Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-03
The Wife.
Ruth Is Disturbed Because OF Mrs
CuEtis's Chatter.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER XXXVII

| 'TtAF Ibh hhANl III.
Ruth's luncheon with Mrs. Curtis
had a very upsetting effect upon her.
| All the afternoon here careless re
marks recurred. making Ruth ra-
ther absent minded: so much so that
La Monte wondered II her husba nd
| had been unpleasant because OF her
absence. For. while not at all intend
Ing to do so, Ruth had given both
Mr.. Mandel and his clerk an impress
| sion that Brian objected TO her be
ing in the shop.
SO II was known and talked Of,
already--she thought bitterly.
Ruth wished that Brian hadn't
taken Mollle to dinner. or course
she couldn't say so. couldn't object
to what he did when she was away.
But 1t was rather disconcerting to be
told Of how intimate he used to he
with this Mollie King. Ruth had to
own to herself that Mollle was at
tractive. Ease cinating," Mrs. Curtis
| had called her She would watch
Brian closely II Mrs Curtis did give
a dinner and asked them. She would
also watch Mollie King.
"a penny for your thoughts, Mrs
Hackett!" Mr.. Mandel stood at her
elbow, smiling down on her. IL have
stood here for ten minutes, and you
haven't moved Il muscle"
"Oh, excuse me. Mr.. Mandel!"
Ruth flushed with embarrassment as
she took the papers he had brought
her, plans he had brought her. plans
for the redecoration OF the Philadel-
| phia house.
Thinking OF that new apartment
you told me you were going TO take,
A. ,-.EIa(
No but | really am going TO
move, and I haven't half thanked you
for the lovely things you said might
have to help make 1t attractive" she
returned with more fulsomeness In
her manner than she usually dis
played. She had been glad he spoke
OF the apartment, tina the had said
no more about what she was think
ing. She was not accustomed to hid
Ing her feelings She must leearn to
do So or else to so concentrate on
her work that even what Brian had
done. or might do, could not take her
thoughts from II.
MIR Mandel said no more. save
about the work in hand. For half
an hour they discussed the lovely old
house they were to make over in
side" as ne expressed II; and when
he left her with the plans nearly
ready for her to work up the color
scheme, Ruth really had forgotten
all about what Mrs Curtis had said
had even forgotten there was such
person as Mollie King,
But she recalled her again at din
ner when she told Brian Of meeting
Mrs. Curtis.
she Is going TO ask us to dinner,
~ 1ga atl AA Nnruu n
ask that nice Miss King you took out
to dinner while | was away. told
her we would be glad to come. /
hope | did right
"Of course we will go. The Curtlses
are rather jolly people, and they also
have pretty good cook. Curtis Is
pretty well fixed" he added, flushing
a little as ne always did when money
was the subject.
Ruth started to repeat what Mrs.
Curtis had said concerning a woman
whd worked. and n husbands atu-
tude because OF It; then caught her
self. Brian was already more than
little sensitive on the subject II
would he better to say nothing that
might possibly make him more So
But several times during the eve
ming Ruth thought OF what had been
sand, and wondered IL, by any possi-
bility, Mrs. Curtis could be right.
Did II have dcmoralizing effect on
a man to have his wife earn money?
why should It? II a woman were
happier doing something outside OF
the home, and capable OF doing 1t so
that she made money, it seemed to
her that It showed a smallness. a lack |
OF hroadnCss Of character. which she !
did not like to think Of in connection
with Brian.
"Of course | won't earn more than |
he does very long" she said to her |
relf. then he will feel differently |
about it" Vet even as she said It, |
she wondered how long II was going |
to bo before her husband earned |
more, He had been so optimistic be- |
fore they were married, SO sure that !
he would soon be on easy street."
as he had often expressed II. that |
Ruth had shared his views without |
questioning them. But now they had |
been married several months. and /
instead of more clients he seemed to |
have fewer He had contributed less
to expenses that month than the pre- |
ceedinE ones, That ne had spent the |
money entertaining Mollie King, she |
OF course was not aware, although !
she knew he had taken her to dinner
twice But when they had taken a
meal at some restaurant together 1t
had been a simple, inexpensive one
~. ti,,a Rrian WnntNd n