The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-13
Helen Hunters
Husband
LONELINESS CHANGES HELEN's
NATURE
BY JANE PHELPS
Chapter 40

Il Gnaprer ~
Had Helen Hunter wanted to be re-
venged on Jack for anything she would
surely have had her wish in the days
that followed Nell Layton's visit-her
arraignment of him.
What had become of the gay, heed
less girl he had married? In her place
there had come a quiet, rather sad
| looking girl-woman, who agreed with
him in everything, inStead-of demand
ing and taking her own way. A girl
woman who worked hard to make his
home a. pink of neatness and his meals
delectable, instead of letting him look
out for himself and her too; a girl
woman who neglected nothing; who
took rebuke without becoming angry.
Could she be the same girl he had
locked in her room, the girl who had
then a few hours afterward met him
as gayly as if nothing had happened?
Jack had thought her devilish then.
Now he almost wished to have her
as she was
He brought the tickets home, telling
her he had been able to get fairly good
seats in spite of the popularity of the
Revue.
That's nice" she quietly replied.
! then went on with her dinner for a
few moments. Finally she said: "I
hope you won't be bored"
Indeed I shan't nor you either if
what 1 hear Of the Revue is any cri-
terion! Dunn told me he had seen it
three times
A flicker of interest crossed Helen's
face only to pass imme diately.
She dressed without saying anything
and Jack suddenly recalled that she
seldom chatted with him now he
read after dinner until bed time and
then often left her with magazine In
her hand when he retired.
makes Won Quiet ne
asked, knowledge pressing upon him,
regret making him long to have her
say something. act as she used to-
"oh. I don't know! I'm no more
quiet that usual, 1 guess
Jacks heart ached- How could ne
have allowed her to get into this state
without noticing it until Nell layton
had scolded him?
He would have been even more re
gretful could he have read Helen
mind. From the time he had threat
ened her with divorce because OF
Barnes she had known no real happl~
ness. Her worry. her anxiety all those
long weeks she had spent with his
mother when even his letters gave
l. her no clue as to his Intentions, when
save for the simple farm tasks, her
work with his mother-she had moth
ing to take up her mind Then her
efforts to please him, all her thoughts
centered upon him, trying to make up
to him for the disgrace she had almost
brought to him; the unaccustomed
loneliness, when day after day she
saw no one save him, instead OF
spending her time with her gay COM
panions, and he most of the time alb
sorbed in a book, or his planS-whlch
while they included her, were only a
little interesting, because she couldn't
focus her mind upon them.
She looked very young, very sweet
when she was ready. She had been
about to wear a. street dress and her
new turban, but Jack. recalling how
she used to love to wear evening dress,
have him put on his dinner coat, pro-
posed they dress
"Of course if you would like to-" she
replied and without another word
changed. Her meekness, SO different
from her former enthusiasm, chilled
him. He made an effort to Joke little
but while perfectly pleasant, he could
not coax a, laugh.
But it was not the lack of amuse-
ment that. had changed Helen, altho
that had played a part, perhaps con-
siderable part. 1t was the feellng that
she was being punished; that she had
deserved it this time, and must take
her medicine. That she could not
rebel, because Jack had forgiven her
when he might have thrown her out
that he had made very plain to her in
his first indignation; and his deter
mination to turn the unhappy episode
to account That he had gone to an
extreme not intended in the first place;
that HeIen's falling in with ali his
wishes, keeping her promises to the
letter, had taken all life. all spirit
from the girl who, while so foolish,
had not meant any wrong and who had
loved him thru everything.
Really Jack was now in more dan
ger of losing Helen's love than ever
he had been thru Barnes, or thru
his fauIt-finding. The deadly mo-
notony of the life he subjected her to,
was fast changing her entire nature
and she dared not complain.