Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-09-19
HIS WIFE
WAS ALWAYS
A GREAT
BOOSTER

(0 by d. J. Walsh.)

"HERE were eight finely written
pages in the letter which it had
taken an extra stamp to send.
Alice Draper read every word,
slowly, with the panied look deepen
ing on her face.
Twenty-one years before Margaret
Wells and Alice had been married IN
der the same floral arch. A double
wedding, and the prettiest one of the
year, too, so everybody had said. Mar
garet, Of course, was the loveliest bride
and Richard Burling the handsomest
bridegroom. From the start every
thing was in their favor. Richard
soon worked up to high-salaried job
on the road. Orson Draper, working
for the same firm, was held back In
the Office.
Alice folded the pages and put them
back into the envelope. She had
sense of helplessness at time when
she would have given aid. There was
nothing she could do. Margaret lived
far away. If she went to her-she
shook her head. She could write, OF
course, but anything she could say
would sound so futile. She must think
a lot before she wrote at all.
Meanwhile, her own tasks and du-
ties pressed more heavily than ever.
And she was worried about her hus-
hand. Orson hadn't been sleeping
good Of late or eating as much as he
should. Sometimes Of an evening she
found him staring over the edge Of his
newspaper.
This letter of Margmet's seemed
somehow to be horribly revealing.
Richard at first had slept and eaten
poorly and stared. Then had come
the first awful outburst, after which
things had never been the same be-
tween husband and wife. IN fact, as
Margaret said in her letter, they had
simply gone on from that point to
worse and worse.
All day as she worked Alice thought
about the letter and her own prob
lens, which seemed now to bear
strange likeness to Margaret's, as they
had been at first. She was getting
the boy ready for his first year in col
lege. David would come from his
camping trip in few days and would
leave almost Immediately for the uni
versity. She had to have everything
in readiness for him to pack. All this
took time and careful consideration.
Then as chairman Of an important
committee she must devise some plan
whereby her club could add to Its
finances before the year closed. She
wanted her plan to be fresh enough
TO attract attention. She was reading
everything that she could lay her
hands on in the hope of finding some
workable idea. Then, also, she had
wrenched her shoulder in way that
the doctor seemed grave about. She
hadn't told any one about that And,
lastly, there was Orson. She was more
troubled about him than about all the
rest.
That night she had an unusually ap-
petizing supper-roast pork, potatoes
mashed to fluff, homemade rolls, a
shortcake for dessert. She had fin
ished a new frock and she put 1t on.
She looked nice; although twinges of
pain left her a bit white about the
lips. Just before time for Orson to
drive up the street she turned on the
lights. 1t was raining and storming
and she wanted the cheer OF his home
to go out to him.
Yet, as she waited for him, she had
an appalling sense of wasted effort.
Suppose that just as Richard Burling
had grown tired of Margaret, Orson
had grown tired of her, She loved
him. But what If in their middle age,
with boy ready for college, her hus-
band had ceased TO love her!
When he opened the door she met
him with the old, quick, CHEEKY greet
ings. He answered In kind, "HOw've
you been, Alice"
Fine Dinners just ready to serve"
They sat down ut opposite sides Of
the pretty table.
"Roast pork. eh?" Orson said. "rhat
looks good" He helped her and then
himself and began to eat as If the food
tasted to his liking. Neither talked
during the meal. This was not unus-
ual, for Alice realized that OrsOn had
been talking all day. After matching
his wits with other mems her small
affairs couldn't interest him to any
great extent.
While she washed the dishes he
looked ut his newspaper. Presently she
came into the room and, sitting down,
took up her sewing. After a few mo.
ments she lifted her eyes and saw that
her husband was regarding her intent
~. At that moment her shoulder gave
a fierce twinge. She came near cry.
ing out, not 50 much with physical
pain as with hearts agony. Her hands
trembled as she tried TO resume her
stitching on Davld's pajamas.
Orson flung aside his paper and set
tied bach In his chair
81 got II letter frnm Dick the other
day" lie remarked. Hes ready to
quit Margaret lie doesn't seem to
think she's lived up to her contract.
I'm sorry for Dick"
81 heard from Margaret. She has
her side. think" Alice spoke guard.
eddy. "llr Is tired If her. that's ALL"
"Yes. hos Tired "f hrr darn tired"
OrS"n '1'd ". ruHl. lie reached into