Americus times-recorder., 1919-07-10
WHO COULD SHE BE?
CHAPTER XVI

WELL, did you go through every
w thing" asked Everett at dinner
that night, the second in my new
home.
eyes, and Everett, Mrs. Gray
thought was going to discharge her.
l knew she didn't like me, but
didn't know until she acted so pleas
ed when l told her l couldn't run
this big house, that"
"You told her that she was to re-
main?"
! eyes. Don't you want herr"
''Most certainly. But before you
make any contracts with servants or
anyone else please consult me-" his
voice was sharp and | knew he was
displeased. But why? He had said
he most certainly wanted Mrs. Gray
to stay. l had told her the same.
Why should he take that tone?
"Oh, Everett! I'm sorry, l didn't
think"
! ''Please think hereafter" He dis
missed the subject, and was delight
fully entertaining through the re-
mainder of the dinner. Almost as
much so as before l married him.
When he was like that l forgot
everything except my pride in him.
/ We had been married not quite two
weeks and already / felt craving
for companionship, the nearness o.
one who would understand me. was
infatuated with life, eager for the
thrill of new experiences. longed
for sympathy-for love. | wanted to
be caressed, to be told was loved
over and over until was sure of it.
l was often, even in those first days
of my marrid loved, chased by the
fear that l was not loved because
Everett so charity expressed his feel
ing for me. He wasn't as demonstra-
tive as father was with mother, and
they had been married more than
twenty years.
Everett often talked over my head.
He said things l did not quite grasp,
but l never interrupted him to ask
questions. l would often have liked
to, but feared to annoy him.
That night Everett went out. l
wanted to ask where he was going,
but waited, thinking he would tell
me. He did not, just gave me care
less kiss and said:
GO to bed in good season."
| returned his kiss, but before /
could steady my voice to speak he
was gone. l wandered around for
lornly for a while. Then opened the
piano and played little. Both Mrs.
Gray and Hetty had gone out too, or
l should have asked them to talk to
me. didn't care to go into the kitch-
en- and talk with the cook. Ever
ett had warned me already that his
servants weren't old retainers like
ours at home, and that not only
could not make as free with them,
but that | fust not.
Finally | went to my room and
undressed. | slipped. on kimona
and sat by the window. 1t seemed
strange that Everett should go out
without telling me, his wife, where
he was going. Father never did
that. He used to always call to
mother if she weren't in the room
and say:
'I'm going to the club for little
while, I'll be back soon"-or some
thing like that. More and more l
began to see that my husband was
like father in only one thing, his age,
/ could sit still no longer and !
wandered into Everett's room. 1t
was separated from mine by large
dressing room.
At first | walked all around just
looking at things, not touching them.
Then l began to handle his toilet ar
ticles, so different from the dainty
lovely set he had given me. Just
plain black brushes and other arti-
cles. His ties were hung on some
sort of board on the inside of his