The evening world., 1917-08-28
BULLETS AND BILLETS

What Life In the Trenches Means
Bv a Man Who Has Been There
Begin the Story This Page Monday, Sept. 10

sS~~~~~N~~~~~~S>~~~ ~~~~e-~~~S~~~~~S~~~S~-~~S
It's bad enough at the best. OF course.
for you. but therc'll be something.
There's the house. Your equity In
that above the mortgage In worth
something. and the furniture and so
on. porhHps"---H- He shook his head
as II perplcNed by some memory ho
couldn't quite get hold of. 'Pcrhapa
you could rent II furnished for enough
to pay you. Ana your jewelry might
help tide you over untll"---
"Tidc me overt" She squeezed tho
tears out of her eyes and stared At
him. why arc YOU talking about
mc2 And-and what do you mean
about having treated me badly al
ready? Tell me that first"
"Oh, that's plain enough" he said. 1T
ought to be plain enough to you. False
pretsy ses-nOt up TO specifications lts
jus as you were saying at dinner to-
night. The man you married amounted
To sumcthing-a comfortable. prosper
GUS, solid and reliable sort OF chap.
Well an you say. I'm not that man.
That mans finished. He's gone, and
can't play his game. It's no use.
haven't the nerve for IT, haven't
the sand. I'm good for twenty-five
dollars week. perhaps-.thirty at
other chaps office, and that let's me out.
It's rotten luck for you. I'm sorry
about II. That's why | was trying TO
figure out some way to make IL easier.
III do anything 1 can--anything you
want me To do. And you could rely
on me not to do anything that would
make 1t harder. You understand. don't
your"
He was not looking at her while he
spoke, hut she, to make II impossible
FOR him to do 40, pulled her chair
around so that she could lean both
elbows on her splnet writing desk.
Yes" she said In "A stified voice, II
guess do. ! am beginning TO get The
Idea, think"
There was "a silence OF minutes
after that. lie stirred two or three
times an II he meant to speak, hut
gave II up. Presently she began to
cry. put her head down on her arms
and sObbed and shook. lie didn't
dare come near her He couldn't
think OF n word To say. After "A while
IA period OF tune that seemed end
less to him-Bhe sat erect again,
dried her wet face and began getting
control or her breathing.
The first thing she managed 10
say was, I'm sorry to be such a
mess. II anythings silly to do, It's
TO cry, But-1but an insult like that
makes you so sick you can't help
yourself"
lie cried out at that. Celia, 1
didn't mean II for an insult"
She choked down another miserable
sob and answered. IL know It. That's
what makes II SO perfectly unen-
durable. II you'd said IL because
you were-angry with me and
wwanted to hurt me Just as hard
as you possibly c-could. II wouldn't
be 70 bad. But you really m mean
VI, That's what you th-thlnk / am
That's what you've thought ever
since you married me. | suppose |
ought to be glad found out at last"
Celia, do you mean that you're
still fond OF me wlthout--wlthout any
OF the things that wero "A part OF me
you won't mind coming down TO S25
n week with mo? Is that what you
?"
she flushed. Strengthened. whipped
round on him In a gale of wrath.
"Mlnd!" she said. "Of course mind.
mind horribly I hate II. Poverty's
not romantic, and It's not a lark, and
there's nothing nice about It, and the
vrtuous, superior way people act
bbbhl II lltAhfh lllt llItn7- -pTttenUlnk
they like It, pretending they wouldn't
change II they could notice they
do change pretty quickly when they
can"
She went on TO say good deal
more than that Of the same Import.
Al that her words stumbled over a
big sob and she pulled up short, Wis
ibly got herself IN hand, and said very
deliberately:
"Can you get that job you were
talking about twenty Ave dollars a
week or so-'at drafting table, /
think. you said2 l mean. can you
count on 1t, as much as that a week %
lie reused himself enough to say,
Yes, | guess So"
She hcsitatod over her next ques-
tion, drew herself up little more de-
fiantly erect and made sure she had
command Of Il steady glance and a
COldly remote tone before she asked:
III "A man and his wife were going
10 live on that, how much rent could
they AFFORD TO pay for a fatH They'd
live In Nat. wouldn't they2 II would
be cheaper than a boarding house? II
she did all the work herself-of
COurse?"
Celia" he cried. you mean7"---
Answer my question she com
manded furiously, She was furious
because she had TO look away from
him after aN. would they have a
small fiat | mean. instead OF board
| ing hOusoT"
Yes" no said raggedly. they