Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-08-25
Mr.Buddington's
Fortune
It Was Bestowed Where II
Would Do the Most Good
By ETHEL HOLMES

Young Mrs. Buddington was a model
bride. Perhaps the word enduring
would better describe her. She had
married a mans man, and a mans
man, especially when very young, is
easily drawn from his home. Tom
Buddington had scarcely returned from
his wedding journey before he was
waylaid by his former associates and
induced to spend an evening with them,
leaving his wife at home alone.
Tom knew this was all wrong. At
midnight he succeeded In tearing him.
self away from his companions and
went home. The house was dark and
without sound. He put his latchkey
into the lock very quietly and went
upstairs softly. This was not because
he feared to awaken his wife, for he
didn't believe she was asleep. 1t wan
rather the result of a guilty conscience.
He would have liked to hear a sweet
voice say: "That you, dearie? Had II
good timer" But he entered the dress
ing room mex the bedroom without
any greeting. Looking in where Bess
was sleeping, by the light turned low
he saw her peacefully s~lumbering.
Tom was both relieved and disap-
pointed. He was pleased that his bride
had not lain awake waiting for him,
but he would have liked a brief chat
with her before going to sleep himself
The lady was not asleep; she was pre-
tending. She was a wise woman. If
she cheerfully received her husband
after his return from his bachelor
friends she would have encouraged
him to go 20 them again. If she up
braided him it would have a tendency
to drive him away from her. Tom
went to sleep u%ngreeted and unre
preached File resolved that he would
not do SO any more.
But Toms effort to be good proved a
failure. A young man, especially a
mans man, needs relaxation His err
TOR was not in this; 1t was In failing
to provide his wife with relaxation
also, or, rather, In forcing her to spend
a considerable number of evenings
alone. If It was not practicable to
have remained with her, even if he did
need relaxation, for she needed it as
much as he did, probably more, since
her place during the day was at home,
and 1t was natural that in the evening
she should need change of scene. Uh-
fortunately Toms income was not srrf-
fcient to enable them to go out to
ktheaters Or such other places Of amuse-
ment.
"JIst you wait, dearie,' Tom said to
his wife one evening when he was go
ing out with a couple of men friends,
"till Uncle Alec shuffles Off this mortal
coil, and I'll stop this going out with
out you. You shall have all the opera
and the other amusements you like"
Now, Uncle Alec was a chfldless
bachelor, who had worked and saved,
neve having married because he
thought he couldn't afford to marry.
till he had come to old age and a for
tune without any one except his
nephew to inherit his money. He had
therefore pitched upon Tom for the
purpose, and 1t was all settled that the
young man was to have 100000 after
the old mans death.
Tom, being sensible of this prospec-
tive advantage, aimed to show his un-
Gle proper attention. Since both were
was the only time that the dutiful
young man could pay his respects to
the old gentleman Bess understood
that one eight every week was to be
devoted TO this purpose. Tom went to
see his uncle with tolerable regularity.
and when he omitted to do 80 his Wife
understood that he had made the visit,
though on such omissions Tom was
enjoying hts bachelor friends. Some
times on fds regular nights for witt
ing hts uncle he would take Bess with
him. She was a great favor1te with
the elder Baddington, which pleased
Tom very much, for 1t strengthened
the younger In the matter of his pro
spectfve fortune. i
When the Buddingtons had been
married a decade the wife did not
need her husbands c-ompanionship so
much as at first because she was taken
I'D with several little children who
had come to her In the meanwhile.
Tom continued still to be a mans man
and found a good deal to take him out.
Indeed, there was more to absorb his
attention every year. He dabbled In a
small way In politics, having some
taste for wire pulling. and was a
member OF various associations BE
needed DO excuses for going out even
ings. for there was always q commit
tee meeting or something of the kind
that served the purpose. None of these
engagements brought In any money,
and the practical Mrs. Buddington was
not made the better satisfied with her
husbands absences by pecuniary gain.
But she did not complain. Tom said
that it was the duty of a citizen to take
an interest IN the government of his
country, his state or his city, as each
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