The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-14
Married Life, to Date
BY MAeeL HERBERT uRNER


Her glance fell on her engagement
ring finger now so pathetically bare
HAD tie loss of her ring been a fore
boolns OF this? Suddenly she drop
ped the Work basket and rushed into
her room lest Warren should see her
tears. On the bed she buried her
face IN the pillow SO the sound of her
sopblng would not reach him.
There had been hardly an hour in
the last week since she had lost her
ring that she had not looked for it
som 1ere, and always with that sick
feeling of dread that if she did not
find 1t it would in some way mean
some arrangement between Warren
and her. And now-now he was go
ing TO Paris for three months! She
tried to think of what the days and
nights would be without him. The
whole world had grown suddenly
black.
Then she heard. warren,s voice CALI
ing her. She started up. hastily brush
ing away the tears
Where did you put that long en-
velope of papers I brought home last
night" he shouted impatiently.
Why, isn't it in the desk drawer
there? Wait. I'll come and get it,
hurriedly f1uffing the power puff over
her face to hid the tear stains.
But when she found the envelope,
he glanced at her sharply.
What's the matter with you2 Sup
pose We don't have anything but tears
and Mysteries until I leave, eh ?"
Warren, that isn't fair, / haven't
said one word I haven't begged you
to take me nor made a single COM
plaint."
Il To- or Al
wouldn't do any good. But you'll be
going around here with long, woe
begone face. Cad, you love to pose as
a martyr. TIL be mighty glad to get
off. can tell you that"
Sleepiess Moments.
Warren worked over his papers I'M
til after eleven and when he finally
went to bed, Helen was already there.
Her face was turned to the wall and
her eyes We're closed. In a few me-
ments he was asleep. But Helen. with
the ache in her throat and her heart,
lay staring at the wall. which re-
Elected in wavering shadows the dim
light from the street. :.
At length she could stand il no
longer. Quietly she slipped out of
bed and into the front room. She sank
into low chair by the open window
warm and sultry, and the faint breeze
hardly stirred the thin curtains. There
was no moon, and only a few stars
shone in the dark, cloudy sky
Often Helen had found peace in the
soothing stiffness of the night, but
now her thoughts We're too tumultu-
Gus and the ache in her heart too
acute.
Sc had lost her engagement ring
and now Warren was leaving her to go
abroad. The fear that he was grow
ing farther from her, which was al
ways in the background OF Helen's
thoughts, was stronger than ever.
And what had she to hold him? Her
very love seemed to irritate him. Her
need of him, her clinging weakness. |
her dependence, her dread OF being ,,
left alone all these things served only
to estrange him. In her heart she
had always fell that the type Of wo-
man that could have best held War
rem would have been the fearless, the
independent, the Indifferent type.
Often she had tried to assume these |
traits. She had tried to appear cold
and Indifferent, but she could never
keep it up for long. And Warren al
ways saw through this pathetic little |
ruse. After all she could only be
herself
Towards dawn the air grew chill and !
damp, but still 1she sat there. sud |
denly there was the creaking sound of |
step, then the bedroom door open
ed Warren came out.
Hello, what are you doing here?''
A Pathetic Sight.
Nothing, DEAR starting up. II
just couldn't Sleep
He touched the button by the door
and switched on the light. Perhaps (
there was something in her white-i
drawn face as she shrank blinking /
from the sudden glare that touched /
him, and he said with unaccustomed I
gentleness:
You'd better come back to bed
you'll catch cold He felt of her arm
through her thing nightgown. why.
you're chilled through. How long !
have you been out here? What's this
your sleeves all wetw
She tried to draw away, but he held
her.
You've been sitting there crying
half the night-that's it?' The words
were sharp but the voice was, for
Warren, strangely gentle. so that's
the way you act when you think I'm
going away for a few weeks. Well,