Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-12-21
Margaret CARROTS
h4Sbarld
BOB rs REMoRsEFUL.
CHAPTER LYYxy
X By JANE PHELPS
x X X X X x X 4 X X X X X

CHATTER LXXXIX,
/ when Bob came in L told him about
our call, and how much l liked Mrs
Farnesworth. He seemed interested. and
told him [ had asked her to dinner
the following week with Mr. and Mrs
Baldwin.
That 8 fine! y Bob said with enthus-
lasm, am glad to see you making
trlnds. And Margaret, l was rather
nasty this morning. If you would like
to go to John S affair, l shall be glad
to take you"
No, thank you, Bob l do not think
it right to go to places and be with neo-
pie OF whom L disapprove. do wish Won
would give it up also"
He made no reply and 1 knew my
WISH was vain one. L could not help
a little happy feeling creeping over me
however at Bob's unaccustomed apol-
ogy. He would ignore unpleasantness,
but seldom apologized for his share in
it.
Bob was in many respects the sanest
man L have ever known. And vet his
Imagination would run riot at times in
way that l, with my puritanical ideas
and phlegmatic temperament, could not
understand, let alone follow.
Elsie had warned me. Had | needed
her warning this story, the plain story
of plain woman would never have
been told. Uninteresting at times; but
truthful withal An intimate story of
feeling rather than doing. The mistakes
OF woman who loved too well to love
wisely.
Had been wise enough to have Civ
en- our married life little of the
which Bob found in the gath |
erlngs of his friends l perhaps might |
have avoided all that came after. We |
all think that we make a mes of things |
because fate is unkind, but really the |
fault is in urselves. If only we KNEW |
this, instead of being obliged to LEARN
it by sad experience.
Laughter like tears should be for all. |
Fun is needed as well as the more SER
too -opinionated. 1 know all these
things now. Could have realized them
in the first years or my marriage, L
might have been happy-at least have
avoided much unhappiness. l was re-
entless in my insistance that my hus-
band should live MY way; that he
should be content to do as | wished
him to do. was stickler for propriety
as 1 considered it. While he, after
his first grief for his mother had worn
off, was full of life, and the joy Of
living as he saw it. Living among his
friends. Being with people who did in
,eresting things.
The next night when Bob left me I
.ried to make him promise he would
.ome home early, that is that he would
cave early enough to get home by the
train. He would not promise,
md when | insisted we came near hav-
ng another quarrel. Had he not rushed
,ut of the house, we should, l am sure.
Quarrels were becoming frequent be- |
ween us. Bob s disposition was natur.
lily sunny; but when I nagged him to
owe me; teaZed him to give up to my !
deas, he would become impatient. As
We all know one word leads to another,
md we had had many serious differ
,nces; rather many short, sharp quar- I
els usually about nothing at all in the
,eginning, but by mutual recrimination
becoming serious before we finished.
Bob was restive. 1 often found him
ooking at me in a queer fashion as
ne NdutGu " JtlI uiS SJluttHlilS1 gCt 7
lated to. Then, too, recalled that sew !
raj times he had been on the point of :
aging something, and had stopped. Oh, !
veil, l would think, it probably WASH t
nything. Q
Bob had not gone until after dinner.
wanted terribly to go into his room .
With him and help him dress; but that /
lould be too much like CLOSING over the
act of his going. lie looked so hand !
cme, so distinguished when he came
Mt dressed in his evening clothes that
longed to throw myself in his arms,
nd plead with him to love me. But ,
. seemed to anger him of late. Even
or the slightest mention of my love for