Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-11

bereft, as the saying is, by the hand ol
death. And Honolulu is long distance
from Brockway. Mass, where Tom
Bain's people, a stay. lat home stock
had lived these FIVE generations past.
So, on those frequently recurring
occa sions when Mrs. Balm, with sad
dened, almost n wistful, air was moved
to remind herself of her first husbands
marvellous qualities-temperament, dis.
position, tact. amab!lity. or what not
there was for her second husband moth -.
ing to do except to suffer on In an
impotent silence. 1t is not well that
any one on this earth-and more
especially husband--should be re-.
quired to suffer discomforts In silence.
Suffering calls for vocal expression.
Otherwise, as human beings go, Mr..
and Mrs. Balm were well suited, one
for the other. It was that, dead first
husband Of hers who, invoked by her,
kept rising up to mar the reasonable
happiness whish might have been theirs.
The thing was getting on his nerves.
Indeed. ut the time this briefened mar
rative begins, it already had got upon
his nerves. He had come to the point
where frequently he wished there had
never been such a thing - q frst hus.
band.
THERE were even times when he al.
L most permitted himself the wish that
there never had been such things as
second husbands, either.
With the acute vividness Of q war.
Scared veteran remembering the first
time he was shot, he could reconstruct
the occasion when Mrs. Bain's former
husband first came into his life. They
had been married just two months then.
The honeymoon was in its last quarter.
II the couple were ever to 80 along TO-.
gether in harmony the time had now
come when mutual understanding must
succeed the period Of adjustment and
balance. She had the benefit of ex-
perience on her side; for she had been
through the process once before. Tom
Balm might be green hand at this bus.
iness of being married. but, sub.
consciously. he was beginning to ad.
just himself in his ordained and proper
place in the matrimonial scheme as it
related to him and this very charming
lady. In other wotds. he had reached
the place where he was slipping out of
tba bridegroom pose into the less studied
and more matter. of fact status of n
husband. He was ready to quit acting
part and be his own self again. always
though with regard for the limitations
and restrictions imposed by the new
estate upon which he had entered.
The campaign against him--we may
as we'll call it campaign-opened on
the evening following their return from
the trip to White Sulphur. That first
day at his desk had been a hard one |;
so much which seemed to require his
personal attention had accumulated
while he was away. He left the Office
pretty well tired out. On his way home
he built up a pleasant -ision of nice
quiet little dinner and then a peaceful
hour or so in the living room In slippers
and an old smoking jacket.
Mrs. Balm met him at the door with
greeting that put him in thorough good
humor. This, he decided, was the best
of all possible worlds to live in, and his
undoubtedly was the best Of oil pos.
sible ways of living.
You're late, dearest" she said.
You've just time to run upstairs and
slip on your evening clothes. I've laid
them out for you."
"Why, there's nobody coming in for
dinner. is there!" he asked.
She drew away from him slightly.
NO. there's no one coming she
said. What difference does that
make:"
We'll" he said, "I'm rather tagged
out and I sort of thought that. seeing
there'd be only the two of us, Id ccme
to the table just as ! am.'
Very well, DEAR" she said. "suit
yourself"
but he took note that she had short.
ened the superlative dearest TO
dear" Also she slipped herself out
OF the circlet Of his eucircling arm.
Suddenly there was suggestion-a
hare trace-of an autuInnGl chill in the
dir.
"Suit yourself" she repeated.
But, as newly married man. how
could he suit himself: He clad himself
In the starChy shirt, the high tight
collar that pinched his throat. the
pinchy patent feathers. and all the rest
of the funeral regalia in which civilized
man encases himself on any supposedly
festal occasion. She gave him an ap.
proving look when. ten minutes later,
he presented himself before her.
TON" she said as they sat down.
II think you always should dress for
dinner. Arthur always said that Il
gentleman should dress for dinner
~, BY J. P. McEVOY