The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-09
MAGAZINE

lunchtng with her Julia made some allusion to the subject, in answer to the older woman's comment that she did not look very well.
 "Pm not very well. Aunt Sanna," said Julia, pushing her plate away. and resting both slim elbows on the table. I'm worried.
 '.Not about Anna?" Miss Poland asked quickly.
 ''No-o! Anna, God bless her, is simply six-months-old perfection!" Julia said, with a brief smile. No about myself and Jim"
 Miss Poland gave a shrewd glance.
 "Quarrelled, eh?" she said simply.
 ooh, no!' Julia felt her eyes water ing. SNo. I almost wish we had. Be cause then I could go to him and say I'm sorry!'" she stammered-
 Sorry for what?" demanded Miss Toland
 For whatever I'd done!" elucida- ted Julia, with her April smile.
 "Yes, but suppose he'd done it. what then?" Miss Poland asked.
 ''Ah, well,'' Julia hesitated. "Jin doesn't do things!" she said vaguely.
 "Jfm's in one of his awful moods, I supp ose ?'' his adopted aunt asked, after a pause.
 '.oh. in a dreadful one!" Julia con fessed.
 How 1ong-days ?"
 weeks, Aunt Sanna!"
 Weeks? For the Lords sake, that's awful" Miss Poland frowned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. ''What tienHly You don't know what it's about, I suppose?"
 Julia. hesitated. "I think it's that he gets to thinking of my old life, when I was a little nobody, south of Mar ket Street." she hazarded with as much truth she could.
 "Oh, really!' Miss Toland said, in tone of cold satire. But her look fell with infinite tenderness and pity upon the dropping little figure oppo- site. "Yet There's nothing of the snop about Jfm," she unused unhappily.
 "Oh, nor" Julia breathed earnestly
 '"There isn't, eh?' Miss Toland said "I'm not so sure. I'm not at all sure. He isn't working too hard, is he?"
 s.IIe isn't working hard at an,'' Ju- lia said. "Jim doesn't have a case, to worry over, twice a year. You see it's either city and county cases, that he just goes ahead and does, or else it's rich, rich people who have one of the older doctors, and just call Tim in to assist or consult. He was a. little nervous over demonstral1on before the students the other day, but at the very last second" Jul1a's qulcK smile fitted over her face, at the very last second the assisting nurse dropped the cold bone-as they call it-that Jim was going to transplant. Doctor Chapman told him he'd bet Tim bribed the girl to do it!'
 "H'mI" Miss Poland said absently. seR1t his father was just another such moody fellow, queer as DICKS nat band!" she added, suddenly, after a pause
 ..Jim's father? I didn't know you knew him!
 .sKnew him? Indeed I didi We all lived in Honolulu in those days. Charming, charming fellow, George Studdiford, but queer. He was very musical, you know; he'd look daSsers at you if you happened to sneeze Tn the middle of one of his Beethoven sonaHas Jim's mother was very sweet, beautiful too, but spoiled, Julia, spoi1edI"
 s"Too much money!" Julia said. shaking her head.
 .sE,xactly-there you have it"' Miss Toland assented triumphantly. i've seen too much of it not to know it. There's a sort of dry rot about It; even a fine fellow like Jim can't es- cape But my dear'-her tone De- came reassuring-"don't let 1t worry YOU. He'll get over it. Just b1de your timer'
 ssWell, that's just what am doing, Julia said, with a rueful laugh. "But it,s like being in a bad dream. There is sorrow that you have to bear, don't YOU know, Aunt Sanna, like crippled children. or somebody's death, or be- ing poor; and then there are these other unnatural trials, that you Just rebel against!I say to myself that I'll just be patient and sweet, and go on filling my time with Anna and calls and dinner parties, until Jim comes to his senses and tells me what an angel I am. but it's awfully hard to do iti Sometimes the house seems like a vault to me, in the mornings, even the sunshine''-Ju1ia's eyes watered' but she went steadily on-"even the sunshine doesn't seem right, and l feel as if I were eating ashes and cot ton! I go about looking at other houses, and thinking, I wonder what men and women are being wretched- Iy unhappy behind your plate-glass windows!' I watch other men and their wives together" pursued Julia smiling through tears, land when wo- men say those casual things they are always saying, about not loving your husband after the first few months, and being disillusioned, and meaning less and less to each other, feel as if 1t would break my heart!
 'rWell,'' Miss Poland said, somewhat distressed, "of course, I'd rather walk into a bull fight than advise
 "I know you would" Julia hasten ed to assure her. That's why I've been talking" she added, and 1t s been a real relief! Don't thlnk I'm complaining, Aunt Sanna-
 ..NJo my dear" Miss Poland said. ..1,,I ra1yar think anything that isn't