Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-12-06

! KNOW that all who read it will
I agree with me that 1t gives one of
: the points in married life that may
be numbered among those that are
termed universal.
: MARY STEWART CUTTING. JR
Clauson stepped from his roadster
and held out his hand to Miss Rick
son. But with hand on either side
of the opening she swung herself
down, landed softly, gave him a
warm hard little fist and thank you
almost gruff, and was up the steps of
her boarding house. The house itself
looked as if it had measles and Clau-
son drove off thinking what a fright
full life Miss Rickson lived; his ste.
nographer by day and tenant of
scarred-looking boarding house by
night. And what brick she was
brown. rosy, businesslike little brick
A woman, too. Eyes that were deep
with what could be tenderness.
None of that" said Clauson and
turned into his own street.
He put up his car, walked the half
BLOCK to his apartment and while he
waited for the elevator, the thought
which he had kept in the background
abruptly envelOped him. seemed to
rush at him from outside: Suppose
Miss Rickson We're waiting for him
up in fourth-tloor front. Romance of
a sweetness almost forgotten might
be possible with Miss Rickson.
He hurried down the tiled hall ia
his own door, burst in. shouted:
Hello. Jep" He was genuinely
shocked at himself He wanted to
make amends by tremendous home.
coming such as he had, before now
carried off when he was too tired to
mean it.
Hello, darling" she said
He had swift look at the picture
which had greeted him so many
nights. The browniSh room. the
heapedup table-everything Jep did
seemed to take so much cloth or wool
or whatever it was-and of Jep her
self in street dress busy at Lord
knew what.
She was measuring something She
put up her face to be kissed, kissed
him, smiled absently, said without
looking at him;
"They sent me up some that the
moths have been in
"Oh, they did, did they?" said Clau-
son grimly.
He made his preparations for din
ner and as she came up the passage
he shifted distastefully at an odor-
wax, rubber, gravy--the odor of home.
The familiarity of the pictures on the
passage walls oppressed him-signed
photographs. pcrgola. FL Captain.
A little gong was pecked at thrice by
the maid trying simultaneously to
dish tin the kitchen. Jep said,
Ready, darling?" and came toward
him, picking threads from her skirt.
They went down the passage. He
slipped his arm about her. She had
his hand under hers. And when they
sat at table Clauson looked at her
ACROSS Lne soup an0 asked:
did l have my arm around you
just now, when we came down the
passageT
why. yes, didn't your" she said.
eyes, think you did. why?"
Nothing" said Clauson, II Just
wondered
From time to time, at dinner. he
looked at her stealthiIy. Fifteen
years they had had together. There
we're no children Suppose there
should be twenty-five, thirty years
more. And they loved each other.
But heavens above them both, how
dull they were,
II think I'll send that moth eaten
stuff straight back TO them" said Jep
wouldn't you, dearY'
~ certainly would. darling" said
Clauson.
He thought Of the sacrilege of
using holy words in that unthinking
fashion. He thought of the absurdity
Of asserting like sheep to something
which he knew nothing whatever
about. He thought of Miss Rickson-
what if some morning she should
bring in his letters and say, There,
DEAR" with that good little way of
dipping her head and turning it side
wise without turning her eyes.
They considered the theater and
gave up going. They considered tele-
phoning for somebody to come in and
make up a table and gave that up, too.
Clauson built fire and smoked and