The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-08-02

'N's> 80
This one happens to be a clever artist.
Alonzo employs her IS a decorator. ]
even know her name. She's Flora
Balzanni. You know BalZanni, the
opera singer? She's his divorced wife,
and is quite promiscuous. Alonzo has
been-well, attentive TO her for more
than a year. OF course, he has no
idea | know anything about 1t, and |
wouldn't have him suspect I've learned
for anything in the world. You see.
he wouldn't want TO hurt me, and he
would think that If | knew, would he
offended. But | have no more feeling
of jealousy for this passing fancy Of
his than | would have for a good cigar
he enjoys after dinner. Oh, |
know my views are anything but o n
ventiORal. | ala shocking you; Alice
interrupted herself. smiling a rather
hard, cold little smile. 81 would
shock o But | believe al
together too much emphasis is placed
upon fidelity in marriage. AS long as
my husband in no way jeopardizes my
rights as his lawful wife why should
! concern myself with what he does
outside his homer Frankly. | would
rather have him unfaithfui To me In
| an occasional way. as he is. Than have
him drink himself into hesotiedness.
us many a man does, and bring home
to me a %throbbing head. a nasty tenn
per, and a rancid breath. AionZo sat
SITES me ne more than adequately full
Ills his part OF life's companion with
me. ! am thoroughly content; what
else mattersT"
Her own apartment smeiied close 10
Lucy, when, later the same day. sr-
closed the door behind her. 1t seemed
cheerless, empty, desolate. The mood
with which Alice Gray had infected
her all day, dropped from her like u
cloak suddenly failing to the floor.
She put away her things and set
about getting dinner, washing the
dishes, whipping the unmade beds to-
gether, setting the table. After all.
her husband was probably no worse
than any other wOman's. She made
him a pan Of hot biscuits, of which she
knew he was particularly fond.
AT six O'Clock, she heard him come
in. She heard his creaking steps to
the closet where he always hung his
hat and coat she heard him creak his
way back to the front room where she
knew he had thrown himself down on
the sofa, and was reading the evening
paper with feet cooked ver one hard.
upholstered arm. He had no word of
greeting for her; he would have none;
a lark and sullen silence would enwrap
him for days to come.
She put the food on the table at the
h%alf-hOur, and called him to dinner.
He did not stop to wash his face or
hands or comb his hair; he came just
as he was. sullenly, silently. and
hunched his chair up to his place.
Suddenly something snapped in her.
She screamed; she screamed piercing
ly; one Wild, sharp shrek. She buried
her face In her hands, forcing the
fingers deep into her eyeballs. Then
she began TO sob, %brokenlY, passionate
ly, ali the grief pent up In her burst
ing out In an agony OF weeping.
In Is years, Tom Valentine had
never seen his wife cry. He was
startled n~ow-alarped and shocked.
He watched her u panied un~easiness
for some minutes, cropping about Ina his
mind for some way to check the food
of sobbing that beat upon his ears.
II had been a long, long time since he
had laid a hand upon her in affection,
yet now he was moved by the violence
OF her grief. and the unfamiliar i'm
pulse came to him. He laid down his
knife and fork and stared at her stOl-
idly, frowning deeply. He thought of
getting up and patting her shoulder;
he tried to think OF something to say,
| and in his p~erpiexity began to talk at
random. He did not know how to be
gentle; ne had forgotten how to be
tender. The iron bonds of habit were
too well forged about him. He had al
ways treated his wife with contumeIy,
and now when he strove to reach her
troubled spirit with gentle words. he
found himself only mounting q justif-
cation Of his actions that morning.
Lucy could not suspect that behind the
harsh voice. and slow. clumsy words,
there stirred within him the first con.
Germ for her he had known In years.
Only the logged reiteration Of the
facts about the cream reached her
consciousness. Her sobbing fell silent,
but she still pressed her palms TO her
cheeks, her fingers to her eyes. Pres
emily she was aware he had forsakeE
the topic OF the cream; now II was OF
his virtues he discoursed.
49,. let you live your own life;
you 60 n come as you please: you
have your own friends. ! never ask
you how or why you spend the money
every month. and I never let the frs,
go by without depositing your check
in the bank ! never question what
you do with yourself all day all I ask
Of you is to run the house and keep
things nice. . I don't see how
you've got much fault to find with me.
I don't drink or gamble or smoke; I
don't go out nlgE.s, and I've never
looked at another woman In all my
lifel Now, some men . :"
Lucy listened until she could stand
no more. With wet tears staining her
cheeks, her face ~convuIsed. she sud