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

rights as his lawful wife, why should
l concern myself with what he does
outside his home? Frankly, I would
rather have him unfaithful to me in
an occasional way, as he is, than have
him drink himself into besottedness,
as many man does, and bring home
to me a throbbing head, a nasty tenn
per. and rancid breath. Alonzo sat.
isles me; he more than adequately full.
fills his part of life's companion with
me. l am thoroughly content: what
else matterS?"
Her own apartment smelled close to
Lucy, when, later the same day, she
closed the door behind her. 1t seemed
cherries, empty, desolate. The mood
with which Alice Gray had infected
her all day. dropped from her like q
cloak suddenly falling 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 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 over one hard.
upholstered arm. He had no word of
greeting for her; he would have none;
a dark and sullen silence would enwrap
him for days to come.
She put the food on the table at the
half-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
| oAA eAS 6AiC4 pChL up AL llCI
ing out in an agony of weeping.
In 13 years, Tom Valentine had
never seen his wife cry. He was
startled now-alarmed and shocked
He watched her in panied uneasiness
for some minutes, cropping about in his
mind for some way to check the flood
Of sobbing that beat upon his ears.
1t had been long, long time since he
had laid 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 perplexity began to talk at
random. He did not know how to be
gentle; he 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 contumely;
and now when he strove to reach her
troubled spirit with gentle words, he
found himself only mouthing a justifi.
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 forsaken
the topic Of the cream; now 1t was Of
his virtues he discoursed.
g. let you live your own life;
you go and come as you please; you
have your own friends. l never ask
you how or why you spend the money
every month, and never let the first
go by without depositing your check
in the bank l never question what
you do with yourself all day all ask
of you is to run the house and keep
things nice. / 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 nights, and I've never
looked at another woman in all my
life! Now, some men :"
Lucy listened until she could stand
no more. With wet tears staining her
cheeks, her face convulsed, she sud-
denly Strengthened herself and faced
him, her lip trembling, her hands half
outstretched to him across the table.
"Oh, Tom, Tom," she cried, 81 don't
care how moral you are. don't care
anything about other women. l don't
care whether you go after them or not.
Seek them, kiss them, have them-do
anything you like Gamble, smoke
and drink! Deny yourself nothing on
) my account. l don't care how wicked
you are. All want you to do is to be
kind to me, TOm-be kind be kind
Don't be so ugly and mean to Tue.
And sometimes-just now and then
try to love me little!"