Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-31

the ring. l was scared ana ashamed, put
Mrs. Roscoe knew had present for you. and
she had seen 1t, and it was marveous-and all
/ had this cwful ring. SO gave 1t to you.
Then you know what happened. All the
women admring it, and we began to have par
ties and get clothes because OF 1t. And
all the time I didn't know whether Roscoe.
who was mad, had told his wife the truth or not.
went to see him and we got mad at each other
because thought he had told his wife and he
thought a four-Ilusher who had got him
In bad with his wife.
Everybody Gdmirng the ring, and you
proud of 1t. and was scared to death
all the time. l was awful scared, darling. and
I awfully sorry. and I've tried TO make
things all right. You can understand 1t, can't
you? didn't mean to do any harm. It's just
the way things turned out Everythings been
against ME. Please don't you go against me.
Mollie. I've been a practical joker but never
meant any harm. I've had an awful time these
three months"
He did not say anything Of his most des-
perate measure. the robbery, but he confessed
everything else.
His wife said nothing, and did not so much
as move to indicate that she had heard him.
Thereupon he became angry. developed his
sense of injury afresh and walked sullenly into
the dining room where he drank more whisky
He sat down and brooded, drinking from time
to time. There movement from the bed
room, no movement in 1t. The fiat grew dark,
and he sat in sullen, silent mood
1t was 5 o'clock In this dark, silent cp-
pressive atmosphere when the telephone bell
rang and he answered 1t. Their hostess wanted
to know If anything was the matter. Jessop
said that Mrs. Jessop had been taken III sud-
denly and that he had been too busy with her
to telephone regrets
I'm sorry" said the hostess ITS not
about the ring, is %
Jessop hung up the receiver without reply.
The story was on it's way throughout the circle
of vIo lyr thop, md in
the face Of it with the new ring, even if 1t were
not like the old one.
He went into the bedroom again and turned
on the light. His wife was lying he had left
her. He stood and looked at her without speak
ing. Once he saw her shoulders move convul-
sively. II she were restraining in his presence
sobs which shook her when he was not present.
He turned out the light and went back to his
chair In the dining room. where he passed the
night His wife did not arise but spent the
night where she had thrown herself on the bed.
Early in the morning Jessop made himself
cup of coffee and ate some bread and butter.
His wife out of the bedroom, but she did
not speak to him or look at him. and presently
she returned to the bedroom and closed the
door. When he left the house two hours later
she had not reappeared
He passed a dark and terrific day down.
town, amless and he felt. isolated in his un-
happiness.
In the evening when he returned home, hav-
Ing no occasion for not going there and
occasion for doing so, his wife moving list
lessly about the fiat. She did not look at him
when he spoke to her or answer him. She later
placed some dinner on the table for him. as il
for some one who was expected but not there,
and again went to the bedroom, closing ths
door.
Jessop made up bed for himself on the
couch in the living ROOM In the morning he
again endeavored to talk to his wife, appealing
to her reason not to permit radical disturbances
Of their life to flow from what she must per-
ceive was insignificant incident 1t seemed
to him for hopeful minute that he must have
sincerity and earnestness enough to be eloquent
in his appeal but his wife merely stood still
listened to him, said nothing, and continued to
keep her face averted from him, except for one
instant, as he paused with the thought that ha
might be prevailing, when she turned to him
with an expression of so much hate and con-
tempt that he realized the complete futity Of
his effort and desisted, dismayed and frightened
This atmosphere, created in the home, con-
tinued. Mrs. Jessop refused to see her friends
refused to admit them when they came to the
door, refused to answer the telephone, to speak
to her husband or to recognize his existence by
moro than getting his meals for him. She did
not join him at meals He continued to sleep
on the living room couch. She wore dressing
sack and never went out of the fiat.
Jessop thought her appearance grew more
lstless day by day, her expression harder
fixed misery and despair. He found that he
could not preserve a protective sense Of injury.
That had carried him through the acuter dis
tress, but in the sustained monotony Of unhap-
piness he perceived that even If his wife were
SO unwise as to raise disagreeable episode to
a Tragedy, he, nevertheless, was the author OF
the situation.
HIS wlfes health giving way under
the poisons OF her mental state and he knew
that their future was in jeopardy. In his per-
pleXity and distress he unable to command
.ne visor needed to obtain employment and
his days were wholly aimless and resultless.
His money was spent, he could not pay his
olils. and there was nothing in the future
He and his wife had lived in this fashion for
d month and their prospect to continue
doing so. Her health was obviously falling. He
decided to go to doctor for advice
He apologized to the physician for the an
parent triViality of the disorder. but said that
the consequences were serious and ALARMING
ana ne 1elt he needed advice. He told as care
[ully as he could. the story Of the ring
The physician said that it would be un-
necessary for him to see Mrs. Jessop, and that
prooaply she would refuse to see him if he tried
IL Is not needed" he said. "You have had ~
he misfortune to touch the very core of a bu-
man llfe 1t is as If you had jabbed a knife
through membrane into the most sensitive
lelicate and important mechanism in the bodv
rms core Is the very essence Of the amour
propre. IL is the life sustaining function which
controls and balances emotions habits ambi-
IONS forces, and impulses 1t is the control
ing eulde or life, as necessary to life as the
ieart' In your wife, after this experience, it is
operating not to sustain her but to destroy her
,he has been betrayed by YOU She has been
'hamed before all her friends She thinks they
nay have been mocking her all the while. You
'acrificed her to a saloon joke
What can do?" Jessop asked
wait until, in mood which will come she