Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-22
THE MAN WHO WAS TIRED
OF HIS WIFE
BY LUCILLE VAN SLYKE
Copyright Butteriok Co,

M he Key to yesterday
HsIocks tomorrotc'
r,p1Es SHIRLEY was forty
.,ssr but he prided himself on the
Linz fact that he didn't look it.
..,,s Bertha was forty -one. but she
n ,, ,ook it; she merely looked the
Sau .,", little age -dodser that she was ;
- - a shode too immaculate, a bit
a.I '. carefully coiffed, n whole lot more
y ','sitcus about herself than she had
IN her prodigal and blooming
e'.,,ss ssI She prided herself that she
s.d 'pn her house and her husband
pas W. sLIlI: he had years since decided
WV nenee at any price policy. So
wblle outward.y all was serene,
pa.' ,,dlv the two frequently contem-
.,.d each other with ironical con-
dscenSion' o,u,o to,r "a faint
!, Ae wrinkles at the corner I,,a Oh her
crept into Bertha's thoughts.
a,s a,u.,s bored with you," something
"Hes po''N
whispered. ,...-
,s for Charles, II was pi''erheos'
!. ,,or that rankled in his soul. H9
y, conscious of being very tired OF
,,thing that he did-tired Of his
,...ssfn tobacco brokerage, tired OF
Ne'''O. .uhurhon routine, bored with
ne Sh'e ~, o,ce.l loved billiard
bridge even ~, ~ fou,or chorm
..ble no longer held lts toriner 'hai u.
!, Kim But most Of all he was tired
IIo blamed himself for that,
d BerIha' i' ~, no,Lo, nroud of ber
he really was SUN i"'".' ,,
Resides, he was Dit alraiu vi he'. "
.I0d bor very much as her dog
IdorIv bored Boston bull-regarded
" ' Thcv stil. from force of habit,
M,.6d M nbediently at her side. But both
uV'1Is ,sSm often feigned sleep when she
v .,usd %
''TYj TSinCs might have gone on just the
.,ns with Charles and Bertha for many
- "ra 'more-that is, If spring hadn t
me along. Spring and husband
.ss,sher
sbe blew into Bertha's suburb in the
nost casual way. Some distant rcla-
lives Of hers who were to travel that
snmmer loaned her their shabby cot
sse and antiquated roadster because
Nov didn't want to lose their model
ush Their house was as lnSlgnlnCant
d they were. But suddenly, overnight
h rlowed with gay window boxes and
nifNR
Nd its ugly benches and hammockss'
he impertinent strum of banjo
sounded behind the ancient honeysuckle,
rose .colored lights cleaned from almost
every window. Grown-ups didn't call
90 her, but everybody under twelve
found some excuse to investigate the
back yard. =,
The model maid from force or heoi,
called her temporary mistress Just wha'
he had called her actual employer
Mrs. Dearborn. Which much amused
the lady and awfully worried her dog,
rather disreputa0le- looking part
Aredae mongrel. How he escaped the
dog.eatcher was miracle, for he wore
no leash or muzzle. Though long past
puppyhood, he still dashed about morn
inp with his mistress low shoes dang
Ling by their strings from his mouth
She used to run after him in her stock
Ing feet, laughing softly. and she would
Gt down unconcerned!y wherever she
caught up with him and let him pretend
on,
Her shiny brown hair blew abou,
u the wind, she ignored the existence
u barnets. When it was cold she
wore an atrocious plaid coat that was
much too large Tor her; when it was
warm she appeared in ginghams as
simple as a schoolgirls. She seemed to
md great deal to laugh about in this
IKE Bertha sit was a childish chuckle
childish as her dimplcs. And she
wsh at all preposscssing.
she usually disappeared for two or
lllee days a week, she talked a great
zeal long distance. and once a week
mdaie aged clerk appeared with a
'uS pag ana portable typewriter.
existence at first. Bertha was SUI
peilntending. card indexish house
Ganing and having the billiard room
s~. %ai wsi,s ana her hair. Ihe Chauf-
.ur nsa iumOago and Bertha had never
sorIsu, rIsu 70 uriye car. she said 1t
n 'T,uI noi. @ uurt Charles tor a rev weeks
Il. Sa,S S.as, that oriet mile to and from
,,lt ", S'a''0n' AND It didnt hurt him TO
Becousu ,bo r0uu .ooo,s In, !. :,
nm asSt %ait,nn tne very very G Terohu day ne De :
Summ"S Sh"n"s hI 'He bearporh rouuster
-u"'tTea @Wel oy' ,,,o.
'You loot ',a, marn,;s% H"me ~ out gay voice.
She nnconcorn"Jir ''l' o,,,,,roJ ,,;,.
basket o"ro,''Grme1iS o"rog" hi'. pumped splInt
waited from tbr bostct Mr' ChorIPn rPaey ri"I TToT
bOyishly '''N '"'"''' ""' ''' ''''te
Have n cookv2" sbo su,oostod
hN who bakcs cm " for "Um p'o on - ,,a ,nT odnI n
maids day out. ink" 'em, homo % hot
and eat dozen and dripk y "o goIior Not Of
milk. Solves thc Ginner nroSiem for or
ne and the dorg-I nut the basket on
The floor when i'm done md no eats tho
fst" - N'"' anu D' '"'' '"'
Charles was on his fourth when she