Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-19
CHAPTER CIV.

a FTER luncheon was over and the
"A children had been sent away to
take their maps l. guardedly
as 1 could, drew Mrs Mulhany back to
the subject we were discussing when
Martha told us luncheon was served.
you think husbands and wives
should have no secrets. don't you?" 1
asked.
THE wife should have none, the hus-
band none. that concerns their mutual
welfare. Almost every business man is
compelled in the nature of things to
have business secrets"
But suppose the husband never tells
his wife anything?" 1 asked Even
when she questions him?"
A panied expression crossed her face.
THAT is often the wife's fault, my
DEAR" she returned. Men as rule
hate to be questioned. Indeed, it makes
some of them so furious they shut up
| like CLAIMS and tell a woman nothing
But eevn if they don't like to be
| questioned, don't you think a wife has
! the right to know something Of her hus-
| bands business?' 1 asked.
II don't know as to the right, Mar
garet. 1t seems to me, a man has per-
| feet right to conduct his business in his
| own way so that he may secure the best
| returns from his efforts. Most men do
not interfere with a wifes manner of
running the house, and L think they
should have the same privilege. II
| man thinks it better for any reason to
| keep his business affairs secret, his
| wife should respect that secrecy. If she
| does, in time he will have faith in her
discretion, and tell her all she wishes
| to know"
But L think wife should always
know as much about her husband, whom
| he is with, where he spends his time, as
| he knows about her." 1 insisted.
Her bright eyes flashed keen look
at me before she replied, with smile:
But how many women do?"
| That doesn't make it right that We
| should not know"
1 wished to keep her talking. she al
ways had so much that was of interest
| to say to me-
eff everything between husband and
| wife were as we women would have 1t,
| the millennium would not be far away
| and heaven a place we would not care
to attain, because we would have heaven
here" she returned.
| l made no answer and after a time
she left, with promise to come soon
again. She had done me good as she
always did. and she looked pleased when
I told her so. She had also given me
much to think about.
| She had been gone scarcely half an
hour when Myrtle Caldwell came. When
we were costly ensconced in my dress
ing room, 1 told her something of what
Mrs. Mulhany had said. Then something
reminded me of her promise to tell me
of the time she was unhappy because of
| Ned. I scarcely knew how to introduce
| the subject but finally / said:
| 81 am in the mood for talk today.
| Myrtle-intimate talk, If you will. What
Mrs. Mulhany has told me has inter
ested me. Were you ever jealous of
| Ned?"
| "Frightfully!-not so long ago. either.
Let me see, think it was the year
| before you came to Clearville. Yes, I
| am sure It was. We had been married
| about two years. When we were mar
| ried / was the most thoughtless, fun
| loving girl imaginable. / think Ned
| never quite realized in those days how
much / loved him, because L always
! insisted upon making a joke of every
thing. When he told me of his business
| would laugh and tell him to keep his
! business where it belonged, in his office,
| not bring 1t home to me. And that he
bored me to death by dry details i
| did not understand"
| ooh. how foolishr' / exclaimed. And
now you are so clever in the way you
handle Ned
'I had to learn by experience, Mar
4 garet mighty unpleasant experience
4 too. Finally Ned stopped telling me
anything of his business. He never
mentioned his office except inadver-
tently | did not give it a thought I'M
til he commenced staying out, leaving
me alone evenings. Not often-at first
| But oftener as time went on. One day
| Il, out nf- trxK
/ friend at Cline's when in walked Ned
with a stunning woman. | nearly col
Iapsed Fortunately my friends back
| was to him and she didn't see him. The
waiter gave them table, evidently re-
served. at the extreme end of the room
screened from us by tall palms. How
| got through that luncheon don
know. | was positive Ned hadn't seen
me. AS soon as we finished I paid the
bill and hurried out the side entrance
His not seeing me gave me the advan-
tage. 1 made up my mind to say moth
ing but to watch
Just as we all do" / pretended tc
laugh, but was far from feeling like
laughter My thoughts were on Phyllis
Lawson and the new stenographer:
az had never made practice or 60
ing TO Ned's office / don't like the
looks of a woman running to her hus
hands office: but after this | dropped
in occasionally. Once ! caught hel
there. and Ned introduced me. liz
made no excuses then or afterwarc
about her presence in the office WomeT
haven't the excuse to run to MN they
would have if he were a doctor or
lawyer like Robert. She bowed with
out speaking, but 1 could feel her eyes
taking me In from head to foot. Ant
after making some inane excuse for m!
visit l left them together
"You were more generous than
, should have been" | replied. Il woul'
have remained until she left.
CHAPTER CIV.
400. YOU wouldn't either" Myrtle
replied, referring to my