
A Cordial Invitation.
/ Katie's voice startled me.
"Missis Graham. you not hear tele-
phone bell? 1t ring, ring tree times
l answer 1t for you?'
At any other time Katie's costume
would have provoked smile from
me. Her hair was elaborately twist
ed up in crimping pins, and she wore
a gorgeous pink flannelette negligee
of the quality which the cheaper
stores sell at dollar But / was in
| no mood for smiling.
II will answer 1t, Katie" I replied
"Thank you for reminding me-"
"Thats all right" Katie still stood
by my chair. Evidently she intend
ed to stay while talked.
THAT will be all, Katie" I sail
gently. as / took down the receiver
and Katie disconsolately went int,
the kitchen and shut the door
Lillian Gales voice answered m.
hesitating hello"
"Is that you, Mrs. Graham? Good
Your husband has just told us hoy
bully you were to insist upon hi
coming alone"-what on earth hat
Dlcky been saying g2-"and l told hin
| was going to call you up and Sc
II we couldn't persuade you to com
over for just little while. I'll SEN
Harry or Dicky with a taxi for you
Harry says he is coming-and wei
make Dicky come home early, regu
larly shoe him out If you feel yol
can't stay. Won't you please come?
Her voice was eager, cordial, bu
fancied | detected beneath its ap
parent friendliness a feminine trl
umph that Dicky had come withou
. me, and q feline curiosity to know
how / was taking his detection. Al
most any bride Of three weeks stand
, ing, l fancied, would show some re
sentiment II her husband left he
, alone and went to the home of an
, other woman, even If the cause o
the going were a bitter quarrel.
| Tho Diplomatic Reply.
: A cold determination took posses
sion of me. This woman shoul
: learn nothing from me-, of my rea
feelings. Dicky was evidently play
! ing the game. I certainly would no
. lazy down my cards. My voice wa
, as cordial as her own as l answere
her:
Dear Mrs. Underwood. it | onl,
dared / would be with you now. Blu
t / have things on hand this week tha
> absolutely must be attended to- /
do not rest after one of these head
: aches of mine / am apt to have
! real fit of Illness. l am going to be-
now, and please tell Dicky that Their
! Is no reason why he shouldn't sta,
r as late as he likes. I am so glad h.
] could CO. and you may be sure /
. you'll forgive me this time and in
! vite me again I will surely come t
, you"
! There was note of admiration II
3 her voice when she spoke again
/ or fAto-faAd
vanity.
you're O. dead game little sport
anyway" she said, "and / appreciate
your letting Dicky come. Tt wouldn'
seem like one of my parties withou
Dicky here. You can wager any
: thing you like I'll invite you again
and make sure you come, too. Good
! night"
She did not offer to have Dick
come to the telephone, for which
was devoutly grateful. | was not s
dense either that I did not grasp he
Parthian shot concerning DiclSy'
whims. Unless ! was greatly mis-
taken Lillian Gale would never Civ
up my husbands friendship unles
Dickly himself banished her fror
his life.
felt suddenly old and desperatel
weary. 1 knew there would be n
sleep for me for hours, but / longe'
for the darkness of my bedroom. A
least ] could rest II ] could not sleeT
| turned out the gas CRATE, pushe'
back my chair, took from the tabl
the money which had been one caus
of our quarrel-how I hated the yer.
touch of Invent to my bedroom ant
put II away.
(To be continued)