The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-12
The Reu0h
 Of Susan Hyde
 By Carolyn Reechar
CHAPTER 96
By Carolyn Beecher


 Y l had imagined my worries ove
 was mistaken. Aunt Cynthia stil
 refused to come to us, even for s meal. That she had been willing tt come to the bridge had encouraged m, to think she had in measure forgiven me, this feeling was augmented by thu way she allowed me to go to her when she was ill, the way she received me But it seemed there was a limit to heI altered feeling toward me and she had reached it. She was coldly polite since she had recovered, finding fault occa sionally with the way I was dressed what did as regarded Anna, etc, in quite the old familiar and unwelcome way.
 Oh, how glad it made me that had insisted she should not live with us While she was i'll and softened in her manner, wondered sometimes if I had been too harsh toward her. That feel ing was now entirely dissipated. Noth- ing remained but a feeling of gladness that 1 had firmly held out.
 had other worries, too. Cook had been taken ill and I had tried two or three before I found one to take her place until she should recover. The food had not been prepared as Man vile liked it and he had been intensely disagreeable several times. I had done my very best and it was terribly dis cOuraging. He made no allowances; it was never his way.
 He had warned me that he would not entirely change. He had not, l had discovered. In many ways he was diff ferent, in some he was exactly as be- fore. He no longer did the marketing or bought my clothes, but in many ways he was just as arbitrary-after ~fhe first flew weeks of my return-as he had been before. Yet I did not give up the hope that soon he would see how hard tried to please him without demeaning myself-and would respond in kind. I had kept up my les sons in bridge until now I played a really good game. Every time he went to the bridge club I longed for the time to come when I could go with him, but it seemed as far away as ever. I had hinted once that now I played so we'll perhaps they would ask me and he had immediately sat upon me so hard that l never spoke of it again. He had said:
 :'The club was formed before I knew you. They all know each others game and are not eager to take in any new members"
 But some one may drop out"
 Not likely. And if there should be a vacancy I expect others are waiting for it. Do be contented. l hoped you would decide that you had enough to keep you busy and passably happy with your home and Anna, but noth- ing seems to satisfy you. The more you have the more you want.
 It was an unfair speech, but made no reply. was determined not to quar- rel. He should not have the excuse of a nagging, quarrelsime wife to drive him to Ruth Markham.
 That he needed no excuse was once more made plain to me few days after the above conversation.
 Please do not hinder me-" he re- marked testify when he came in about 6 o'clock. I had stopped him in the hall and was telling him, rather trying to tell him, something cunning Anna had done.
 Are you going out?" I asked before thought, then bit my lip as l saw his annoyed expression.
 Yes"
 "Can I help you?" Occasionally he allowed me to put his studs in his shirt or in some way help him if he were going out without me.
 "No, thank you," shortly. He hur- ried upstairs.
 had prepared a particularly nice dinner, doing much of the work myself because he had complained of the cook ing. Like most housekeepers I was disappointed that he did not intend to be at home to eat it after all my trouble. Also like most young house.