White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-05-12
CHAPTER v
The Coward

They compromised with Edith 1t
was agreed, after an evenings argu-
ment and mornings investigation by
JULIA that the child might go to her
nice little business college for trial
month. BY the end of that time, If
she still wanted to, she could 60 to
work for her father at the office.
1t was he who insisted upon the de-
lay. His wife, to his establishment,
after she had heard what Edith had
to say about it, was in favor of let
ting her take the plunge at once. She
was frankly enthusiastic over the plan.
He had never been able to make out
whether Julia believed in the auto
choke or not. She had never said she
thought their own car ran better with
it, than before. She blew cold when
he blew hot. She never took so dark
view of the future as when he came
home buoyant over good order or
gorgeous prospect. Yet when the
prospect faded or the man who had
sent in the big order turned out not
to have the money to pay for it, when
he found himself drifting on the rocks
of despair, she Just took hold of him
and pulled him through.
Often he recalled Bert Wizards
saying that she was a good sport. 1t
had surprised him at the time and 1t
surprised him still. 1t was true-true
up to the hilt, in way. 1t was true
If you considered what she did. But
If a good sport was an adventurer
who took hazards and defeats as a
part-even an enhancement-of
game, then Julia was as little a sport
as anyone he knew. Less than he
himself.
But whatever the source of her
courage might be, the steadfastness OF
it sometimes made him gasp. And it
was not, he believed, all bluff, either
From some source or other she was
finding happiness. She hadn't been
so cheerful in months. He wondered
rather bleakly whether this might be
due to the cessation Of their marital
relations. Was that part of their life
something she had always hated, and
was it now her sustaining belief that
she had escaped from it-perman-
emily?
She confessed herself puzzled about
the change in Edith. She'd known
more Of the girls real feelings, of
course, than he had. Anyhow, she was
delighted with the change of heart.
tits really on her account more than
yours" Julia amazingly told him, that
I want her trained to earn her living.
1 don't want her ever to have to wake
up to the fact that she's helpless, at
the mercy of some one else-any one
else, not even the best husband in the
world"
She said it with such intensity that
he asked, before he stopped to think,
did you ever feel like that?
II don't, now" she said, and he was
glad she went on talking about Edith
without giving him chance to ask
any more questions.
"You must make it a real job for
her, Ned" she told him earnestly.
"Pay her real wages, whatever she's
worth. and always pay them, just as
you pay the others. And If she turns
out not to be good enough, discharge
her. Don't try to make her feel that
she's Just one Of the family, helping
OUT Don't try to pretend, to anybody,
that she's doing it for fun"
He said, "Of course not" in rather
aggrieved tone, but he admitted to
himself that this was exactly what he
had been meaning to try to pretend.
She had made him vince by putting
her finger on sore spot. He had
never realized before that he was a
suob. but now the fact confronted him.