Omaha daily bee., 1921-04-24
The Married Life of
Helen and Warren

The doctor is to tell him this after
noon-I suppose he has by now."
But you have helped-that should
be some consolation" ventured
Helen.
"Yes, brought him back for herl
Now Pm cut off entirely" smother
ing sob in the pillow. Il don't
know when | can see him or even
hear from him.
"I'll answer it, Helen started UP
as the telephone shrilled out.
Hello Yes, this is Miss
Caldwell's studio Who? {.
DR.. Morley? Just hold the
wire
But Alice was already beside her.
Her hand trembled pitifully as she
took the receiver.
"Yes Worse! =. :. l03? I'll
be there in half an hour"
The next moment she had dashed
back into the bedroom and was tear
ing off her negligee.
Hes worse! He's been restless
ever since | left. His temperatures
Up again. Phone for taxi quick!'
When Helen came back from the
telephone, Alice was already in her
Uniform The very severity OF the
plain white costume accentuated her
fragile fairness.
"He needs me! He can't get well
without me! Even the doctor sees
that now She was a-quiver with a
glowing exultancy. "And yet-what
can it lead to? Will it mean only
greater unhappiness for us both?"
Throwing a long cloak over her
white gown. she was ready.
You're coming down with me to
the cab? Oh, I wish you could go
ell the way. There's something so
forbidding about that house-it
frightens me. It's all her atmosphere,
cold and formidable. Now | know
why he lived at the club while she
was in Europe
Don't you want me to stay and
Straighten up here? You can't leave
your apartment like this.
"And you don't blame me?" quiver-
ingly "You won't-whatever hap
pens"
"Why should /? Lies so difficult
how can any of us Judge? That
sounds SO trite-but YOU know what
7 mean You know I want to help
you"
A wistful, tremulus kiss and Alice
was gone. ... ...
Alone, Helen started to staghten
the tumbled bed and the Uttered
room. The ominous clipping she
folded carefully and put back beneath
the box in the dressing table drawer
She was very near tears. Life was
so difficult pathetically. terrifyingly
difficult. She was frightened for
Alice. What did the future hold for
her? What further depths of unhap-
piness?
Her glance fell on the telephone,
the familiar instrument that to her
meant always-Warren.
Yielding to a swift, almost hysteri-
cal impulse, she called his office. His
stenographer's colorless drawl, then
his own brisk "Hellow
ooh, it's nothing, dear. I'm just
a little upset about something and I
i thought it would help jus to talk
to vou-to hear your voice"
"Eh? What's all that? Wait till
shut this window | can't hear a
darn thing"
By the time he returned to the
phone, Helen had controlled her
emotionalism. ..
"Oh, I just wanted you to come
home a little early this evening.
Cora wants to go out tonight
thought we'd have an early dinner
and let her off. .. Yes, about
g."
She hung up the receiver. half
ashamed of the weakness that had
prompted her to call him. But as
always, his voice had steadied her.
Always in emotional moments she
wanted to cling to him.
She was glad his open window had
deafened her admission. He never
understood her clinging impulses.
Yet it had been a steadying influence
just to speak to him.
Just to know that he was there,
that he was coming home at 6, gave
her something to hold to-and made
the world seem little more stable,
little more fearsomely chaotic.
| ;oi,& TT.