The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-02-02
CONSTANCE


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@ is,1. ~ Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
when Joe announced his lntenfion
OF marrying Constance his family had
warned him that he would have trou-
bic with a wife who was as spoiled
J and selfish as Connie. But Joe feel
ing that she loved him enough to
overcome her selfishness for his sake.
had paid no attention to the warning.
Now, after six months Of married
life. the family's prophecy seemed
about to be fulfilled. Connie was be-
ginning to assume martyred attitude
and a habit Of numerically nagging
him at every Opportunity.
On this particular evening Connie
chose to be especially nasty.
Business as usual, supposef" she
Inquired, sweetly sarcastic. when he
came In late to supper.
Receiving no reply. and seeming de-
termined to provoke him. she tried
again.
~Do you know" she asked. cooIly
and deliberately. sometimes wonder
II II Is all business"
Instead Of hanging up his hat he
replaced II on his head and gave vent
to his temper.
II am going out to a restaurant
Perhaps some day when It's too late
you'll come to your sensesi I've had
enoughl !" Slamming the door angriIy
after him. he left the house.
Connie was so surprised that she
forgot the half-framed retort that was
on her lips. Joe had never spoken
Ike this to her before. She began
to feel uneasy and wondered where he
had gone. After two or three hours
Of trying to amuse herself she went
into the bedroom and addressed her.
self In the mirror.
Il don't carer she said aloud. Il
don't carei I'll show him. I don't
. care II he never comes back r. And
just to prove that she didn't she threw
herself down on the bed and cried her
self to sleep.
When she awoke It was II O'Clock.
How could she have slept so longf |
And where was sJoe7 She wondered |
II he really had left her. and began to
feel shaky. She decided to go to the /
drug store for a drink.
While slipping a chocolate milk the |
conversation Of tive men at the cigar
counter came to her ears.
"Where-at Geb & SimmOndsr'
yes, today-shortage Of $4,000"
Funny mix-up, anyone suspectedr
mo, not yet; but nobody handles
the money except old man Geb him.
self, and that young fellow joe"
Connie waited to hear no more. Set
ting down her glass with a thump that
startled the sleepy drug clerk, she fed
from the store.
Ten thousand dolIarsl So that is
what her incessant nagging had made
him do.
As soon as she entered the house the
telephone rang. With her heart in her
throat she answered 1t.
mo. he isn't here, Mr.. Geb. 49,.
Yes. I'll tell him to call you as soon
as he comes in. No messagef
ANo. OOOu-Dg. One nODeQ
her voice had sounded natural.
So they were after him already.
The sound Of quiet footsteps on the
stairway sent chilIs up and down her
spine. They had come already! What !.
should she do? With a show Of cOur-
age that she did not feel she went to
the door and threw II open. Her hus-
band stood facing her.
He looked very tired, and the hair
about his temples was damp with per-
spiratlon. Connie knew she had no
time to waste.
"Oh, joe" she began breathlessly.
"can you ever forgive me? It's all my
fault Give II back Don't let them
arrest you"
"FOr heavens sake, what's the mat.
ter with your demanded the thor
'ughly bewildered joe fearing for his
wlfe's sanity.
The insistent jangling OF the tele-
phone interrupted before she could
answer. Joe went into the dark hall
o answer 1t, barking his shins on the
Umbrella stand as he went Connie :
listened In amazement. From the :
heltering darkness OF the hall came (
Ter husbands voIce-irm, confident. Y
wen laughing
~Yes. I was going to call you, Mr.. J
'eb. but was afraid 1t was too late.
Yes, found the error.
Nothing missing at all. The
oke's on us. A hy-speck that =
ooked like decimal point threw a u
Thole column Of figures out Of bal
ncs. Tonight at the ofice. 81
Oh, that's all right: you're well :,
ONE. GOod-by." ~
He hung up the receiver.
Then, all OF heap, a very penitent ui
'onnie flung herself at him, sobbinK OK
ut her story, begging his forgiveness W
nd almost choking him with the
Of her arms about his ~
eek. III
"You poor little chumpi" Joe said
sasingiy between kisses He wcs be