San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-22
The Making Of
a Husband
Ann Lisle' s N e 10
Phase of Jim and
Anne's Marital
Adventure
BY ANN Isle
Chapter As.

mad" said jim gally, as nc helped MIN
self to a third slice of the succulent
ham May Vallen had baked for our
dinner at The Birches. I'D mark
you a hundred per cent in looks, style
and general attractiveness."
"Oh, JIM" i protested. THAT
isn't what i want at all. 1t isn't
answering the question / just
asked"
want to be n pill-a lemon--the
biggest trump in town." asked Jim,
indulgently laughing at his portrait.
Il want to be your pal" said.
"You are!" was Jim's brief and
forceful reply.
But he was dividing his attention
between dinner and me as he spoke,
and ] realized that he was in one of
those unapproachable masculine moods
which we women learn to respect. i
wanted TO be wooed and petted. jim
vas in a prosaic, practical frame Of
mind. He was willing to make any
fortnight statement imaginable, but
he hadn't a single delicate flash Of
romance in his system.
So / said nothing more. After the
dishes were cleared away Jim fell to
working on the Montayne lease, con-
tracts, payments and the various puz-
cling documents out of which he
hoped to get a satisfactory solution
for his firm.
When i had put the house in order
! got out some sewing and fell to
cutting down a large tablecloth into
a set of luncheon mats, doilies and
napkins. And / found that as / sat
sewing borders of yellow linen on
white damGsk was getting pleasant
ly absorbed in my own task.
Work is best" told myself with
resignation in which a Qualm of re-
greet was mingled. Love is bound
to disappoint and chill now and then.
But work never fails. 1t absorbs-it
l satisfies
\ There's a lot Of satisfaction in
gStting a hard job out of the way
anN earning your right to sit and hold
your ,wife's hand" Jim said suddenly,
voicdd reverie. 1.-THE only difficulty
is that to hold a flying hand busy
with needle and thimble and scissors
isn't entirely safe"
"Now you're, ready to relax you
expect, me to lay down what I'm do
ing and suit my mood to yours" l
said more thoughtfully than resent
fully.
Il sure do" chuckled Jim good
humoredly. "Now isn't that just
Ike q MANI"
/ couldn't help laughing at his
pdrody Of a sour old spinster COM
nenting on the "sterner sex" But
as / laughed Jim sobered and sud-
denly he broke across my appreciatiye
mirth with a solemn:
I'VE men have been educated to
be selfish. Honestly, il isn't fair.
don't blame you for protesting. But
il is one of those things that just
about can't be helped. Too many
generations OF men folks have been
catered to by women whose job 1t
was to please. We don't honestly
know how to reconcile ourselves to
you independents who have so much
else on your minds beside pleasing
your 'liege lords and masters Jove,
Anne, it is a problem -
"Ycs, 1t is" / said slowly, folding
my linen and damask and laying my
sewing away in the big box where j
keep it folded. Once up on time
you wouldn't have realized that there
was feminine side to it."
And now that j do see," Jim said
sduarely, 1T doesn't make things any
easier. I've felt all along that when
you gave up your big daily thrill
your trip to the office, maybe you
were treating meas well as your
self-unfairly. Docs your life seem
empty, AIMEE"
1T was getting to seem as dry as
n lima bean pod in December" l
said. "And it ratified like one. So
for a couple of days I've been trOtting
off to the office on n train half an
hour after yours. But that doesn't
seem TO fill the gap"
Something on your mind?" jim
asked.
Yes" l confessed. "The other
morning you said that you understood
me-"
when did 1 make that rash state
mcnt?" Jim demanded.
After you had proved 1t by
Strengthening out May Valleau's prob
lem l replied.
After she had put her problem in
palmer English than she actually
knows how to speak," corrected jim.
Then | saw what you'd seen without
words. realized that this little sister
of big Mays is probably a weak little
bit Of flesh who's likely to go the
easiest way toward luxury and beau
~. realized that your big, stolid
May had been a heroine when she
stole, and that you knew it. Some
how, darling, that told me how fine
you are---reminded me of what deli
cate fabric you've woven-gnye me a
clear glimpse into your hcart and
made me determine to make you the
hnppicst woman in the world II it
takes me a couple of centuries and
five incarnations to, learn how to do
it,"
"Then / am a-stimuiating, inspir-
ing, pally sort of wife?" asked, re-
turning to the unsuccessful question
with which / had begun the evening.
AYou'rc the only woman in the
world" Jim said. Ruth Gregory
came into my office today about this
Montaype deal. When ] saw her ]
wondcrcd--say darling, if I've ever
spoken three sentences in succession
10 a woman like that il must have
been because / was temporarily in.
sane"
wonder il that really is an
omen? ] wonder if / am right in
fearing that Jim's love for me will
always be relative-ncver the big
absolute, compelling thing l yearn to
have it,