The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-01-13
TOO MUCH OF THE
SAME THING
A Man and Wife Decide to Try
Effects Of One Evening Of
Separation.
By F. A. mitchell

were cOurtlnS the hours tney cOuIO
spend together were interminable.
Donald would go home, after sitting
sometimes till o'clock in the morning.
wondering what in the world they had
found to talk about. ROsamond would
go mp to her room regretting that the
next evening she must pass without
her lover. for her father would not
consent to his calling oftener than
twice week.
But there came time after their
marriage when this was changed. To
their surprise the evenings began to
seem long. Then Donald about
o'clock would stretch himself on a
lounge and go to sleep. If any friend
dropped in there was instant relief.
Both husband and wife would brighten
up. the hours would fly, and bed time
would come too soon.
But they lived in city where dis
tances were great. and not being es-
pecially intimate with their neighbors.
there were few to drop In on them So
cially. They had both been in society
before marriage. but as soon as they
became engaged they were sure they
would never care to keep up the work
attending membership of large So
cial circle or enjoy the society Of any
one except each other. They had there
fore dropped out entirely.
Donald was thinker. When any
thing went wrong he was accustomed
to think out the cause. Cause and
effect rule the world was favOrlte
phrase Of bis. When he found that
instead of spending six hours on a
stretch with Rosamond and wishing
they were eight he could now scarce
spend one without being bored he set
himself about looking for the cause.
Not long after he had found it he said
to his wife one day at dinner:
"My dear. wish to call your atten-
viding our food Don't continue to
place on the table any one article con-
tinuOusly. No matter how much one
likes tomatoes. if we have them every
day we will grow tired Of them"
"Just So" said madam.
And the same cause pertains to an
other matter of much greater impor-
lance. For the. same reason that q
person can't eat tomatoes every day
continuously he or she can't associate
with any one person exclusively. There
is no truer adage than 'variety's the
spice Of life"
II see what you mean. l have no
tfced 1T for some time-you have be-
come tired Of me-
Some time was occupied in getting
over this obstacle to a plan Mr.. Burke
had formed, and, forcing his wife to
admit that they would be better or
II they were not SO closely tied togeth-
er, then he continues:
II propose that one night In the
week-say Saturday-we each 60 out
somewhere separately and see other
persons besides ourselves. We need
not say where we are going. though
that shall be optional"
II know very well where you will
go. You will be behind the scenes at
the theater. That was your favorite
way of spending an evening before we
became engaged"
IL don't think" replied the husband.
that / would care to return to that
shall probably go where l can meet
intellectual persons. Where do you
expect to gO?"
II can't go anywhere without an es-
cort."
"Humph! I did not think Of that.
Whom do you propose to call In for
the purpose? Your brother Tom.
suppose"
Tom wouldn't do at all He has too
much on hand to give his time to me-"
Donald was not so infatuated with
his plan after this. There was a great |
In it on his part. He
could go alone. but his wife must |
have an attendant. This attendant |
might be an attractive man. 1t would |
be necessary that the escort should |
know that the reason he was called |
upon to take the lady out was because |
she was tired Of her husband. DON
aid didn't like the scheme 30 well a.
he had thought he did. But he had
gone too far to recede.
When the first Saturday came round
on which the couple were to see others
besides themselves before Donald went |
to business his wife said to him:
II think. dearie. that You had better
line at your club or somewhere else.
Ind will dine at Mary Edwards. She
Jays she will be delighted to have me.
30 goodby till we meet tonight Don't
be out after H."
why can't we dine at homer
why. I've thought that a dinner
It the club with some Of your old
friends would do You good"
Donald made no reply to this. He
Kissed his wife goodby. or. rather. suf-
cred her to kiss him. He was think.
ng that this dining apart would pre-
rent his knowing who would be his
vife's escort, and in that he was very
much interested.