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

breakfast table. Lucy Valentine bent
her head, and unSeeing poked at her
food. Her husband finished his ham
and eggs deliberately, pushed away
his plate, and lounging back in his
chair, sucked the wind through his
teeth with little smacking noises of
his tongue. Then he leisurely folded
the morning newspaper, rose, teok his
hat and coat from the closet. and
stalked out of the apartment without
a word, sharply slamming the 0uter
door behind him.
Lucy sat on. thinking. A hook of
hopelessness, almost of despair
settled upon her face. That was Tom
that was the way Tom acted; they
we're in for another dreary spell of
his surlineSsl She Thought over the
thirteen years of her married fife; she
visioned the thirteen that might fol
low-the t~wPnty-sfx perhaps. That
was TO ht her fare: yOked TO a churl,
rncOuth and fflmannered. WHO was
insenSible of how ne offended her.
And the th0ugirt that Infatuated her
tlIVNi ar lIldl t'lb ItSlIiCu hlIlNVll
rs a perfect husband, faithful. good.
generous, devoted 10 her and to his
homel 1t was true enough. In fair
ness, Lucy had 10 admit that Tom
was generous: he was faithfulness
itself: he earned a good salary; he
saved; he spent every night and even
Sundays at home, and gave her an
ample allowance. He considered that
Try this he discharged his duty as a
husband, nObly. and regarded the
cause of their constant, chickering's.
which recently he had chosen TO treat
In moody silence, as being entirely
his wife's responsibility. He never
missed an opportunity to point out to
her that he had no vices: he did not
wen smoke. He regarded her sOurly
as an ungrateful spOuse-a cranky.
unreasonable, nervous woman.
Lucy rocked her head in her hands.
and moaned. Tom was so egregiOusly
stupid, so self-satisfed, so blind. She
could have forgiven his obtuseness,
but she could not forgive his rudeness.
Every day Of his life he uncOnsciously
affronted her, and almost as frequent
by did so deliberately. He growled at
her, sneered at her, and when crossed.
shouted her into silence.
She had rebelled this morning. The
incident that had precipitated the
whole trouble had been of trivial in
consequence; 1t always was. Ton
had said the cream was sour, and she
had casually remarked that she didn't
see how that could be since It was the
mornings delivery, and then he had
shouted Mt her that he guessed he
knew. what he was talking about, and
that when he said the cream was sour,
II was sour. She had said nothing
in reply; she had considered his un-
~graciousness 1dispassiOnately for a
time, and then In the midst of the
breakfast. she had suddenly put her
clasped hands down before her on the
table, and said her say temporarily
and earnestly, urging her right to
courteous treatment. She was IA
mflfar with the look of displeasure
that came into his face rs he listened,
and reaching for an argument that
weufd strengthen her words, she had
alluded to Mr.. Gray and his wife, who
lived in the adjoining apartment. and
that had proved the spark to his
anger.
For Tom hated the Grays. hated
everything about them. The suite OF
rooms these neighbors occupied was
on the same floor as the Valentines;
an air-weIl separated the two estab-
,fshments. and upon this source Of
light and ventilation a bedroom win
dow Of each apartment gave vent.
Much that went on In the Gray house
hold cori,, be heard by the va1len-
tines, aud Tom and Lucy listened to
the stray words and casual conversa-
lions that went on between their IN
s~uspecting neighbors, unabashed.
Lucy loved the way IN which the
Grays spoke TO each other. II was so
different from that to which she was
accustomed. The man had extraordi-
nary nuances In his voice; II was
beautifully modulated, and when he
happened to address his wife as my
dear" II was like a caress. Tom
chose to ridicule the little intimate
things they said to one another, and
TO initiate Mr.. Gray's manner. 1t
made Lucy acutely uncomfortable. for
she admired Mrs. Gray, was genuinely
fond of her, and was In terror lest
Tom should be In turn overheard.
Lucy had had her misgivlngs as to
the decency OF listening to her friend's
confidential murmurrngs with her nus
band. but she assured herself that
her motive wes. not unworthy curl
osity. II was merely that she enjoyed
with q hungry soul the manner In
which this particular husband and
wife spoke to one another. II was
beautiful, II soothed her, II was like
exauisIte distant music.
she had come to he or less
intimately acquainted with Mrs. Gray
sirce that lady had moved next door.
The two women visited n another.
made frequent shopping trips to