The Wrangell sentinel., 1917-10-11
Fortune and
 A Burden
The Story of Mary Bowen's
 Change of Mind.
By MARIE SYLVESTRE

dress to go out to dinner Mary Bow en was so tired that she felt she would have preferred to stay at home and go to bed early. And yet she had looked forward eagerly for two days to this dinner at the Val entines' new house.
 That she should feel out of sorts when the time actually had arrived added to the sense of grievance against things in general that had been growing very strong within her of late
 Mary Bowen had been married four years, and she was beginning to think of herself as a disappoint- ed woman. Her husband was al- ways good and kind, devoted to her and the two babies, but he had fail ed to surround her with the com forts she felt she deserved.
 She felt annoyed at times at his very goodness. It was positively ir- ritating to have any one always so sweet tempered. It was almost weakness. If he were more of a fighter he would probably get on faster in his business and she would not have to take all the care of the babies with only general girl" to help in the house.
 When she spoke sharply to Will he would look vaguely distressed, or, batting her shoulder, would re- mark gently, "Poor Mary, you're tired out"
 Well, she felt tonight she was tired out. She and her husband were gong to dine with her oldest friend, who had married a year be- fore. The Valentines had gone abroad for a honeymoon that had lasted a whole year. Now they had come back into a house that had been built and furnished during their absence and stood completely ready to receive them. As Mary laid out the blue crepe de chlne that had been one of her trousscau gowns she felt bitterly that things were not very evenly di- vided in this world. Her husband came in. and she treated him coldlv. feeling resentfullv that he was re- sponsible for her hard lot in life.
 When they were ready they left the little house and boarded a stree. car. Mary felt this was nn added grievance. If she could have driven to the Valentines life would have looked less gloomy.
 Mrs. Valentine received her guests in beautiful drawing room. herself attircd in a Paris creation that made Marv's old gown seem to her own consciousness terribly shabby.
 'Dear Mary!" murmured Caro- line Valentine, kissing her friend. "How do you do, Will? It seems to mo you look tired. You mustn't let him work too hard, Mary. You know he'd never think of himself till he dropped"
 "Marv's the tired one," laughed Will Bowen.
 "Is she? She looks as sweet and fresh as ever," responded Mrs. Val cntinc. Then. a little nervouslv. she added: ''Dick got home late to- night, and we will have to wait for him a few minutes. He was very sorry"
 A slight constraint fell upon the three, who continued to converse, nevertheless. until at last Dick Val entine appeared.
 Neither Mary nor Will had known him before he married Caro- line. He was very rich and had charming manners, and to Mary sort of halo had seemed 10 hover over him in her thought of him as her friends husband.
 He greeted his guests with en- thusiastic apologies, and his words had the sound of a torrent, they were poured out so rapidly. His face was flushed, and his eyes re- fused to remain on anything. An unpleasant suspicion formed itself in Mary's mind, and she glanced at her friend.
 Caroline's eyes were fixed on her in a look of abject entreaty, in which modification and pride strug gled miserably. Mary understood and with great effort replied to her hosts remarks in a natural manner.
 A perfect dinner was served in the perfectly appointed dining room, but to Mary Bowen it Was the most trying ordeal she had ever passed through. Dick Valentine drank glass after glass of wine, and Mary saw him respond to his wife's frequent look of appeal with a