The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-30
MARRIED LIFE
BY Nobel Herhsrt Urasr.

with her eyes fixed on the white mus
lin curtain which had blown out the
open window and were huttering IN
the warm night air.
One hand vas thrown over the pill
low; the other lay out limp and white
on the table beside her.
Her mother came In now with a
cup Of broth.
"Your father says you must thy to
take some of this now. You haven
had anything since three o'clock"
Helen shook her head. IL can't
family.
"You must. dear, you've had moth
ing but little orange juice today.
You must have some norr. shment
Reluctantly Helen took the spoon
and then turned her head away.
mo, no, ] cxn't--I can't take any
thing more" drowsily. .1'll try 4
little later"
do you feel that you could sleep
now"
Helen NODDED.
Her mother lowered the light and
went quietly into the next room. But
Helen had no thought of sleep. She
only wanted to be alone.
She Guesses the Truth.
She had overheard something that
afternoon which made her believe
they had sent for Warren.
1T had been her fathers voice. If
he left last night at S he ought to
be here tonight on the 1880. But
we'd better not tell her TIL he comes"
That was all she had heard, hut it
had been enough.
Oh, why had they done this thing?
IL L. ~%
her will? Would he show ,nat he
came reluctantly-that he resented
the time and the expense of the trip.
With the furious perversity that
often comes to people who are really
sick, Helen felt that she was not
ill, at least not seriously so-not ill
enough to Justify sending for War
rem?
They had defeated the purpose of
her trip. She had come on this visit
hoping that her action would make
Warren miss her-wou1d make him
feel the need of her. And she had
! secretly intended to stay until he
should send for her--unt.i he could
bear it no longer without her. And
now all this was defeated by her
becoming i'll and their send for him.
She heard her father enter the
room. She closed her eyes, pretend
ing to be asleep. If she spoke to him
at all, she feared it would be to re-
preach him for te'egraphing Warren.
And she felt too sick and weak for
that.
DIR. Allen was standing beside the
bed. In spite of her closed eyes he
knew she was not asleep. Tender1y
he smoothed back the hair from her
forehead.
"Helen, you must take this now"
as ne raised her head and held the
medicine to her lips.
Again she closed her eyes and lay
notionless while he sat silently be-
side her.
She felt herself growing drowsy.
Was It the medicine, she wondered,
vaguely.
A Troubled Dream.
Then she fell into troubled dozc
in which she dreamed that Warren
had come and was heartily renroaeh-
ing her for having sent for him, say
ing that she was only pretending to
be i'll to get him here.
He seemed to be standing beside
the he'd his hat in his hand and his
overcoat on his arm while she was
trying to hold him. begging him to
stay. He answered coldly that he
was going back at once on the next
train. He was moving towards her.
and she seemed to be dragging her
self to follow f1im--when she awoke.
Would it be like that? Was this
dream premonition Of ms coming?
She was alone, but she could hear
her mother moving softly about in
the next room. Her lips were parch-
ed and dried. She reached over for
the glass Of cracked ice on the stand
beside her, but it was too far away.
Her mother, hearing her stir WAS in
stantly by the bed.
Helen nlotioned for the ice.
!. Won't YOU take a little of the
broth now?'
Helen shook her head. Ice was all
she had had an insatible craving for
ice.
Mother" she asked. abruptly.
why Gid you send for Warren?'
Her mother started. "Why. dear.
what makes you think he's been sent
for?"
Helen waved her hand in faint pro-
test. "Oh, 1 knowI overheard YOU
talking about it. You must tell me!
When did you send the telegram. and
what did you say" excitedIy.
Il want the exact Words
Why, dear, don't remember"
evasively. "Your father did that"
., But you know what he s.ls-
You MUST tell me-"
why, he just said you were ILL.,
"And what did Warren answer -"
"How do YOU know he is coming ~
Now, Helen YOU mustn't talk about
this. 1t is only exciting You"
How do you know he is coming ~
she repeated. did he telegraph
back ."
"Yes." reluctantly.
Let me see the telegram
"But Helen"
at mo San H,a {>la~