San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-08
A Woman Obsessed
(C) 1898 Carolyn Beeeher

complaine and was always gay and
cheerful. Her understanding of him,
of mans needs. touched him. Her
declaration that if she had 4 husband
she would insist upon his keeping up
his athletics and would not allow him
to give up his friends had fingered
in his mind. II she, poor soul, could
be so sporting why couldn't Muriel,
with everything the other lacked, be
at least reasonable.
IN write her mother and ask her
TO come for Muriel's birthday. She
tuef TO help me when she was here
before. She's brick :"
Muriel evidently had been crying all
the evening. Her eyes were red and
swollen and she looked pitiful. Bruce
kissed her and, full of his idea of
sending for her mother. was gentle
and patient when she threw herself
into his arms and sobbed out her
misery.
In the morning he wrote Mrs. Dan
gerfie!d a long letter. He wrote the
word Private" in a large hand at
the top of the sheet. He did not say
much. simply that unless he were
with her Muriel would not eat. that
she refused 20 go out with him or
others and that he feared she would
be i'll again.
Even though he said so little that
little was illuminating. Mrs. Danger
field had worried over what she had
seen of Aluriel's selfishness on her
former visit and had pondered over
her refusal to make friends with the
young people of Westfield. She had
been anxious because Of the effect It
might have on Bruce. Bruce had
written:
IF l don't hear from you I shall
know you are coming"
He's afraid she won't want me to
come" she said to herself, that she
will object if she knows in advance"
June had told Indignantly of the cold
inhOspitable way Muriel had treated
Bruce's father and of course Mrs.
Dangerfield knew she had not wanted
June. But il wasn't natural for a
girl to dislike 10 have her own mother
visit her. Mrs. Dangerfield felt hurt
as well as anxious.
She had no idea it was her praise
of Bruce. his manner toward her that
had seemingly alienated Muriel. Yet
there was something-perhaps she
was blaming Muriel more than she
should. She would watch Bruce more
critically this time.
June begged to go along but her
mother refused her. She even dis
couraged her husband when he sug-
gested that he might be able to eSt
away. She took gifts from both of
them and even from little Kermit
She would help Bruce make Muriels
birthday happy. He had written he
was planning to give her a good time
without mentioning his fathers check
or outlining his plans further.
When no word came from his
mother-in-law Bruce's spirits rose. II
was hard not to tell Muriel she was
coming. He hal visited the jeweler
and found two or three articles in his
stock that pleased him-a ring, a
bracelet. and a bar pin. He could
not decide which TO take. He would
wait q few days and think it over be-
fore making a selection, he told the
jeweler.
Mrs. Dangerfield arrived two days
before Muriel's birthday. Perhaps
Bruce was planning party and
would need her. Muriel's surprise was
complete but there was little of joy
business in her welcome.
"Why didn't you write you were
coming?" she asked.
II thought l would give You a
birthday surprise" Mrs. Dangerfield
answered, chilled by Muriers manner,
so different from the way Bruce hal
| welcomed her. One would have
thought her his mother, not Muriel's.
81 don't like surprises, never did
I think them silly" was the ungraci-
Gus reply. "How do you like the
house? ! preferred the old one, that
location. Bruce took this because il
was near his office"
And because you had admired il.
he interposed before her mother cOul,
reply that she thought it far Superior
to the other one. She added:
at is more convenient and the out
look is much better. l can't see VIII.
you preferred the location of the othe
one"
II don't care TO live where peopl
have no wish TO know find it con
venient 10 call on me-"
Mrs. Dangerfield said no more an
the evening passed pleasantly. Bot
she and Bruce steered clear of an
topic that might disturb Muriel.
She really looked badly, her mothe
thought as she surreptitiously watche
her. What was she doing that all he
, freshness, her bloom was gone. Sh
looked nearer 80 than %. Bruce, TOO
looked years older than when she las
saw him. That line between his eye,
,, the worried look on his face whe
he was quiet. Something vital to thei
happiness was wrong. But what
, She well knew it was not any f
nancal trouble. Bruce had told be
. business was ripping" and that h
had more than he could attend {,
: Had Muricl driven him away? Coul
there be the other woman"