Evening star., 1925-11-22
OUR HUSBANDS FAULTS


| way, and | never told the turtises
/ kept her all the time or anything
dishonest like that; but the general
impression was there. The general
impression I had worked and planned
all day TO create. And VIII had ruin
ed II, utterly ruined il, in less than two
minutes.
Il EALLY. II l hadn't been soing
away for two weeks the next
morning, / don't believe l should have
forgiven him for days. couldn t
stand it to go away mad, though. so
we made IL up in way. But under
meath the thing ranked with me. 1t
was the utter hopelessness of the
situation. Will didn't know any better
and-every woman will know how |
shrank from accepting this tragic
truth-the chances were he would
never learn. He just didn't have any
talent for tact.
l told Ducie all about 1t on the
train the next day and. although she
was sympathetic, she couldn't honestly
offer me much encouragement. If
VIII couldn't do any better than that
on an occasion when he was just AS
anxious as ] was to have everything
all right. what hope was there for the
future? l saw the years stretching
ahead, me working myself TO death to
advance us little socially. and VIII
knocking down every success as soon
as I got it built up.
Nothing Dulcie could sav could
really comfort me much and. although
Elmer went on to visit his married
brother. and ! stayed in Minneapolis
for a full month. | didn't really get
over it. OF course, time wears away
all sorrows little, and I didn't feel
quite so desperate about it on my
way home as I did on my way going
up; but whenever l thought of the
years stretching ahead and Will doing
and saying things he shouldn't scat.
tered through them. I felt pretty dis
coura2ed.
l came home alone, Dulcie having
come at the end of the two weeks
At Nerblen junction old Mrs. Long
got on my train on her way back from
staying all night with her daughter
She sat down with me and ] prepared
TO hear all the home gossip OF a
month. II Mrs. Long didn't know
1t. YOU could be sure IL hadn't hap
pened. She may know some things
that never really do happen: but YOU
can bet she never misses anything
that really does.
She smiled in playful way and
hid:
Well. il s high time you were get
ting home TO look after that young
husband Of yours"
"Oh. Wills been all right" ! said.
Hes been getting his meals at his
mothers. And my mothers been TAX
ing care of his mending and every
thing"
oh. he's been taken care Of all
right, Mrs. Long agreed.
Now. that sounds like simple
enough sentence. but some way-lt
must have been Mrs. Longs tone or
her look or something-made it sound
somehow queer, and-well. foreboding
is the only word | can think of.
1t sort of puzzled me. put me in.
stantly on my guard. and didn't say
anything for a minute.
"Oh. yes" Mrs. Long repeated
Wills been taken care of. all right"
Il knew it, l said: but somehow
| couldn't make my voice careless and
hearty. I had a queer premonition
that there was something more in
this than met the ear.
And after a moment. II SUPPOSE
he's written you all about Mrs Prices
sister that's been visiting her?''
"Oh. yes I said. Mrs. Price had
him over to dinner one night and
asked him to take Miss Allen to the
city to show. Mr.. Price had bought
tickets and then couldn't 60"
oh" said Mrs. Long. so that was
the way It started
The way 1t started. Something way
down inside me went cold.
She looked at me sharply.
rs that all he's written you about
her." she asked suspiciously.
"Oh. | don't know, there may have
been something else I've foreotten,"
I said in what hope and prayed WAS
careless tone. II is pretty hard,
though, to he careless when a hideous