Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-10-06
Margaret CARROTS
Husband
ANOTHER EFFORT TO
KEEP BOB HOME
CHAPTER XIV,
< By JANE PHELPS \
K X X X X X X X X X X X X i

ISsJ L kHOM L ulu L Ieplleu W
Bob 3 remark that 1 had known he
was going away when l invited father
and mother to dinner. "But l thought,
dear, if 1 did something to make you
have a good time at home with me you
would rather stay han go with a lot of
men. 1 wouldn't leave you if your faith
er were coming"
"We won't discuss it, Margaret. /
have made my plans and shall adhere
to them. You complained because l did
not consult with you when l asked John
Kendall to dine with us, yet you, know
ing 1 had made all my arrangements to
go away, invite company to dinner. 1
am sure neither your father nor your
mother would want me to give up my
week end because they were to be here.
Really it is a very nice plan all around.
You will not be lonely, and they will
be pleased to have a change"
$50 you won It stay home!"
Decidedly, mol"
"Don't you love me at all, Bob?"
"That has nothing to do with it,"
cit has everything to do with it. If
you really loved me as much as 1 love
you you wouldn't WANT to leave me
as l have said SO many times"
81 know. But, Margaret, l married
you, and L am very fond of you. If
you can't be happy with me away l
am sorry; but l cannot always be with
you, and you should begin to make
plans which sometimes left me out"
$50 you are fond of me,'' l paid
no attention to his concluding sentence,
''of course you are. We love each other
too dearly, Bob, to have anything make
us unhappy. We must both give up a
little l suppose"
"Therel that's a sensible. girl. Well
we have talked so long l shall be late
to the office; not that it matters much,
Collins Clerk can attend to anything
which may come up"
With a hurried kiss, an ~unclasping of
my clinging arms, he was gone. But al
though my plan to keep him home had
failed, l was not unhappy. Had he not
not declared that che cared for me,
and of course he cared as much as L
did-or nearly as much.
Yet in spite of such thoughts as these
| tried all day to think of some other
plan which would keep him home. Once
[ thought / would pretend to be i'll;
then rejected that as unfeasible. He
would insist upon having a doctor, then
my hoax might be exposed. Finally I
gave it up, and determined to say or
do nothing further. But l would make
him give me another promise. This time
that he would not plan to go anywhere
without me Unless L was willing.
/ ran over to see mother, and both
she and father said exactly what Bob
told me they would.
cit would be a shame for him to re-
main home for u.s. mother said when
| explained that Bob could not break
his engagement. "We "a come over
any time; but he cannot go out in the
country with his friends much longer.
There will be but a few more weeks OF
golf or tennis for him."
And father agreed.
"We can play chess all winter. Why
should he stay home to entertain an
old man when he can be out doors en-
ioying himself"
In the face of this 1 could not confess
that l had planned to keep him at home,
so L let the invitation stand, although
l had gone over with the idea OF with
drawing it. If Bob thought l had com
pany when ne was away; if he could
auiet his conscience by thinking L was
having a good time, he would have no
compunction in leaving me. He must
understand that L loved him so that l
was miserable when he vas away. L
should be careful it didn' t happen again
Thursday came, and before Bob left
in the morning he asked ME If l would
Law his things out on the bed SO he
could pack up quickly.
"Don't pack the bag, Margaret, you
might forget something l would need.
Just lay the things ON the bed, Il l
will pack when l come IN. l wish you
were going with us dear; Dur untortun-
ately stag parties do not admit Oh a
fellow taking his wife"
1 was busy all day, but l was happy
as well, in spite of the fact that Bob
was going aW l knew of course that
he loved me, what wife of five months
Doesn't but he had expressed a wish
that 1 could 90 along. He would be Will
ing enough to give me the promise L
intended to claim. 1 would say nothing
until his return, then l would talk
plainly to him about making engage
ments of any kind which did not in
elude me.
About four o'clock he came up.
ssYou are a dear thoughtful girl, y,
he said as he threw the things l had
ready for him into his Rag. "You have
forgotten nothing. Have a good time
while l am gone' and with a hasty
kiss he ran down the stairs, too ANXIOUS
TO get started to wait for the elevator.
I looked out of the window, and John
Kendall, Homer CreedmOre n Tom
Barton all wave to me. 1 waved back
and smiled at them; then turned away
and had a little cry of self-pity as |
thought that l should not see my darl-
ing husband until Sunday night.
Della came in and caught me crying
and said kindly: -,
ssDon t be a worrying Mrs. GARRETT
You aim t got nothin' to fret about like
some women has,
Tomorrow Heated Diseussion)