New Britain herald., 1916-07-15
Why Dicl1y's Mother Refused to He'
 main in His Home Any Longer.

main in His Home Any Longer.
 My Dear Mrs. Graham Dr. Pet tits letter began, T am incloslng the bill for which you asked. l wish all my patients were as conscientious as you.
 Are you enjoying your summer in l Marvin? I know you must be, for 1t is a delightful old place. I know it well, and have spent most of my rare hours off in that section. l am fear fully busy, but hope to run out to Marvin for a few days before the summer ends. Then I shall give my self the pleasure of calling upon you if I may. Cordially yours. "HERBET PETTIT." I laid the letter down with a whole chorus of questions running through rly mind Why had Dr. Petit writ ten such letter? Why had Dicky read it? Why, after reading it had he kept it and not given it to me? | Was this partly the reason for his 1 growing coldness and indifference? Dicky had given me permission to rummage his packet for the bills | which he invariably forgot to turn over 1 to me for my files. In going through 1 lis pockets I had come across this 1 letter from Dr. Petit, sent in re- sponse to a request of mine for his bill, dated two weeks before. The let ter had been opened, and I felt sure 1 Dicky had read it. Tn all my bewil- derment I had little sick feeling at 1 my heart that Dicky should have been 1 guilty of opening and reading a letter | addressed to me, for the envelope bore no identifying mark
 I scrutinized the letter carefully l again. The Mrs. in the superscrip- | ton might have been mistaken for FMr." by any one looking at it hur- l riedly, for the 's" had been blurred. 1 Then, too, the letter was not torn 1 open. The flap might have been loosened before Dicky received it, and he might have opened 1t under the l impression that it was his own. But had he read it after all? This was the question that tormented me. If he had, it was totally unlike Dicky to keep his knowledge of the letter from me. The Dicky of the earlier 1 days of our marriage would have l been ungovernably angry and jealous over even so innocuous a letter as this addressed to me from another man.
 My own particular little mocking devil gave me the key to Dckys failure to hand me the letter.
 He simply isn't interested in any 1 thing you may do,' the little demo said. "It's Grace Drapers actions he's worrying about just now. He! I 1ot+ all oh it. That's all the interest he takes il YOU"
 Miserably I remembered the seen, Dicky had made in the first month O our marriage when I had received letter from my brother-cousin, Jacl Pickett, the nearest relative I had. H, had ragged like a fiend, and I hac been miserable at the prospect of en during his senseless jealousy for tht rest of my life. I told myself drear fly that evidently I did not need tc worry over that any longer.
 With a sudden raging impulse which I did not understand I went tt my desk, wrote out a check for the amount of Dr. Pettit's bill, fastened il to the bill, and then wrote brief ac- acknowledgement of his note.
 Dear pr. ettit: Your note and bill have just reached me-the fault o1 tEe local postal system. I am sc sorry for the delay. I fear you will change your mind about my con- scientiousness. Yes indeed, I am en- l toying the sumer, and shall be most pleased to see you if you come to | Marvin.
 T am enclosing check. Very sin cerely yours.
 MARGARET SPENCER GRAHAM. .'' I addressed, sealed and stamped the letter, laid 1t aside to be mailed, and ! then went on with my methodical 1 barely put everything back again when he came in. Letter for you,' he said, from the office of your old | principal"
 ] Thoughts That Thronged.
 He tossed it into my lap, eyeing it and me curiously. I knew that his de- sire to know what was in it had made him remember to give it to me. His Mother, who had opened her door at llis step, came forward eagerly. opened the letter, to find offer of my old school position. My principal wrote that the woman who was ap- pointed to the position had been sud- denly taken ill and could not possibly ] fill it. He asked me to write him my decision at once, as it was within a few days of the opening of the 1 schools.
 Mechanically I read it aloud. My brain was whirling. I wondered if perhaps this was the way out for me. IH Dicky really did not love me any longer I ought to accept this position,