Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-12-25
The Wife.
Ruth Spend. unhappy Hours.
NJ iANE PHELPS

thhf FslN ~
Moiiie King going 10 France n,
| q nursel Slowly the fact that Nrian
must be going so that hc might he
\ near her, impressed Itself upon
Runs mind, IL he cared for Moil's
like that, WIN, use was II for her
10 try to fight II, or TO argue with
him because Of her own need7
lie had said "Moiiie In going
too" That last ominous word chilled
her, made hsr catch her breath,
and killed her speech. What use'
Their dinner waA eaten almost IN
silence There WAS but one thing 70
talk about, and that nelth~r spoke OF
again After dinner nrlan took a
magazine. and Nnth some msndins
Into the living room. He stretched
himself at fun length. HprawlinG com
fortahly In n huge reading chair Ruth
had given him. Tier llr cutled as she
l"okcd iEwould leave her heoouse
she worked earned money, Va, To the
last he wou,d use the comforts abe
provided How like him.
Vet there was little bitterness In
her thought. despite the curling hp
prlsr was SO like an overgrovn boy
|, instead of a,man. a big. spoiled boy.
I, was nlwsvr 80 IN. Thought of him,
after he had hurt her. hut that Mol
lie was going too. could " he ha'
while ahe had he~n so busy, he and
Nollie had been planning To do this
thlng7
suddenly she doubted Nriar's rcn-
son for going rather planning TN 80.
n was not patriotism, not desire IA
fipht for cause he thought right
and lust; but a desire io he win Mol
lie King~-to he cut OF from all con
vention with thls girl whom he had
known ~ long ana whoar friends had
expected he would marry.
what should she do'
What could she do
As she rnt darnlng a sock ~ llrinn'-
a silk one t0io hal glv''b him she
wondered vaguely N she offered to
riye up her work and remain ~
home. n II would stop him Then she
rmncrd around the dainty. almost
luxurious SOON. until finally hct eyes
res,sd upon the snrawliug figure In
the ensN chair Thcrr would ~ no
hint Of luxury n thev depended upon
what No earned ahc know Hadn't
she tried II when they we've first mar
,lrdg nrlnn wna smoking cigar
abe knew hy the aroma that n w1s
an extended one lie had smoked
eheap cisarcts then She heard
rachel moving about the Kitchen.
clearing away the dinner things, and
attending to the breakfast Tor tho
next morning Nrian loved her de
urious coffee her wnfflcs ana JOHNNY
cake. hot, and cut in squares Tie
dotted ON her fried chicken and corn
rri,tcrr lie never failed 10 say she
made the hest SOUPS he ever had iasl
cd lie would have to give ur all
these things and cat what she cook cd
drink rnfffeo which he used to hker
,o dl,ch. wutcr 1T wns not to he
ronsiderrd n ne DIDN'T love her
enough io be truc when h". through
her efforts was made so comfortable,
no would not love her whom deprived
of all these things
That men DO not hVc because "
.xtraneous things Ruth had vet To
learn That n In tho appeal ~ the
woman herself that first draws them
and then holds them
nrlnn finished his story lie yswn.
I'd then
Il believe III turn In early" he
mId Il have lot TO do tomorrow
and shall have to be down early"
Ordinarily Ruth would have ash ed
him what Il was that he had 10 do.
uui she snid nothing lie rose, went
,o the door and called To- Rachel;
"IEve breakfast promptly In the
moriang. Rachel shall be hurried