Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-06-21

walking down the little lane to the
paved avenue on which the church
stood. The children, small and fluffy
held each a hand. His little motherless
girls.
Marietta chatted as they went. You
never went to church with us before,
did you father1 You're always 80
tired on Sunday when mothers home.
The first time Doris went to church
she thought the minister was God-all
children do. did myself. Why do
clergymen dress like that, father?
Why do they?"
If Mary had been there he would
have answered, why do you wear
ruff1es on your skirt-because it's the
CUSTOM" and Marietta would have re-
piled: "Why is itT and then the con-
versation would have been taken up
by him and Mary as to whether Mari
eta was seeking information or sim
ply trying to thrust herself into the
foreground. But now Mary was not
there he felt obliged to try and an
swer his motherless little girl, and she
actually appeared to try to understand
him. SO that they were talking
rather earnestly by the time they
reached the church door.
In the afternoon he did not play
golf, partly because he did not want
to answer questions as to Marys
whereabouts, but partly because he be-
came involved in hymn Marietta had
been most incompetently committing
to memory for six months.
He went eagerly to the office the
next day, and waited nervously
through the early hours Of the morn
ing. About twelve Mary came. One
glance at her told him that she was
neither crazy nor playing tDS.e on
him.. Her face was the face of T''vss-
an who had been through two days of
suffering. They went into his private
office without greetings of any kind
and shut the door.
Mary was direct II sat just In
front of you the other night at the pic
lures" she said 81 could not help
hearing"
There was pause. Eliot's mind
rushed back to the conversation with
Sam, and his heart felt like falling
elevator. He recalled things he had
said with relish and bitterness hid
den from Sam but obvious to Mary.
He looked at his wife. Her eyes
were blazing. "And yet" he said, ~
love you, Mary"
II thank you for such a love-" she
answered, "the dull little woman at
home--no, you didn't say that-Quite.
Suppose you had overheard me telling
virginia or Caroline that you bored
me to death-that I'd stopped reading
because you never talked of anything
but housekeeping details"
That's most unjust" put in Eliot.
Il said matrimony-not you"
"Oh, let's be honest" answered
Mary, shaking her head, as if she
were shaking out salt water from a
wave that had passed over her. your
marriage Is me, and mines you. And
it's duller for me than 1t Is for you'll
don't even get to town every day and
see a lot of people and yet I'm not
bored-I know what you're thinking
you think I'm not bored because I'm
not as clever as you, but"
Il wasn't thinking anything of the
kind" said Eliot, and he imagined
that he was telling the truth.
"Of course you were, but that isn't
the reason. The reason Is that no one
can get more out of life than he puts
into it-Or out Of marriage either
You're not bored with your business
and heaven knows It's a dull one
every one agrees to that-duller If pos
sible than your own home-but it
doesn't bore you. Why not2 Because
you put lot of yourself into It,"
Heretofore sense Of guilt had con
| fused Eliot, but now he saw light.
isn't my work here just what put
into the homer" he asked.
after office hours, what do you put
into it2" said Mary. You come home
like king expecting everything to be
arranged for you-Or guest, who
mustn't be interrupted by the children
your own children, mind YOU"
THE men in the outer office will
hear you, If you speak so loud"
II hope they WILL" said Mary. "They
are probably kings and house guests
too. They probably think they have
an inalienable right to be bored by
their women and children, too"
well, after all" said Eliot, its not
crime to be bored"
isn't it?" she returned. "Now lis
ten to me, Eliot. l can imagine stay
ing with man who was unfaithful, or
stole, or beat me, but cannot imagine
under any circumstances staying with
a man whom bored. Why should Ii
Good-by."
Hold on, Mary. Where are you go
ing?" He would like to have spoken
with the tongue of men and angels
but he was distracted by peculiar
mental state, he felt 1t was impossible
that he should ever have been bored
with this vital, violent, irritating
handsome creature, and yet he knew
quite well that he had been.
"Oh," Mary replied airlly, I'm =
ing to my mother's-Or on a trip
really haven't decided"
And are you ever coming backT
Eliot asked with y sarcasm that was
meant to bite.
Mary took step toward him, away
from the door which she had almost
reached. Eyes" she said, I'm coming
back. and I'll tell you when I'm cominG
back. When you've run the house SC
long that you feel uncomfortable If the
| food isn't good. when Won fool o,,il+v