Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-10-01
SMILES N TEARS
BY ELIZABETH B. DAY.


Copyright, 1919, Mcclure Newspaper Syn
dieate.)
Philip Randall was very proud OF his
wife, Alice. They had been married a
.-ar and three days and were supreme
~ happy. Alice was dainty and very
rauch alive and interested in things
both inside and outside her home.
Philip liked to have his wife in
things" and encouraged her many ae-
t~ivities, including sewing circles and a
social tea now and then.
Alice did not let the home suffer,
however, and it "a always as neat as
wax and very tastefulIy arranged.
Things were running very smoothly
for the Randalls, in fact, until
One day Philip came home at moo
and found the house vacant. He was
hungry and cross. "Why couldn't Alice
have lunch ready on timer he'd like
to know. "What was a wife for, any
way, if not to have meals ready on
time and make things pleasant for her
%husband?"
Viciously he chewed his cigar and
was just about ready to leave the house
and get his lunch elsewhere when he
heard the chug of Alice's roadster, his
first wedding anniversary gift to her.
three short days before. "Surely he
had done his best to make her happyI"
Alice breezed into the house, looking
very pretty and youthful in a silk sport
suit.
Hello, h%oney-love !" she greeted him
as she kissed him soundly, quite ignor-
ing his d~isgruntled manner.
Philip mumbled something peevishly
about a 'tired business man having to
wait for his meals" Immediately he
was sorry that he had said it, but de-
termined not to show it.
Alice flushed, but playfully assured
the blessed crouch" that lunch would
be ready in a jiffy.
"In a jiffy!" calculated Philip. 81
have to be at the Office in 40 minutes
unless you want me to lose my job"
His heart smote him as he saw the
happy light die out of his wife'S eyes;
but somehow this noon he could not
help saying things which he had never
allowed himself to say in the past.
While Alice busted herself in the
kitchen he sat in his big easy chair in
the living room and smoked. He was
sitting where he could see Alice NOV
ing about preparing the belated meal.
Moodily he watched her, then sudden
ly sat erect.
"COuld it be possible, his Alice, al
ways so bright and CHEEKY, crying?"
But yes, he saw her wipe her eyes and
distinctly heard a faint sniff.
Philips peeve left him in a fash and
a great remorse took possession of him.
"Oh, why didn't I keep my mouth
shut? Never spoke a cross word to the
poor little girl of course she doesn't
know how to take it," And now he was
In a fine mess and he supposed lunch
that noon would be about the dreari-
est meal he had ever eaten.
Furtively he glanced into the kitchen
again, and sure enough, Alice was not
only wiping her eyes, but sitting down
actually making a business Of crying.
Philip fidgeted, whistled q bit, and
tried to hum a tune, but his tongue
was hot and dry and chung miserably
to the roof of his mouth.
Brute" he accused himself, "crank,"
echoed his conscience. To have hurt
the dearest wife a man ever had was
indeed unbearable.
Clumsily he made his way into the
kitchen, stumbling over a couple of
chairs in his haste.
Alice took no notice of him, but
continued to dig a pathetic little wad
of moist linen into first n eye and
then the other. Then she smiled wanly
through her tears, and Philip, unable
to resist any longer, gathered her into
his arms and begged to be forgiven.
"Don't cry. dear, l didn't mean it,
sweetheart. I'm sorry and"
He got no further.
Was Alice laughing at him? What
had come over his dependable little
wife who never had Mysteries or any Of
the other purely feminine Affections.
"Oh, Phil" and she fairly shrieked
with merriment. "Oh you blessed old
peach, did you think 1 was crying be-
cause you were a bit impatientT"
"Well weren't your demanded the
Rstonished husband.
Il was peeling onions" gasped
Alice between peals of laughter.
Philip joined her quite ~relievedly
and shamefacedly.
"You know, DEAR" he said a few
minutes later, "steak and onions never
tasted so good before, especially the
onions"