Evening star., 1925-12-13

wants to or not" She paused, frown-
! ing. I'm so sorry for him l don't
know what to do, Ede-but if we sat
( home. I'd just be sorry for myself.
/ And to tell you another selfish truth,
! I'd a little rather that he'd be un-
( happy than me"
/ T UELLA was not so much stating
- a case as thinking aloud. She
considered that she was being very
fair. Before her marriage men had
! always told her that she was "a good
sport and she had tried TO carry this
/ fairness into her married life. SO she
always saw Charley'S point of view as
| clearly as she saw her own.
| Ii she had been pioneer wife, she
would probably have fought the good
fight with her husband, side by side.
But here in New York there wasn't
any fight. They weren't struggling to-
gether to obtain a far-off peace and
/ leisure-She had more of either than
she could use. Luella. like several
thousand other young wives in New
York, honestly wanted something to
do. If she had had a little more
money and a little less love, she could
have gone in for horses or for vagari
Gus love. or if they had had Il little
less money. her surplus energy would
have been absorbed by hope and even
10y effort. But the Charles temples
were in between. They We're of that
enormous American class who wander
rather pathetically and wiStfully at
the customs and traditions and
paStimeS of other countries, because
they have no customs or traditions or
pastimes of their own. 1t is Il class
created yesterday from fathers and
mothers who might just as well have
lived 200 years ago.
Charles and | are on each others
nerves" In the new silence Luella'S
voice rang out with startling clear
ness, and she lowered it precipitately.
Little things. He keeps rubbing his
cheek with his hand-all the time. at
table, at the theater-eVen when he's
in bed. 1t drives me Wild-mad.
When things like that begin to irri-
tate YOU, it's nearly over" She broke
off and reaching backward, drew up
light fur around her neck. II hope l
haven't bored you, Eide. You see. it's
on my mind because tonight tells the
story. | made an engagement for to-
night to meet some Russian singers at
a midnight supper, and Charles says
he won't go. If he doesn't-then I'm
going alone. And that's the beginning
of the end.
a waiter stepped near ana lalu II
folded paper on the table, and Mrs.
karr reached for it.
NO, you m-mustn't.'' murmured
Luella brokenly. mo, l invited you.
You mustn't. I've got the money
right here
THE Hemples' apartment - they
owned twas in one of those i'm
pressive white palaces that have a
number instead of a name.
The evening was at when Lu-
ella turned out of the April dusk,
let herself into the hall and saw her
husband waiting in the living room
before low burning open fire.
Charles Iemple was in the middle
30s, with Il young serious face and
distinguished iron gray hair which
would be white in 10 years more.
That and his deep-set. dark gray eyes
were his most noticeable features
women always thought his hair was
romantic. and most of the time Luela
thought so, too.
At this moment she found herself
hating him a little, for she saw that
was rubbing ii nervously over his
chin and mouth. Luella had spoken
about il several times. and he had
apologiZed in n surprised way. But
obviously he didn't realize how notice
able and how irritating it was. for he
kept on doing it just the same. And
things had now reached such a pre-
carious state that Luella dreaded
speaking of such matters any more
a nagging word might preCipitate the
imminent scene.