Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
II First-R nm
StoryFrom HePen
Of Thai Leader
IN the american
Fiction WorM.
The author WHo
Is Knog0n as the
Highest Paid
Writer of Short
Stories.


that, because as time went on she
began to realize new things about him. Force.
executive ability, determination, not unmixed
with tenderness.
In the brief period of their marriage he had
gone forward astonishingly in his business and
had matured in the finest sense OF the word.
The root of the evil Of discomfort had its
BEGINNINGS In = situation that was quite out
side the matter Of her relationships with her
husband. Ina did not quite realize this for
she was . type Of woman who Is not keen at
self-analysis. She only knew that as the second
year Of her marriage drew to its conclusion
there was gathering IN her breast . tightening
knot Of unrest.
Tom himself was sure, and rightly 50. that
he could have placed his finger upon the be-
gtnnings Of the rift between them.
As . girl, Ina had manifested fare for
painting. One Of her watercoloFs had been sold
from an amateur exhibition Mt $500 while she
was still girl IN school. It was after the
birth of her child that Ina once more begun
30 resume her painting. 1t was her way OF
waxding or what she feared would be the
menace Of domestic routine. Mullins was well
able TO afford SUFFICIENT help to keep the mind
Of Ina clear Of household minutiae, and she
began early in her marriage to see to It that
the conventional routine Of married life did
not close her in. For instance, she made It her
business after engaging the services Of COM
petent practical nurse, to pack her palettes,
brushes and eaSels into her pretty dark blue
sedan every morning and 90 on into the woods
or into the art galleries TO sketch, copy or
paint.
WHEN her little girl was three years old
enc Of Ina's oil paintings "Revery," re-
ceived honorable mention In proniinent exhi-
bition.
1t was right there Tom always felt he could
have placed his finger on the beginnings Of
the end.
Ina began to indulge In the wen known psy-
chclogy Of the woman who feels that she has
thrown career and talent to the dogs by
virtue Of having married. Ina began to culti-
waite an 'art-set," 20 TO speak. Tom. who was
proud enough In his way Of his wife's talent
encouraged this and even though he found little
In common with the rather special folk who
began 70 crowd into his home 1t odd hours,
he was . man Of sunacient mental accomplish
ment himself 70 respect the creative I'm others.
when things, however, began to % willy -nilly.
% Inevitably they did: when Ina east her lot
more and more with the so-ea1ed Bohemian
groups who we're glad Of the opportunity to
invade her comfortable home, Tom attempted
TO pat his foot on the brakes. But too late
The smoldering suspicion within Ina Mullins
that she had thrown herself away was . raging
IRE BY now. she wanted out. She wanted out
Of the confinement Of household: out Of the
conservative regime that inclosed her IS the
wife Of conservative business man.
It was from that point that Tom Mullins
ceased to put up his fight He was not q bad
psychologist, but perhaps he failed in the
quality Of persistence that might have been
necessary to subdue IN Ina certain illusions of
self-grandeur.
He ceased putting up his fight because it
seemed to him that the things which he not
only desired but required ia . wife were pal
pably not TO be found In Ina. The subject OF
divorce was calmly discussed between them.
Tom, with natural ctI:servatism Of the male,
and with an Unborn adherence for notoriety,
was willing to permit Ina to try an additional
year Of adjustment before coming to the drastic
act Of separation. Much he despised what
he had come to regard as the pretentious fol-
de-rOl psuedo Bohemian groups with which she
surrounded herself. he agreed TO maintain Ina
in fiat I'm the Bohemian section Of the city
for period Of twclvemonth pending certain