The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-12-25

Ella was far from unconscious of the
hatred sizzling toward her from that OBJ
scure gap in the tables JOcOsity where
sat her husband. But nc Infamous line was
marked between her eyebrows now; she
was radtantly pretty, and, except when
she flashed one Of her brief chances at
him, she might have been thought the
happiest woman in the room. Yet she prin-
cipally consisted, all the while, Of the hot
test Indignation. Since he had consented to
come, why couldn't he behave decently
One thing is meaner, she thought, than
I generosity extended grudgingly, and that
is generosity extended hatefully. But as
a matter Of fact, it wasn't even generous
in him to come, because he wasn't really
sick-he'd been able to go to. his business
and to run errands afterward-and he'd
told her, himself, TO accept the COrbitts'
invitation, when she asked him about it
last week. Henry was tired and his cold
bothered him she admitted so much; but
since they had to come, why should he
take his discomfort out on her? Trying to
make everybody believe she dragged him
around when he wasn't fit to be out! A
fine way to care for a wOman-tO make
head
It wasn't just this one time, either, she
said to herself. Making people think she
dragged him around was one Of his old
tricks, not a new one by any means. She
had to be always on the defensive, always
fighting against him for the good opinion
of their friends and acquaintance. And
who could tell how soon that Shifty,
treacherOus thing, opinion, might veer to
his side and she appear what he was striv-
ing now to make her APPEAR giddy
creature, too cruelty selfish to care how far
or how hard she dragged a sick and un-
happy husband? This mOping of his, she
thought. was the most insidiOus form Of
attack a woman could well be called upOn
to face. And unmanly! "Unmanly" was
the word most in the undercuTrent Of her
thoughts as she kept up her noisy and
gesturing badinage with her pOrtly host.
She knew that the kind of b~urleSQuing
into which COrbitt and she had fallen,
with the rest Of the table loudly con
niving. was the kind most offensive to her
husband. Even before the company had
come INTO the dining room, she had eX-
changed mock endearments with the joe
und COrbitt, whose heavy upper eyelids
were lax awnings over a naughty old
twinkle; and he proved heartily inclined
to extend their joke to cover the evening.
They were upon the point of running
away-he had carried the merry fiction
so far-and, with the aid of the company,
that she was "well rid of the old rascal, ~
they were discussing the luggage necessary
for an elOpement honeymoon in Cuba.
ThereupOn, with the addition of some
Scotch whisky to his previous interior
equipment of synthetic gin, Mr.. COrbitts
gaieties inclined perilOusly in the direction
Of French farce. That is to say, his skates
carried him Oward the thinner ice, where
he was most willing to go and perform.
The general merriment, also reinforced
from Glasgow, was by no means sObered
Z ny hA0 wi AN0 NAAD ~ Jul
face. The more daring were his ~caperings,
the louder the whOOpings that encouraged
T him; and Ella was at once his ready part
ner i'm the fancy skating he did and the
most vicaciOus of his applauders. Shout.
ing with laughter, she urged him on to
r worse and worse, herself adventuring with
him and once or twice going even farther
J than he; for she saw how her husband
. glOWered at her from the side of his eye
and it was this sidelOng glOwering that
stimulated her to attempt extremes. She
r heached them, it may be said, and they
were so relished by the other banqueter'
. that the table became riOtOus. Mrs. Cor
o bitt was delighted: this happy uprOal
made her dinner a memorable success
: and there we're tears still bubbling upOI
the hosts fat eyelidS when his most IN
spring guest and her husband departed
He went to the door with them.
"YOu certainly are a thoroughbred
; Ella! he chuckled hOarsely, as the Beels
u bys stepped out into an icy wind, Don
, forget you and 1 are absolutely dated ~
for that Havana trip as soon as my wifi
signs the release for met
But / thought you were too eager Il
wait for that!' Ella called back over he
shoulder: whereupOn he gave her a fina
below of laughter, and closed the doc.
upon the rosy light that glOWed out from
it into the stormy darkness. Then ELL
climbed into the frozen little car, to fine
herself alone with her husband and mid
night.
mTZEEP On!' he said to her, as tn
starter buzzed ineffectively. ecu
up some more. Shoot some more joke
about you and COrbitt on a Pullman. Keel
on laughing. Don't stop because In here!
You were in there, too she said, shiv
ering. For heavens sake, can't you ge
the car going? There's a cold wave struc
the place since we left home: I'm freezin.
already"
She huddled herself in her cloak, bu
leaned away from him, not toward him
for greater warmth: and beat with he
thin slippers upon the floor Of the cal
- Its got so bitter cOld!' she complained
'The thermometer was dropping befOr
we left home and I'm sure it's below ger
now. 1 really an freezing, Henry. Hadn'
you better get out and look under tn
hOOd?"
IT guess you can stand it a minute 0
n two he said continuing the manipulate
Of the ineffective starter. You're n
colder than I've been all night, I guess
Why don't you go on being funny abOU
your trip with COrbitt? 1t seemed t
warm you up in there, so why can
4 you
. "Why can't you hush up?" she intel
rupted. "StOp talking and see what's tt
matter with the darn carr
81 don't wonder you're afraid to hes
- me talk" he said.
Afraid -
- Eyes, afraid! Anyway. I should thin
-v a decent woman that talked the way yC
ii been talking in there tonight would be
~ little afraid of what her husband wOul
= 20. hush upl That starter sounds as
~ it's never going to work. For Heaven
70 sake, get out and see if the radiator
" You want me to get out do yOu?"
- said, with a little bark Of laughter tn
I'll