The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1915-05-13
"A Man and His Wife"
Isabel and John Have Real Quarrel About AIDE
Simmons.
Simmons.

JOhn Hamilton had never before seen
his wife as calm and judicial as now.
She had always shown some softness
of emotion, some tender feeling, in
their little quarrels. But now she was
different. He, being man, could not
know that his admiration for another
woman had wrought this change. 1t
is one thing to quarrel with ones best
beloved about matters in which the
other sex is not involved, but quite
another thing when jealousy enters
in. For jealousy and the perfect love
that casts out fear cannot be felt at
one and the same time.
Yes" Isabel replied to her hus-
bands exclamation Of dismay. Il
mean what l say. The only subject
upon which you have ever forbidden
me to express myself freely is this
woman who has come between us
Come between u.s." exclaimed
John. Kindly explain yourself"
You mean you wish me to speak
what think and not what you feel I
ought to Think" she questioned. You
mean that you withdraw your COM
mand that l keep silence on this sub
| ject.? ~
The man moved impatjently. Good
heavens Yes. Do stop backing and
filling and get down to facts. I'm
tired of your suspicious, and l want
the truth
First" she said, Il must have it
from you-the truth. l mean When
did you see Mrs. Simmons last-be-
fore this morning."
Johns eyes left hers for a moment.
"One day last week. he replied.
/ 'Whereo' she asked
| He hesitated. Why" he stam-
mered. IL met her on the street.
That was the time before the last
she corrected. "Rember we are speak
ing the truth now
Well" definatly, Il went up to call
on her. Had you seen her when she
came here" he added by way of JUS
tfication. Il need not have gone But
she asked me to come NJ and explain
why you did not see her when she
called"
And you gave her satisfactory
explanation. May ask what it waso"
Yes he said, II stood by you, Of
course. I said that you had been fast
asleep and that by the time you were
dressed enough to answer the bell she
had left. even told her she was mis-
taken when she said she knew you
were looking out Of the window at her
that she saw the curtain move as
she glanced up at the house
1sabels face underwent swift
Transformation. Rising from her chair,
she laid her hand on her husband S
arm.
John" she said, Il am sorry I put
you in a position where you had to
distort the truth. And l did look out
of the window after Mrs. Simmons"
"Oh, that's all right he murmured
But his voice was a little husky, and
his expression. too, was less hard than
it had been. Il don't hind any of it
now, dear" he continued, If you will
only be reasonable and not get jeal-
Gus of a perfectly good woman"
There was a pause. while Isabel
thought fast, Then she asked her
husband the question that had been in
her mind for several hours.
john she said, why did you not
tell me you had gone to see Mrs. Sim
mons?"
You did not ask me-" he replied.
And if | had asked you?"
/ He regarded her gravely. Isabel,
he said, you cannot learn too early
that what husband tells his wife de.
pends entirely on how che is going to
receive it,"
Then" she gasped, do you mean
that if you thought l would be dis
pleased at your going to see Mrs.
Simmons, you would no: tell me about
ito"
My dear" the husband evaded all
this is beside the question. What
wish to know is if you are going to
try to feel friendship instead of ami
mostly for my old friend, and to treat
her accordingly"
Isabel withdrew the hand she had
placed on her husbands arm. "One
, cannot compel friendship, John" she
said, but l will always try to be po-
lite to any one who is a friend of
, yours"
She could promise no more she told
herself. And now she saw no way of
escaping the evening at Mrs. Sim
mons If she would not have another
quarrel with John
Ito Be Continued