Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-07-29
!. The Woman Who Changed
By JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER CXLI.

CHAPTER CXLI.
Mr.. and Mrs. Babeoek left us i'm
Imediately after breakfast the mex
morning. 1 rode to the station witt
them, as did George. Mrs. Babeoek
kissed me fondls and said she never
had enjoyed visit more, never beer
more perfectly entertained.
"Your little wife is charming
hostess" she said to George, thereby
making me very happy-happy that he
should know how she felt.
"Look the other way, Howard ]
am going to kiss this little girl, too,
Mr.. Babeock remarked. "May l, my
dear?"
"Indeed you may!" l responded 50
heartily that they all laughed.
"Aren't they just lovely9" I asked
as George and l stood, for q moment,
watehing them after they went thru
THE gate, -
"They are real people, - he replied.
If'Come on, well take little spin out
i'm the country, then you can drop ME
at the office. 1t will do you good to
stay out in the air. A" =,
/ flushed with pleasure. 1t was
lovely to be so appreciated. | felt,
all at once, repaid for all l had tried
TO do to win my husbands approval;
all at once, I forgot everything that
had been hard and disagreeable.
We had a lovely ride, George chat
ting gaily with me all the time. >,
When l dropped him at the office,
an hour later, / said:
"Thank you for pleasant morn
ing, George
A smile and wave of his hand was
his only answer, yet it made me happy.
Mrs. Babcock Was Right
As / rode home, 1 thought of what
Mrs. Babcock had said, and how right
she was. If we gave the best of our
selves to others, they returned it in
kind | had lately given my very best
to George, in every way He never had
been so appreciative, 50 evidently pleas
ed with me, as now When ] grumbled
fretted myself and him because / want
ed his approval (whether l deserved it
or not), was unhappy, and made him
disconted also. I left determined to
try harder than ever to be all he want
cd me to be-all wife, occupying the
position / occupied, should be.
1t may seem strange to some, that
my husband should put so much stress
upon my social success. But he was
/ n
entertain--that he have, as a wife,
woman who could do her part. That he
had chosen me, country girl, in spite
of knowing that / had no training for
the part, did not Gas 7 had long thot)
prove that he desired to make me over,
SO much as that he loved me regardless
of my deficiencies. He wanted to make
me over because Of that love. George
was wealthy, clever, handsome. He
need not have married a simple little
country girl. He had married me be-
cause he loved me. And had come dan
gerously near to losing that love, by
my worrying and fretting. I had not
realized that he might be just as good
a man, even tho he was different from
the men j had knowh-my father and
my brothers. His life had been differ
ent; his outlook, naturally, was differ
ent also.
Waen ever thought of my feelings
about our child-how I had misjudged
him in that-I felt very humble, very
eager to do him full justice in all other
ways.
MRS. Sexton is i'll
When I reached home, / found
note from Mrs. Sexton asking me to
run lid and see her, if it were possible.
I went immediately. knew she would
not send for me unless it were import
ant. 1 found her in bed, ill.
~ have been very i'll for a day or
two, and, although l am better now,
there may be days when | cannot see
any one. | wanted to talk to you
while was strong enough to do So. "
"But-"
II shall never be well, dear I have
been ill for years. Don t look so dis
tressed. In some ways, l shall be glad
to go'
Until she said that, / had not real
lied that she meant she was dangerous
ly ill. 1t startled me.
ooh, don t talk that wayl You II
soon be better!n I exclaimed
''No, | never shall be better. ] have
been ill for years. Perhaps You recall
that, when / first came to you, ] oeca-
sionally asked to use the carr 1t was al
ways when / was in such pain that ]
had to see a specialist. -
"0h, am so sorry | ever was un-
kind to you'll" leaned over and kiss
cd her "You know I love You now,
lon't you. Better than any other wo-
man in Moreland."
"Yes. I know. You didn't under
stand: that was all. And that is one
thing wanted to see you about; you
must try to understand your husband
his viewpoint--or you never will be
happy. He is an undemonstrative, self |
,ontained man. He loves you, am sure
It win be your fault, my dear, If you
are unhappy"
We chatted for an hour. told her |
If my dinner, Of my visit to Chicago, |
and how more than nice George had |
,een to- me of late-that he seldom
found fault. etc. When / left it was
With feeling that I might never see
Ter again. I realized she was very i'll. |
Tomorrow pleasant surprise)
4