Evening star., 1921-12-31
THE SIXTH SENSE.

Is common sense. Some people
:, say it's the sense of humor.
But every successful wife
learns. sooner or later. that it's the
deft combination of both-is known
as nonsense-and that at times
woman needs it more than all her
other senses put together.
The night that Merriam Lindsay
discovered this fundamental matri-
monial fact she had been smuggling
under the bedclothes for hours. listen
ing for two sounds she wanted very
much to hear-the sound of her door
opening and her husband saying, "Im m
sorry"
For Merriam had never lived near
enough to any little boy to know that
the male creature will endure almost
any amount Of being shut in the
woodshed without admitting in so
many words that he's wrong.
Merriam had exiled John to the
guest room. They had not quarreled,
but they had reached point where
life was too complicated to be rear
ranged by argument. Very young
and very unhappy, they had stared at
each other when Merry had forced
John to admit he was considering an
illegal occupation.
"Bootlegging" She had flung the
words at him bluntly. And delivered
this ultimatum-that she would tell
on him II he tried it.
It seemed like ages since the guest
room door had closed. She could
She could see a thin line Of light un-
der the door. Once before. when she
and John had quarreled, he had gone
to sleep while he was angry. But this
time she knew he wasn't asleep. She
could smell cigarette smoke.
Of the land said she was right. Her
own heart told her she was right.
Her thoughts raced in eloquent
phrases with which she would be ad.
dressing John-if the door were open!
I'm not the herssif saYtng
"I'm simply talking sense. It's fool
But she couldn't yell that sort of
thing through a closed door.
Her thoughts became disconnected.
That's all we have in the world. l
haven't a decent thing left to pawn.
dassent sell granddaddy's furniture:
because dad only loaned 1t to me-"
She stopped thinking and resumed
listening.
shifting at the crossing. She could
hear her dog snoring. She could hear
q mouse nibbling.
"Gracious" her thoughts began
again. Suppose that mouse nibbled
at the fudge, and :! couldn't sell the
fudge to the schoolboys tomorrow"
She reached out an appealing hand
to Johns bed before she remembered
John wasn't in his bed. She glared
at the guestroom door. She was very
tired and very sleepy.
More thoughts crowded.
II wish I hadn't said I wouldn't
speak to him until he promised not
to do it. Three dollars and eleven
cents! But If the mouse doesn't nib
BILE the fudge, will have fifteen times
twenty-five cents and twenty-five
times fifteen cents IL. wonaer; i1' svar IL my s
awake at night worrying about her
baby being a girl with no money to
buy baby things with" She felt so
sorry for her imaginary daughter that
she almost wept.
But suddenly, very whimsicany' sne
a little girls and was being punished
by having been put to bed. she con-
yulsed her stern father by remarking
in q wee voice, 1T was my rect
really ran away, not me. Ana they
arc SO remote ITOIl Iuo EcSS VI me-
The little granddaughter that she
might have was remote" from the
rest Of her, but 1t didn't seem fair
to wish a bootlegger grandaddy on
her!
Young man on the other side OF the
door reached his last cigarette and no
decision. Big and blond and gaunt.
he faced a future that seemed hide
Gus. He didn't know that anything
so ghastly as this job-losing. job
hunting nightmare could exist; He
had felt positively noble when he let
the smooth-tongued agent present the
whisky distribution proposition to
him. 'For Merriam's sake" he had
dramatized the thing. It didn't occur
to him that his perverse wife would
see it in any other light. Her atti-
tude put him in the devil Of q d.
iemma. No man wants to let his
wife bluff him out Of a decision. not
even from principle. He stared trag-
ically at the door. Probably she was
weeping her eyes out.
But an incredible sound seepedl