The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-13
HER SlDE-=-=AND HIS
 Can Man Have Nerves?
m Have Nerves? :?
By ZOE BECKLEY

1 Under Walter Stedman's feet was a l litter of bits of torn paper and broken
 matchsticks. The rug was scuffed and
 crumpled from his fidgeting feet. The l advertising "copy" he was trying tc 1 write was black with savagely crossed | out and rewritten lines. His hair was 8 mess of disorder with much run ! ming of his fingers through it. He was chewing his lip as he sat at his type. writer. And every now end then te jumped to his feet to pace the corridor outside his office
 He did not know there was any thing out of the usual with him. He laid his mood to tiredness and over work. Ordinarily Walt drew the blinds down over his nervousness and kept it within so that to the world outside he seemed always even tempered, without nerves"
 But today thousand picayune things pestered and harassed him. He felt like flying away into space some where-away from the office, away from his home. away from everybody, even Janet.
 The head of the advertising firm for whom Walt Stedman worked as writer came into his office and noticed the signs of tension. He glanced at the much Xd and crisscrossed "copy'' which ordinarily came fluentiy anu neatly from Waits machine. Mr. Haines was an understanding and sympathetic man. He saw that Walt was tensed up and that he did not know 1t: and even that knowing it would not help him relax. "Our Beecher signs have gone up all over the city today" he said kindly T wish you'd take my car and let me know how they look to the man in the automobile. Stedman."
 Walt scrooged himself tightly into the corner seat of Haines' machine and tried to get Impressions" of tho new signs. But Ill hs felt was . conscious ness of unpleasant effort and strain without any useful result. His employ ers kindly device for getting him to relax was not succeeding.
 At . o'clock Walt met Janet in tho office in the tenement commissioner 5 department, She. too. looked as though she were under . strain but was try ing to hide the fact with a quick smils as he came in. Walt kissed her ten derly, then asked quickly:
 Anything the matter, Janet?"
 She looked up. startled. Her smile faded
 NO, not thing. Why do you ask ?'
 "Oh. because you seem-you look a little tired or worried"
 To Waits dismay look of hopeless ness came over Janet's face She turned to the window. gazing mood fly out on the dusk -mantled oity. Walt, struggling against vague unease, put his hands gently on her shoulders to. turn her to him. She did not move
 What is it, Janet? What Is troub. ling you?" he asked. his voice lit. tie sharp. Janet was silent. Walt ir:- sisted on an answer.
 "Qh, it's nothing. Walt; only . feel ing of bafflement, of defeat for tl.e moment" sbe exclaimed. Here was I, unconscious of anything wrong, try ing my best to appear cheerful and only to be told I-look funereal anu cross and old. Oh!' she moved her shoulders impatiently.
 Walt stepped back with amAzement
 Why, janet, I didn't say anything like that" he protested. T only asked what was wrong"
 Tt amounts to the same thing" Ja- net said miserably.
 They kept silent Nor did they say anything all the way to their little apartment Once inside the door, how ever. Janet turned 10 Walter and buried her face in his bosom.
 Neither knew the reason for the strange, tensed. moody nerves-on- edge state they were in. But they thought they knew.
 T am already getting on his