Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08


and over again, and he knows ex-
actly what will happen. Give the old
man II year-two at the outside-and
he'll be back. scared to death"
"Oh, Ross, if you could only stick
it out The slump is bound TO end
sometime
That's what I've been fighting Hal
on He was for dropping things at
the first falling off. | guess Marjorie
pushes him pretty hard, and, of
course, a job is here and now. I've
been for hanging on right up till this
Hurley wallop hit us. OF course, this
settles it,
You said you had two or three Of
the little fellows that were going to
hang on and capitalize on the
"Oh. they wouldn't more than pay
the office expenses. Hon
But they would do that---they'd
keep the business alive"
They'd pay the office expenses
that's all
oh, Ross. if YOU could Just keep
going, somehow, Let Hal soet out
if he wants to, and keep ii going your
self. And be right on hand when the
slump ends, Can't you. Ross--some
way" Carol sat upright again among
the cushions, Isn't there some way
we could stick it out so that you could
hang ono"
Her husband shook his head
Hal and I've been all over it.
dozens of times. Not chance"
But you didn't have the Hurley
account when you started YOU
didn't know you were going to get
il"
NO. honey girl. and we didn't have
Fyou and Marjorie then. either. We
were Just A couple of bachelors with
nobody in the world we cared whoop
about. We knew that we could live
on next to nothing for any length Of
time If we had to-
Then let's stick if out. Ross. you
and !. till the slump is over. Don't
give ii up. Let Hal go, Well get
along, some way, YOU and ]. just like
pair of Young bachelors on next to
nothing. for any length of time
Ross laugh was a bit rueful, but he
had 10 laugh at that.
Honey. I've never known any pair
Of young bachelors who were expect
ing a baby.
Ross crossed the room IT, sit down
on the divan beside Carol He slipped
his arm around her
/ Il never meant to bother you with
any of this stuff, sweetheart. | don't
know what got me started, Anyhow
now LET'S forget il. | won't he glum
any more now that I've once made up
Of position--it's the luckiest thing
in the world to have it come along
right now
Carol shook her head stubbOrnly.
NO, it isn't lucky. And you don't
honestly think it's a peach Of a po-
sition. You'd rather keep on in your
own business IF II meant almost starv-
ing for two years And you'd do it,
too. and make good. too--if il weren I
for me"
Ross was silent for moment or
two, looking into the fire. Then his
arm around Carol tightened.
Carol, my DEAR" he said solemnly,
IF II weren't for you--well, can't
even seem to go back and remember
how things used to look to me before
had YOU And Heaven knows !
don't want to. If anything is any diff
ferent now. it's so we'll worth it that
s. a. Joke even to say so. you
don't know what having YOU means to
me. Carol.
Carols body relaxed content inside
the strength OF his protecting arm.
as the worried tension Of the last
weeks relaxed to the comfort OF his
words.
Life is always going to look right
to me, sweetheart. as long az ] have
you-and can keep eou safe and hap
Ply
All, here was the answer to Carols
| old, shrewd jest: Helpless women
make the best husbands. Here. In
her own husbands creed. was the
very formula for the hest husba nd.
equal parts the lover and the good
provider. SO. as a clnging vine she
had not been failure. after all
Surely not. when that was all Ross
asked of life, to keep her safe and
happy.
STRANGE that in this very mo-
ment, this fragrant, silken. tri-
umphant moment something alien TO
it all should stir in Carol. something
that went far back of her eight
months of pampered wifehood, back
even of the eight years of sturdy
struggle. back OF Carol herself-the
heritage Of long line Of women who
had spent their lives making not good
husbands. but good wives. IL was
this sudden stirring. of course, that
made the pretty doll in yellow satin
echo thoughtfully:
Safe and happy could be safe,
though. without a house in Glover.
dale. And happy without georgette
negliges.'
Ross smiled. tenderly indulgent--
did not even answer.
Carols free forehnger drew a
thoughtful triangle on the thick We
Iour OF the divan.
IF the business will carry itself, all
we'd have 10 do would be To manage
TO live ourselves"
! That's all" Ross agreed. tendery
| mocking. Just the little trifie of
| finding a way to live for a year or two
! on absolutely nothing
1T wouldn't he on nothing. We'd
have this house.
] "My dear little girl. have you any