The Detroit times., 1917-02-24

iouu anu nerce ana neAftfenufnk
They had been married three years
They lived In a rather stufYy four
room fat. and the twoyearold baby
was tecthing. orace's nerves nad
been on edge from lack OF sleep for
three days. Lafe and hts foreman
al the machine shop were on the
outs. so he was not In q good hu-
NOR. like many wiser and better
circumstanced pairs. they found
a certain vicious satisfaction In TAX.
ing their discomfort out on each
other. Grace At the breakfast table
reminded IAfe tas hundreds OF
wives daily In any land are fond OF
reminding their husbands) that
when she was single and drawing
her own wages life was certainly q
more agreeable AFFAIR than Il had
been since she united her fortunes
with us.
I4fe gulped his come down and
retorted (even as all husbands re-
tort at such time) that II was an
Internal pity she didn't think Of that
before. and added that he himself
wasn't NJ present going around
whooping over the Joy OF life.
Grace said something. Afterward
she didn't remember what
by that time Lafe had finished
breakfast and was hustlins out the
back door. With the foreman IN
his present humor IAfe was taking
no chances on being late Cor work.
SO without turning he called back.
Il regret single life and It's pleas
ures just as much as you do"
Very weil." furiously called
Grace.
Very well" sneeringly called
back Lafe from the stairs down
which he was hustling.
The baby was creeping after him.
missing the usual morning toss and
tumble. Grace GROSSLY swept out 10
the porch. gathered her up wailing
turned and looked straight INTO the
wide. animated eyes OF woman
across the court between the flights
OF stairs. Il was 4s fat building.
She knew the woman's name-Mrs.
Eyerson-but had only a bowling
acquaintance with her She waa a
handsome. trim woman. One know
lntultively thar she was con
trolled woman. and that her home
ran smoothly and pleasantly. She
had pleasant. cultured forehead
and her house dress was rather OK.
pensive dimity. with vaIenciennes
cuffs.
Grace was Immediately conscious
OF her far from fresh percale house
dress Then her face famed The
woman thought Grace fairly
grabbed the baby into the house
and sat down to brood or course.
Mrs Eyerson thought that she and
Lafe were guarding awfuny and
likely would divorce each other.
VIXEN nothing OF The kind would
happen She loved La'e and she
knew very well that he loved her
and their quarrels never lasted
over a day and a half. and-Oh'
She simply detested cool. cultured
women Who stood and stared in
quisitively and eagerly And she
mournfnlly told IAfe so that night
when he came In. grinning sheep
bhiy. with i0csnt doll for tn
baby she stood there and looked
at me a. tho were hve-leTsed
calf" complaIped Grace And
then she looked after you as tho
you were a brute"
And she forgot her. not seeing
her the next day But the next
evening Grace and the baby were
out on the back porch about the
time that Lafe was due home. wait
ing for him Supper was rvady
Grace looked over. and saw Mrs
Everson a. her door turning away
peddler Mrs. Eyerson looked up
and over Well, Grace could not
wait and greet I.afe before that in
quisitive face. Abruptly. while the
baby stormed objections. she few
nJde her kitchen.
Then weeks OF discomfort began
for Grace. When on Sunday aft
ernoon she and Iafe. sirolling out.
met Mrs. Everson face to face.
Grace flushed and was irritated. She
read curiosity in the others calm
condemning curiosity. She
knew. as well as II she had bern
told. that Mrs. EversoR was AWAY
reading the papers for the FIRST
news OF their coming divorce But
she couldn't go over TO the woman
ana explain that there was 90 be no
divorce she and LAfe had a
habit 81 saying Violent things that
they didn't In the least mean No,
she simply couldn't Mrs. Eyerson
had that calm. naughty mien that
would be a chill rebuke 10 such con.
ldence. Grace felt small and mIs
rrable and III bred, for we'll bred
folks. Of course. did not quarrel
loudly on their back porch right in
sight and bearing OF ~ neighbors
II ls not comfortable TO feel in.
ferior to a woman whom you meet
several times week An ugly
little ili.tempered line began 10 take