Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-03-30
ONE WOMAN'S
:: STORY ::

Father had declared he would not help us
further and l knew him, and my step
mothers influence over him. too well
TO hope he would change his mind. But
why couldn't Robert make money! ]
had known lawyers, friends of father $,
who were very we'll off-one or two, | re
membered. were immensely wealthy and
lived in great style.
Robert had looked more and more wor-
ried from day to day and seemed hard-
ly ever to be cheerful except when ne
was telling me of his talks with Tim
Mulhany or some other politician. He
seemed obsessed-I thought-that poll
tics, political influence were all he need
ed to assure his success. | thought OF
his anxious face as | sat before my
desk and decided that only miserable
Observation-Disclosures perhaps quarrels
would come of further discussion OF the
servant question just now. Il had not
learned a thing about housekeeping from
Matilda in spite of my good resolutions
So l decided, as l knew he would soon
tire of my cooking, TO tell her to go.
Matilda" l said an hour later, Wheh
your month is up you may go; so you
better be looking for another place l
knew my voice trembled. | felt as IL
| were sending away a dear friend IN
stead of a servant. so dependent was l.
''Verv well, ma'am. But l don't see
how you are ever to get along, you that
don't know no moren baby ABOUT
keepin' house Mrs. Senator PlulkeIt
said she never did have another girl that
she liked after me- But ] wouldn't go
back even when she raised the wages
not me. 1 never does when / is sent
away, no matter how they ask me-
knew she intended this for threat
and that she thought she would scare
me into keeping her.
I'm sorry Matilda, but l can't Keep
you"
The matter Of discharging Matilda
was over. 1t was one on which Rob-
ert's mind had evidently been made up.
Well. LET her 90. | was so lonely and
risera BILE, anyway, that I found myself
singularly apathetic. | don't care near
" so much as 7 thought ] would
In thinking over our affairs | sup
nose poverty was hard for people VINO
always had been poor. But l knew 1t
was much worse for those who. like
myself, had been accustomed to living
in luxury.
constantly pitied myself because of
our financial condition, and I considered
Robert a failure as far as mis- ousl-
ness ability went, knowing nothing OF
the struggle he was making, of the time
and patience required by young law
yer to build up a clientele. Yet, strange
as it may seem, / was, all unknoWlhs-
Iy, again falling in love with my nus
band ] do not try to explain this but
it was so.
Robert had had two or three women
consult him on trif1ng matters, and
when he did not come home promptly
as usual l imagined he had met some
other woman who detained him, ana
that it was not all business. MY Jeal-
ousy was easily aroused, and l often
tormented myself with such thoughts.
That night 1 waited anXiously to tell
Robert that I had done as he wished
I wonder why men are so much less
sensitive than women; why they cam
not understand that we are wounded
when they take for granted the thlng
we do to please them-even at a sac
rifice.
'I have told Matilda" 1 said when
he came in.
ct expected you would" was all his
reply as he hung up his coat. Not
word about how hard it was going TO
make things for me. He simply eA-
pected" it,
started to say something-changed
nv mind, and turned impulslVely 10
him, and raised my face for kiss.
He kissed me on my cheek, then
turned and jerked down the blind.
eff you only knew how 1 want to
be happy, ROBERT Sdlu WISH - >
touching him arm, L was in one of my
softer moods, when l not only longed
for love, but for it's expression.
You have a right to happiness, Mar
garet, but you don't go after it in the
right way"
How L wanted him to take me into
his arms and tell me he would make
me happy, that he loved me, instead
of theorizing. But he was as usual
absorbed, interested in something in
the paper he had taken from his peck
et
81 don't know just where shall
look for the happiness even you say is
my right" l. unused. But l am going
to have it! 1 won't have my life
cramped and spoiled just because you
elect to live in this little town, and
I broke off when Robert laughed at
what he considered childish outburst
and then returned to his paper.
1t had been with the resolution to
do my best, to make the best of every
thing, that 1 had raised my face for
Roberts kiss