The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1924-04-03
TEARS
VERSUS
WITS


By MRS. JOHN PRITCHARD

her ira cling Dag, Sne tfleu 10 eiop
the buxom figure of Aunt Emmy in a
warm embrace.
well, well, now" Aunt Emmy ac-
copied the information as casually as
! though Bea had remarked about the
delightful GOODNESS Of her aunt's large
living room.
I'm going TO stay here with you and
Uncle Fred again, Aunt Emmy. I'll
find work somewhere don't care
what people will say" sobs shook
Bea's slim shoulders.
They'll all know it's Arthur's fault
said Aunt Emmy, co~nsolinsly. per
haps they won't even be surprised"
Bea suddenly sat very straight In
her chair. "Why, Aunt Emmy, what
do you mean2 Do you know anything
about Arthur that would lead people
to think-T
"OnIy that he has evidently made my
little girl very miserable. That's
enough. When a man has been mar
! ried only three months"
Three months and two weeks" cor
rected Bea. you're right. Aunt En-
my, he's just the meanest-" her voice
| tralled into a sob.
Il know, my dear" Aunt Emmy said.
"but do you know, I've always sort of
| felt that his sunny disposition was
probably very changeable-
That's just IL, Aunt Emmv sob
li.. ,,n., Iftt,,lr Ell hnavr ynu'1 I'M
derstand. Now-it was like this. He"
"But let me get you a glass of ice
cold milk" interrupted Aunt Emmy,
you poor little dear
mo, ] couldn't swallow q thing,
Aunt Emmy. ! haven't eaten a bite
since breakfast-and here's another
thing. Only at breakfast this morn
Ing he said"
"Not even one Of the little chocolate
cakes you like so welfT"
The cakes were tempting. Bea
ni5bled one and the took a generous
bite and another. The milk. she found,
was icy cold.
AUNT Emmy" she went on, between
| DlttS, YOU uho OhNtC thNu w ~
happy, but then, Uncle Fred Is differ
ent."
"Yes," answered Aunt Emmy. Erred
Is the best man in all the world. I've
never been unhappy for a moment In
the fifteen years we've been married.
And you, my poor little
Bea burst into tears again. 1--WE
been through everything"
81 know ii, and you've been so brave
to stand 1t so long-the brute"
swell. Aunt Emmy. | can't say he's
a brute-he's never struck me or re
fused me anything; but he's impos'
sible in other ways. Oh, Aunt Emmy
the tears were streaming down Bea's
cheeks. I'm a broken-hearted, disap-
pointed woman. Ii was like this"
But Aunt Emmy interrupted again
Hes done everything to break your
heart, my dear. l can easily see that
by the sadness In your eyes. Some.
how, / suspected from the day / first
met Arthur that he was that sort
"Why. Aunt Emmy 7" Bea's blue eyes
opened very wide. "You always said
you liked Arthur. ! never dreamed
that you"
sand have" returned Aunt En-
my promptly. ..6ut I've felt that he
was the. kind Of man TO break a WON
ans heart"
"Well. III show him he can't break
my heart-IW be light hearted anG
gay"
THAT'S right, my dear!" Aunt En-
my nodded a~pprovingly. 'Show hin
that you don't care. Stay here will
Uncle and me. Who knows that he.
not Interested In someone else"
ooh, Aunt Emmy, I'd never accuse
him OF that" quickly interposed Bea
excftedly drying her eyes. III,
wouldn't even look at another woman.
"Well. mt any rate, he has hurt you
and ne shall never enter our home
again." Aunt Emmy spoke with grea
decision.
But Bea didn't seem exactly salts
fed. "Perhaps-perhaps. Uncle Ere
wouldn't quite like that. Aunt Emmy.
she ventured, after q moment o
thought. "You know. he thinks,
great deal OF Arthur"
Merely for your sake. my dear. III
hasn't seemed the same towar,
Arthur since he visited your home
Maybe he learned something abou
Arthur"
"wen. I'm surely surprised" ar
swered Bea a little sharply. "Arthu
certainly did everything TO max
fed. "Perhaps-perhaps. Uncle Ere
f~i; you about the afternoon thu
Arthur stayed eway from the ofic
just TO give him a good timer"
Don't remember as he did" sal
Aunt Emmy refiectively. "Mayb
Arthur was Rbbing when he told 20
he. spent the time with Uncle Ere,
Maybe he was having a good time "a
himself when poor Fred"
"Ridiculous," snapped Bea. dabbin
her nose with powder. ~ Thought tbs
Uncle Fred was at least grateful
why. Arthur dropped everything Il
Uncle Fred"
swell, maybe I'm ~mistakenr~ sal
Aunt Emmy. declare, I'm sn ups,
about your divorcing Arthur that
car hardly keep my wits together"
"Who said q word about divorce,
demanded Bea shriIy. @Did I ever