South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-07

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 l turned interior decorator, 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 a nickel. Not
a cent. | had carte blanche at the stores.
But if / asked my husband for money he
would say: 20, get it at the store and
have it charged"
Three-quarters of the wives Of the wealthy
men who visited us were as poor as I.
When l needed money / used to borrow
q half dollar or a quarter from my maid.
Once I told Mr. Wheeler that I owed
Annie So. He was angry Annie said:
please never tell Mr. Wheeler again.
If you owe me So again We'll let il 90
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 10
order a taxicab and let the man al the gate
of the Dakota pay the fare. II 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 q great
deal. Night after night he would stay
away until three in the morning. i was
SO racked by nervous fears for his safety
that a faithful hOusemad used 70 come
to the room and share 1t with me until
she heard him returning.
Gradually I came TO understand. It was
through Papa Wheeler the unwelcome light
broke. ! overheard him talking to Bert
Distinctly these words came 10 me:
Bert | saw you driving on Fifth Ave
nue. yesterday with Gle mentioned a GER
tain womtn's name). You must not do
that"
The next morning I went 10 my husband
and .aid: Bert I heard what Father
Wheeler said TO you last evening about
seeing you driving on Fifth Avenue, and
what he thought about 1t. How can you
act that way?"
Mind your own business" ne said.
Don't bother about my private affairs"
Then his anger seemed TO pass, and he
said: You may hear a good many things
about me, but they are not true. ] nave
a double, and am often mistaken for him"
That's a very poor excuse and unOrig
inal' I said If YOU have a double your
father wouldn't mistake him for you
Ny reward for this perspicscity was a
brutal scene a physician was sent for.
It took him a hour and a half 10 bring
me back 70 consciousness.
Yet ] lived with my husband for year
after that incident. ] was a loving woman
and a fool, as loving women are likely to
be
II was my discovery of a letter written
him By the woman who caused our unhap-
piness that brought the end. She told him
her husband had deserted her in Paris. /
confronted him with the letters. u was
impossible TO deny it. He could not. When
] wept and entreated him 10 cease his IN
faithfulness ne invited me 10 go TO another
and more troubled region and left the
house. He never came back, and J have
never seen him since that day.
For a time I had a reaction against the
crushing force that haG been applied 10