Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-09-18
Margaret CARROTS
Husband
A DISCUSSION
X By JANE PHELPS
x X X X x X X X X X X x x
CHAPTER VIII.

WonidH ) rights! LON repeateQ IN
a pretended tone of horror. "You aren Z
thinking of something else you want to
get out of me, are you?"
"Now that you remind me of it,
there are several things l would like to
do. III tell you about them on the way
home,'' she answered, mischief dancing
in her eyes.
care you for women's rights, too.
M%argaret?'' Tom turned to me in mock
distress.
I'm for equal rights" I laughed.
"There, Bob, L told you you had
made the best bargain,n and he gave
Elsie's car a tweak in passing, as he
and Bob went upstairs. to get ready for
dinner.
"You are two very fortunate girls
or women,' mother remarked when
they were out of hearing. "You have
fine husbands"
"We should have! they have fine
wives!' Elsie returned saucily.
Mother laughed and left us to at
tend to the dinner. Elsie and [ sat quiet
ly for a little while, when she suddenly
turned to me and said:
ga penny for your thoughts, Mar
garrett"
81 was only wishing I had your dis
position, as well as your gift or repair
tee.n
"Gift of CAB, you mean. Is there any
thing else about me you would like to
possess?"
Greatly, Elsie, I am serious. Nothing
seems to worry you. If Tom comes home
it is all right; if he stays out it is
the same. And you are so gay no matter
what happens"
"What's the use of worrying and
making us both miserable. I'm an old
married woman compared to you, if we
are the same age; and [ tell you it
doesn't do any good to question a man
about what he does. If he wants to
tell you he will do so without question
ing. If he doesn't want you to know
he will either prevaricate or bluntly
refuse to tell you. 1 imagine Bob would
do the latter"
"But L just couldn't stand it if Bob
stayed out and l didn It know all ABOUT
it," I protested.
"Oh, yes you could. We all have to,
and you'll be no exception. If you are
wise you will take little Elsie's advice
and remember the old couplet we used
to repeat in school: "Ask me no ques-
tons, III tell you no lies"
"But if l thought Bob was hiding
anything from me-if he had been do
ing something he was ashamed to have
me know it would break my heart"
"Hearts don It break so easily. They
bend and crack a little sometimes; but
they are made of pretty good material.
They seldom BREAKFAST mending."
"You're cynical"
emo I'm not, Margaret! I'm honest
with myself; and am trying to help you.
Bob is extremely tem~peramental. Any
one can see that. Why just the way he
is carried off his feet by a new book,
a story, a play, a game of tennis or
golf, shows that he is all impulse. Such
temperament is hard to control"
"Why what are you talking about9
Bob is so domestic, and so quiet. You
are think of Tom | guess, and imagine
Bob is like him."
elf he were l shouldn't be trying to
give you a little advice out of the book
of my married life. Tom is always the
same. He is always full of life and
I know exactly how I'll find
him; and so / have learned-I flatter
myself-how to handle him. But Bob is
never twice alike. l realize that it is
a fascinating disposition; but in a hus-
band I should think it would be rath-
err strenuous work keeping up. And Mar
garet, a wife just has to keep up.
no other way to hold the dear
creatures. Here they come" and she
put her finger on her lips, as Sc called
"Come down here you two old
sports and tell us all about your game.
Who won?7'
"My side did we walloped Tom and
his partner unmercifullyl' Bob return
I'd with animation. Then seating him
self beside Elsie-who knew both tennis
and golf as well as either of them i'll
of her home and three children
he described the game to her; the
which made it possible to win;
her questions leading him to elaborate
On his victory until mother called US
10 dinner.
E"Elsie is q wonder!" he said to
Tom. "She knows the technique of the
as if she played every day; in
stead of only occasionally"
"She can t play as much as she would
ike to. Has too many babies to care
,or. But she keeps up just the same, the
low she finds time is more than l can
understand
Tom had used Elsie's identical words
"She keeps up" he had said. Well,
f a mans love depended on his wife
,eing able to talk tennis, golf, and base
,all iargon to him it wasn't very deep,
thought, as Bob leaned over and kiss
d me on the way in. I was glad Bob
owed me as I loved him; and the mem
Try of that kiss made me happy all
hru dinner as Bob again became en-
.hused over a book he and Elsie had
10th read. A queer psychological work
l, which I cnnld mt hncnma Interested. l