Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-04-06
VALUABLE
NEIGHBORLY
WISDOM
s.o-soso-so<>~<>oeo-sos-o.s.o.s.b
tS by d. J. walsh.)

xNl was steamtng on the range
and peeped in. II was Just
as she expected. The water had al
most entirely boiled away, and If she
had waited three minutes longer the
roast would have burned.
"Oh, dear" she thought 81 won
der If there is another woman in the
whole world who is as discouraged
and blue as |. One thing know Ger.
tain, no woman who ever loved her
husband as well as | do, and tried to
be faithful helpmate, ever was con
fronted with such problem as Is
mine. don't say Carter has ceased
to love me. But he is Indifferent and
there's no use in my ignoring the fact
any longer. Our neighbOrs must have
seen 1t this long while. The question
Is what am going to do about III"
And sinking into chair by the
kitchen table Marion gave up to a
good long cry.
She cried until her handkerchief
was sopping wet, then in perfect
abandon of grief and self-pity she
lifted her apron and substituted that
for a handkerchief. She had just
reached the smartlng-eyed, sniffy
nosed state in her cry when the door
opened and Mrs. Walker, her next
door neighbor, entered. Mrs. Walker
was a calm, middle-aged woman OF
ample proportions and abundant good
sense.
"Why, Mrs. Palmer" she cried, at
the sight of Marlon's swollen eyes and
flushed face. "Are you slck?"
mot sick, Mrs. Walker" Marion an
swered with a catch In her voice.
Just sick of living"
"Now that's too bad" Mrs. Walker
sank into a chair and pretended not
to see Marion's frantic attempts to
make her face presentable by rubbing
it with the aforementioned apron. "But
it's a common complaint, after all.
H-umm," Mrs. Walker said, you've
been married about two years. haven't
you" Marion nodded assent. swell,
in that case you've just about arrived
at the point where you doubt your
husbands love"
at isn't doubt with me, Mrs. Walk
err" Marion was emphatic. "It's a
fact. The whole world couldn't make
me believe that Carter Palmer loves
me the way he used to. II he does
love me, why doesn't he treat me DIFF
ferently? I toll here In this house
from morning till night, I almost
never leave the house and he knows It.
But do you suppose he cares? mol
When he comes home at night, In
stead of inviting me to go to the
movies" or insisting upon my going
with him TO some good restaurant for
dinner he simply gobbles down what
Is set before him. He's not even
appreciative of the food I've worked
all day to prepare. AS soon as he
has finished eating he saunters into
the living room, sinks into the easiest
chair and retires behind the evening
paper. What I hate worst Of all Is
that old black pipe he smokes, and
honestly, Mrs. Walker, II you could
see the cloud of smoke that rises over
his head you'd think that pipe was
filled with soft coal I've asked him
repeatedly not to smoke In the living
room have literally begged him
not to drag the big chair across the
room the way he does. l even went
so far as to buy floor lamp and set
It close to that chair In the corner,
hut 1t doesn't seem to make the least
bit Of difference. Every night it's the
same thing over again. That chair
is dragged right up to the davenport
table"
'But you sit near that table, don't
your" Mrs. Walker asked.
"Yes, I do, | have to sit some
where" Marion's eyes snapped. 81
either read or sew. I've got to pass
the time some way, you know"
"Dld 1t ever strike you that Carter
likes to sit near your Mrs. Walkers
tone was gently questioning.
"Oh, you innocent old dear" Ma
rlon shifted. "If Carter Palmer liked
me well enough to want to sit by me
he takes mighty poor way Of show
ing It the way he tries to smoke me
out Why, If he loved me he would
want to talk to me, conflde in me, lis
ten to me. He never Is Interested In
anything l have to tell him about my
work. Only yesterday when the wash.
ing came back from the laundry with
q sheet torn and two handkerchlefs
missing and | tried to tell him about
II he simply grinned and said: Sick
EN-, Marion. Make 'em pony up, and
that was every last word could get
him to say on the subject. And
might have told him that there we're
three buttons torn off his under.
clothes, but I didn't. | wouldn't give
him the satisfaction Of knowing about
1t. Oh, tell you, Mrs Walker, my pa
thence has been tried. l think there
Is nothing for me but just to pack up
my things and leave" And Marion
began to weep again.
"Well, my DEAR" Mrs Walkers
voice was soothing. II think very
likely 1t might be n fine thing for you
to go away for n few days visit be
fore you decide to leave for good"
"A few days visltp Marion glared
at her through tear-flled eyes "If
go I'll never come back, never"
81 wouldn't say that" Mrs. Walker
said. "Td try an experiment Sup
pose you pack up few Of your
pretty things and go up to Delhi and
spend few days with that cousin
Margaret you are always talking
about. She's been married quite some.
a 10 In haIp IL