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

a spirited ten minutes. He didn't
| quite like Jep when she argued.
When they sat silent Clauson thought
| of Miss Rickson's restful way Of re-
Joining Exactly" to all his opinions.
lie suddenly imagined her saying
Exactly, DEAR" imagined her sitting
mere beside him; caught the zest, the
laughter, the thrill which talk with
her could cOnceivably hold :.
Obediently on that he halted his medi-
tations.
He looked thoughtfully at Jep. Jep
was responsive; she had humor; she
could be amusing. But he was so
used to her. Her hands, that gesture
to her hair, her absent look, her little
crooked yaWns Not a surprise, not
even variation She was Jep for.
ever.
At nine Clauson rose and wound
the clock and observed as usual that
he must have it regulated
I've heard you say that oceans of
times, dear" Jep remarked-also as
usual.
Dear" again. What a continual
farce! And he wished she wouldn't
always say oceans" What a rotten
go everything was. How had he got
himself into this miserable little Jail
of life, full of clocks and keys and
kettles. What did any confounded
thing matter? No wonder everybody
was tired of everybody else.
He faced about and said abruptly;
I'm going out for little while, Jep.a
well, where on earth are you go.
fng?" she inevitably asked.
ITO take turn around block OF
two. Pm seedy. Tn seedy!" sale
he. and went
Ten minutes later he was back and
at the look in his face Jep saidi
"Why, darling! Is anything the
matter?'
II wish you wouldn't call me 'dar
ling when you don't mean it," he
burst out, and added: II beg you
pardon. Yes, something is the matter
I met Dibble down in the Office He
gave me the tip that this building is
to he pulled down"
pulled down." she repeated, and
he wished trritably that she would not
let herself look so surprised-JeIt
always did that. He had seen her do
it innumerable times over nothing.
''Yes.' pulled down." he repeated
sharply. wen all have to get out
by fall, Dhble heard it pretty
straight. Says he's got his eye on a
Hat and he's going to get out of here
now and suhlet I'LL his lease runs out.
Arthur" said Iep absorhedly, do
~"u think we could get one of thosS
bungalows in the new addition? If
we only coud-let's look tomorrow,
dearest and if we can get one, let's
move now
But | don't want to move at all"
said Clauson bitterly. Il like this
place. I'm used to it. What right
has he got to turn us out?
Il saw one of them last week Jep
went on absorbedly. Darling little
cupboards and such oceans of closets"
Il don't want to move at all" Clau-
son repeated doggedly; Pm used to
this place ;" His eye rested ON
the deep fireplace that never smoked,
on the familiar brown tile, on the
shelves that could be reached from
his chair
We'll, but darling" Jep was be-
ginning. A thousand times had he
seen her settle down with the same
gentle evaporation to an argument.
Pm going to bed said Clauson;
and went
Next day they drove out to look at
the bungalows in the new addition.
1t had been a terrible day at the Of
fcee-appointments broken, big con-
tract lost and Miss Rickson at home
i'll, When he picked up Jcp waiting
on corner C1auson was iii no mood
to like a hous on a street of pearl.
Yes. the bungalows were undeni-
ably nice. Jcp was in ccstasies. See
darling. Deans OF pantries." She
put, he thought dstastefully, white
thing and an outside door for the ice
man above every wifcly consideration.
! But even he was forced to admire the
closet-room, the loaded windows, the
compact kitchen.
mo corners, though" he growled.
mo corners. | can't smoke unless
there's corncrs-I tell you Jep, | don't
! want to move
They went home IN the rain and all
the way there Jep was absorbedly-
and mountaineering furniture into
| that bungalow. ClauSon sat silent,
| hunched at the wheel. He was think
ing how frightfully used he was to
! Jep's enthusiaSms.
J Miss Rickson," he thought, "now'd
| be so different. So still and-and
considerate. Thinking of mans
comfort instead of the closets" And
now for the first time he let himself
| think of her without reproach.
While he was hanging up his coat,
Jer called to him from her room:
| Darling" she said, when we came
in the house just now did kiss your"
"Why, yes, I think So" said Clau.
son. "Whyt"
ooh, nothing. didn't think I'd for
gotten" she answered. 81 never mean
to forget"
ClauSon thought: Good heavens,
have we come to this?
When he joined her she was bend
ing over the livlng-room table, all
heaped mp again with whatever it was
and she was saying absorbedly that
the" looked just as notify as the
oti did. He wondered discomfort
eddy If any other woman on earth
found moths in everything, the way
Jep did.
"IIl bet yOu'l find moths in the
new bungalow" he told her "Tll bet
| So, n >,