New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-04-28
What AIadge Forced Herself TO Bs
lieye She Had Imagined

Ncye oiici Ahhsi Ah"SihCu
with the philosophic determine
tIon to push aside all further thought
of the controversy between Dicky and
me until the morrow. picked up
from the floor the articles Of my
clothing which Dicky had thrown
through the door. Then. hurriedly
undressing. I carefully arranged my
pretty evening gown over the back OF
an armchair, ard when my prepara-
tions for the night were completed
snapped out the light, opened the
window wide and crept into my dav-
export bed.
But not to sleep. had thought
that anger against Dicky was the only
emotion swaying me. But the touch
of the beautiful flmy gown he had
bought for me had brought the re-
membrance of his patent pride In me
and his tenderness toward me during
our evening with Alfred and Leila
Durkee.
why was 1t that such exquisite ex-
periences were almost so inevitably
followed by some sordid clash of tenn
per such as we had just exhibited!
NV conscience acquitted me Of blame.
Dicky distinctly had not only been the
aggressor in the quarrel, but had been
entirely wrong IN his attitude. And
yet
Might I not have been more con-
cillatory in my own manner
Shouldn't have soothed his very
natural irritation against the flamboy-
ant Mrs Marks and her saturnine hus-
band for their intrusion, and side
tracked the question of moving until
he was in a mood to be coaxed out
of It?
Madge Is Troubled
"Coaxed." The word so distaste-
full to me, rose and stared me in the
face challengingly.
always nave despised the parasi-
tic wives who rule their husbands by
tears and wheedling far more tyran-
nically than could the most autocratic
militant of the new type of woman
Not more than once or twice in my
life with Dicky have ever ap-
preached him with coaxing man.
ner, and then only because of some
action from him that / could secure
in no other way than by wheedling
Haw this episode tonight been such
an emergency, which would have JUS
tilted wheedling my husband a per-
Torrance which violates my self-re-
spect? / found I was too tired and
miserable for consideration of that
question, and I counted sheep, recited
poems backward, did imaginary alge-
bra problems-eXhausted all the de-
vices knew in the effort to WOO the
slumber that danced so elusively jus,
out of my reach.
Don't Speak, Any of Youse."
1t was perhaps an hour after had
gone to bed that I heard the hall
door of the apartment open, and the
highpitched voice of Mrs. Marks ir
what she evidently believed to be
whisper:
Don't speak. any of youse. Nc
use waking up the four hundred"
To my surprise, there was no sar'
castle intonation to the epithet. Evi
IDENTIFY something about us had i'm.
pressed Mrs Marks weak imagina.
ton, and that she distinctly approved
of us was clear.
"Shut up, yourself" the saturnine
Petey replied conjugally. and the lit.
tie Professionally strained ears
caught the muffled footballs Of al
least four people-went down the hall
and l heard the careful closing of g
door.
1 lifted my wrist watch to my eye:
and saw by its illuminated dial that i
was almost o'clock in the morning
/ knew from the description of the
old janitress from whom l had rented
our apartment, that the one at the
rear of the floor, occupied by the
Marks family, had no more room!
than ours Surely four people coult
not be housed in that tiny rear apart
ment. And yet, bringing up visitor!
at this hour in the morning in sucf
stealthy fashion
1 rebuked my curiosity sharply. !
was no business of mine, I told my
self witheringly whether Petey Mark
and his spouse brought one guest o.
q dozen at noon, midnight or dawn
And again I began counting m.
mythical sheep. until the sound o
high heels, Enthusiastically those of m!
famboyant neighbor tap-tappinI
down the corridor toward my door
brought me. bolt upright in bed
breathing heavily. Surely she did no