The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-11
CHAPTER 5s


 Y WAS at the table when Manville came down. Martha was in the
 offing, disagreeable smile, rather smirk. on her face. I had neither looked at nor spoken to her, although I never failed to say good morning to my servants. I. spoke pleasantly, how. ever, to Manville and poured his cof- fee.F Martha came over to my side to take it from me. l looked straight through her and rose and placed the coffee beside my husbands plate.
 That was not necessary. Martha is here to do that"
 .Martha is not here to come any where near me. As far as l am con cerned, there is no such person in the house. I discharged her yesterday" My attitude may seem childish, but 1t was the only way l could think of to handle the situation. Manville looked at me in a queer manner. as If he would like to shake memo doubt he would-then said: "We shall not need you to wait this morning, Martha"
 After she~had gone out, distinctly slamming the door, he turned to me.
 We may as well have this out now. I want to know what you mean by your actions? You seem to suddenly have gone crazy. I believe you should be locked up" I paled. never had thought he might do anything of that sort.
 "No, Manville. I have just come to my senses visit other homes. The wives do not sit in fear and trembling, nor daring to open their mouths for fear of offending their husbands. 1 sec other women mistresses of their homes. They order the food, select and give orders to the servants. They buy their own clothes, consulting as to price, etc, perhaps, but are allowed to use their own individual taste. Ever since we have been married, now four years ago, I have been nothing but an auto matom. have moved when you pulled the string, and only then. l would gladly have looked up to you, consulted you upon everything which comes under a wife's province. But you did every thing. was allowed no more freedom of action or thought than a slave. And I was becoming about as inter- esting as a woman treated as I have been is bound to become. have re- belled. That is all. You will have to treat me like an intelligent human be- ing, as other men treat their wives. or I shall leave you"
 Leave me-whO has put that into your head? r."
 No one has put anything into my head. You have put a gnawing bitter ness into my heart. ! am young, yet I have no pleasure in my youth. l am beautiful-my mirror tells me so every time E glance in it-but l get no joy from my beauty. I am ambitious, would like to be a fine housekeeper, know all that other women who entertain know. I am not allowed to say even what dessert I will have, either at home or when we dine out. am lonely and beg you to remain with me, but instead of doing 50 you spend your evenings with other women, leaving me to sit and eat my heart out watching the clock. could go on for hours, Man vile, then not tell you half the bitter ness I have had in life; the unhappi- ness I have endured. 1 can go on no longer! I will not y
 "NO one would give you divorce for all the petty things you have emu merated put together"
 ''I? Why, I don't want a divorce I never have thought of such a thing But I can't go on living in a house where I am but a figurehead, scarcely that, or with a husband who belittles me upon every pretext. l would rather die"
 Have you finished?"
 "Yes-aIthOugh I have not told you half"