Evening star., 1932-09-11

and stated calmly:
"You know of course that you should have
turned there"
With a grinding of brakes an undertoned
curse and a warning honk from a motorist
behind, her companion backed swiftly a few
rods, then threw his lights on signboard that
told all too plainly that they were on the
wrong road.
Don't mind mel" Lois Chadwick commented
icily to her husband the sudden application
of the emergency threw her forward in the
seat. Gordon's temper always made itself felt
in his driving.
"You couldn't have mentioned it until we
had gone half mile out of your way could
you?'
'I remembered your instructions-to let you
drive just once without constant assistance"
she responded mildly.
who insisted on this idiotic trip anyway?
Had to get to Flint before morning,
familiar roads on night like this?"
Lois tried to retain a bored silence, but
looking at the moon overhead and sky full
Of stars could not resist:
"Yes, it is bad night, isn't it?" as if to
herself.
Whats the use Of arguing with woman
like that?" he hopelessly put the question to
the night. Just because there's a moon I
don't suppose you noticed the fog. You've
been SO busy giving me advice you haven't
had chance to see what we're getting into"
Lois tense nerves snapped.
"Oh, you make me furious, Gordon Chad
wick Always blaming me. It's my fault about
the fog, of course. I suppose I should be
used to it after two years of marriage. What
wives are for-to be blamed for everything
that goes wrong!"
We'll, it won't be long now," was the laconic
answer.
mo, thank goodness" she fervently added.
"And if you'd followed my directions you would
have been there before the fog had begun"
= oRDON kept his eyes straight ahead and
~ did not reply as he urged the car through
the night
do you remember my telling you to turn
to the left back about Is miles?" Lois per-
sister.
Gordon groaned
"Oh, yes. You were right, as usual"
he wondered if she had any idea how dia-
bolicaily exasperating it was to have a wife
always in the right. Constantly correcting
Always sure of herself. Calling attention to
slight errors of one kind or another, display
ing her own superiority. Granted she was
generally right, 1t made a man feel cheap,
inferior.
II had usually been such unimportant mat
tefs, too. At first 1t hadn't annoyed him par
ticularly; in fact, he had been rather amused
at her exactneSs.
"Oh. no, dear, we didn't start at S. 1t
was $50. remember perfectly because the
chimes pealed only twice"
Then later, it had seemed she deliberately
embarrassed and humiliated him. He still felt
the hot inner resentment that had assailed
him when Lois had corrected him before the
Hathaways
Il beg your pardon, Gordon 1t was only
SO miles-not 85." Even that would not have
been so bad If she had not dug mp a road
map and verified the mileage. 1t happened
bot rkoo ;r6ot t,,@,
such fool?
And then the time she had contradicted him
about the small-mouthed bass he had caught
at Georgian Bay. In front of Tom Perkins
and Harry Castle, at that.
why, Gordon it only weighed three and
a half pounds. Not quite that, in fact Don't
you remember we joked about adding ounce
to it?"
That had happened just a year ago, about
10 months after they were married He re-
membered it vividly because it had been their
first big quarrel.
Naturally, Tom and Harry had "razzed" him
plenty about his fish story" How rotten he
had felt. And how furious at Lois. For
hours after the guests had left they had
stormed at each other. Or rather he had
raved and she had wept
For goodness sake" he had shouted, don't
appoint yourself my guardian to keep me 100
per cent accurate. Don't start an argument
over some insignificant detail when I try to
tell something. If exaggerate-well, it won't
keep you out of Heaven, will t?"
They had made up the next day, had both
wept a little, had agreed that nothing
vital enough ever again to make such trouble
between them He had promised never to talk
so harshly to her again, and she had agreed
not to dispute his statements when others
were around.
That epitomized Lois.