Oxford Democrat., 1916-02-22
TOO MUCH Of THE
SAME THING
A Man and Wife Decide to Try
Effects Of One Evening Of
Separation.
By. F. A. mitchell


were courting the hours they could
spend together were interminable.
Donald would 60 home, after sitting
sometimes till 2 O'clock In the morning,
wondering what in the world they had
found to talk about. Rosamond WOULD
60 up 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 q week.
But there came q time after their
marriage when this was changed. To
their surprise the evenings began to
seem long. Then Donald about 8
o'clock would stretch himself on q
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-
peclally 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 a membership Of a large so
cial circle or enjoy the society Of any
one except each other. They had there
fore dropped out entirely.
Donald was a thinker. When any
thing went wrong he was accustomed
to think out the cause. Cause and
effect rule the world" was favorlte
phrase Of his. 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 1t he said
to his wife one day at dinner:
"My dear, l wish to call your atten.
ton to matter concerning your pro-
viding our. food. Don't continue to
place on the table any one article con-
tinuously. No matter how much one
likes tomatoes, II 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-
tance. 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. / have no.
ticed 1t for some time-yOu have be-
come tired Of me-"
Some time was occupied In getting
over this obstacle to plan Mr.. Burke
had formed, and, forcing his wife to
admit that they would be better of
If they were not so closely tied togeth-
er, then he continued:
~ propose that one night In the
week-say Saturday-we each go 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"
II don't think" replied the husband,
that l would care to return to that.
I shall probably 60 where can meet
intellectual persons. Where do you
expect to goY
II can't go anywhere without an es'
cort."
"Humph. l did not think Of that.
Whom do you propose to call In for
the purpose? Your brother Tom, /
suppose"
II shall call on any one I choose.
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 great
disadvantage In 1t 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 80 well as
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
dine at your club or somewhere else,
and will dine at Mary Edwards. She
says she will be delighted to have me.
So goodby till we meet tonight. Don't
be out after H."
"Why can't we dine at homer
"Why, I've thought that dinner
at the club with some Of your old
friends would do you gSod."
Donald made no reply to this. he
kissed his wife goodby, or, rather, suf-
fered her to kiss him. He was think
Ing that this dining apart would pre-
vent his knowing who would be his
wife's escort, and in that he was very
much interested.
After business he repaired to his
club and looked about for some OF
his old friends with whom to dine.
II was astonishing how the men about
the club had changed since he had
been married. In all the years Of bis
membership he had not noticed 80
great q dropping away Of old and
coming Of new faces as had taken
place. in the brief period Of his mar
riage. 1t did not occur to him thai
he had been standing still as a clut
member while the club had beer
marching on. Only two or three mem
bers whom he knew well were there
and they were either going home fol
dinner or had engagements to dine
elsewhere. One old friend touched
sore spot in Burke's breast by saying
"Hello, old man, got back to tn
club, have your They oil do In time
but It generally takes longer than u
your case"
"I've not come back to the club per
| manently." replied Burke with offend