Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
ALE light Of late afternoon surging
through the windows Of the still

that 1t was at this hour that Hubert
came home--only she wished that Rita
were ever there, He would be sure Il
ask for her today. as always. and, a
always, she was out,
The light was still golden, the IRE wa.
blazing, the kettle was steaming when
she heard him enter the passage. They
had been married for years, yet for hel
the sound of his latch-key had not lost
its saver. He did not honk the horn al
he ussd 20 do when he turned the corner
and ran into the garage, but his step al
the side door was just as provocative "a
in the old days.
She turned toward him q smiling face
said. Tea Is Just ready, Hubert" She
had ceased 10 be disappointed ct that
unsmiling entrance Of hist had begun
50 gradually. that quiet gray way OF
entering. She did notice that, 90 he
greeted her, he was looking not ct her
but at the tea-table.
Her hand was on the teapot handle,
She waited, and TO make sure that he
was ready to sit down. she said gently:
There's your chair"
To which he responded, with immense
elearness and coldness:
'"I see It,"
She poured his tea and thought:
"Hes tired-his head aches, fancy
But why does he act 90 irritated, when
I'm so careful to be kind?"
She spoke hurriedly-some way, she
wanted passionately to cover that in
slant and to 60 forward with him, into
this hour, In the old way. So she said
quite sweetly. intonstions Of sweetness
running all through her words:
This tea has delicious odor."
t1 rut1fN1@ 1,n ts>Nt,jwaA Re n,~~x
ferent from the tea that we have smelled
yesterday. and the day before. and the
day before that?"
Again she covered 1t. Disregarding his
irony, she replied softly:
ST don't know. think 1t must be
Il Is 50 very delicious"
Nothing" he said as he took his
cup. could be OF more terrific i'm
portance."
She had rung for sandwiches, and
they came, hot and deliciously Drowned
and buttered. She watched him while
he tasted one-it was recipe she had
been to some trouble to get. He said
nothing. She burst out girlishly, Aren't
they good?" He replied, "I haven't
given them O fair show yet"
She began to feel the thing that she
feared-that slow thickening and tight
ening in her chest; that swift little
current that ran up to the back Of her
head and pulled. She used to feel
these at the first word of coldness or
criticism-but that was long ago. Now
she couldn't sometimes face two, three,
half-dozen such tiny assaults, and keep
her composure. She had gone steadily
about gaining such control, but today
as II 1t were an artificial thing. and as
If she had not, after all, created enough
cells for It to operate in-today II sud:
denly left her. and she felt herself
growing tense.
CHE put down her own cup untasted
~ and stared at the window, where
the sun still signaled. She was not
thinking Of the hour that she had
planned so happily and that lay In
ruins, as It lay In ruins on 20 many days.
She was merely struggling desperately to
keep her control. She was beginning
to feel tears near: she was cold; she
was trembling. HUBER should not do
this to her-she said II over and over.
Hubert should not do this 70 her.
She said nothing, .aftA this seemed
TO irritate him. What sre. syou glun
about, F1oradoraa ~ ha inqaired and Il
came to her to say. II didn't know you
had looked stsme enough 70 gee wheth-
Si was s3<31 Atk.stvT NcS eA..1 ca
surmountea e TeDneo evenly: va
tninking lp neaus'iu tine suniisns y.
"Tias iss,nlishtl would 1t be too hard
on you to think Of me once in . while'"
he inquired. 81
Haven't I thought to have ready for
you this magnificent tea?" she reminded
him. Haven't looked forward to It
.And did Won invite Rita?n he asked
dryly. Z.
It was too had Of Rita, Every day her
father asked FLOR hef. and she was a..
.isShe Is assisting 1t the Brauers' ~
day. her 4mother explained. I,
why aren't you fhere?"
Twas there" she said. Il left eazsy
1t was very crowded Her haste
and hush might have told him that she
had left TO make this hour comfortable
for him, Apparently II told him moth
tY1s,n fer he said IS q w. \ 81. S = -
weren't you having o good time
ehp"' ,,.s..&
She. was silent.
n "And III wager he went on laztly,
you were laying It to clcthes-thinking
that II You could spend more on
them. -"
She waited just long enough to make
him feel his n1eanest over TINS, u ~
was in him. Then she asked nun, very
sedately, II she should ring ior more
sandwiches: He rose ana pokea Vo-
lently az the nre. Sne wonoereo ne
was ashamed, ana tnaI was Wnat
MADE the sparks ny 30 tnickiy.
y \
WHEN he had gone, she sat pressing
w her hands together and thinking:
.T won't cry-I won't. won't ever,
achei" She tried to stiIi the terrible
physical oppression that was. pouring
over her. lifted her cold cup to her
iips and kept saying: HE shall not
make me feel like this. am too proud
and too-too decent TO be involved Ia
this sort Of thing"