The Topeka state journal., 1922-01-28
Helen Hunters
Husband
JACK FINDS HELEN HARD TO
SATISFY.
BY JANE PHELPS
Chapter 6.

Chapter 8.
| Unwitting1y Jack had let himself in
| for a bad half hour.
m not going to make myself ugly
| just because your mother does, and I
hate to look domestic! I hate it all!
Mother was poor, but she loved me. 1
never had to do housework when she
was alive, she wouldn't let me. She
didn't want me to spoil my hands
washing dishes and doing other dirty
work. Oh, why did she die? We
| might have lived with her alwaysi"
she sobbed bitterly as she always did
when talking of her mother.
While Jack tried to comfort her, he
shuddered at what she had said. Live
in that musty boarding house always!
He tried not to feel glad of the death
that made it impossible. He won
dered what he had said to raise such q
storm. He had only spoken of his
mother wearing a large apron. He
would try and help her more, Helen
must not be made unhappy.
/ He did not realize that self-sacrifice
would tend to make Helen happier,
less selfish, for the simple reason that
he did not yet realize her selfishness.
He had given all of himself to her. He
thought she had given herself to him
in the same way. So, loving her, he
invariably gave way to her, not realiz-
ing that his constant capitu1ation
weakened the moral fiber of both of
them.
Slowly his income grew But It
never was enough. Never was Helen
quite satisfied. One night he was
obliged to go out inlm mediately he fin
ished his dinner. He returned in half
an hour, and hearing voices in the
kitchen paused a moment, wondering
who it was. Helen had made one or
two acquaintances in the house. 1t
must be one. of them.
Quietly he stepped into the room.
Helen sat beside the table, a fashion
magazine in her hand, while the red
faced jaintress washed the dishes.
Jack, saying nothing, quietly with
drew. After the woman had gone
noisily out of the apartment, he asked:
'Fwhy was she here?"
Because I'm thru washing dishesi
was asked to play bridge today at
that nice Mrs. Layton's on the second
floor, and my hands were as red as
beets. If you had wanted a Kitchen
girl you should have married one.
Mother never let me do such things,
and what's more, you know it..
Jack could not plead ignorance, He
did know Just why he should fIave
expected Helen to be willing to do for
him what she never had done for her
poor over-worked. self=sacrifietEr
mother. he could not explain. even 10
himself. But he had expected 1t. He
knew by the disappointment he felt
at her attitude.
do them. We can't afford help yet.
When we can we shall have if.9'
Helen pouted prettily, then became
angry.
making more money. vet you find
ia ult if spend a cent. Z GU wouldn't
have had any home If mother hadn't
left me that money!
If Jack felt like saying it had done
him little good he stifled the words,
and as usual comforted Helen. He
had already learned to put an inhi-
thoughts. But he vowed to be even
more careful in the future.
1t was only little thing that had
upset them. Helen never had been
accustomed to washing dishes. 1t did
spoil q woman'S hands. He thought
Of his mothers capable hands. red
and Ii hll large of knuckles, and Helen
had such pretty white hands, go soft
and sqne ezable. He would wash all
the dshes and she could dry them.
Jack longed to see Helen happy, the
gay light-hearted girl he had woue1
and won. But she wanted SO many
things how was he to get them for
her? He had the same mistaken idea
most mon have, that marriage makes
woman happy because she has mar
ried the man she loves. No man
ever knows his wife until the honey
moon is pasta long time past, with
some.
At the end of the first year Jack
was making on an average of about
$500 a month. But rents and other
living costs had increased almost in
proportion as had his income. Helen
hads grown more demanding. You
earn twice as much. I must have
double what I did before was her at |
titude.
That very morning she had become
angry because of his refusal to run in |
debt Tor a gown she claimed she need |
ed, and they had quarreled bitterly. |
It was then that he had declared:
"Ive gone the 1imiti'' and had |
waved to her with a curse. instead of |
a smile, on his lipe.