The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-01-28

household.
For eight months, Christian Cowen
lay fiat on his back In rigid plaster
cast on a hospital cot. For eight
months, Rut Cowen twinkled on her
toes, to meet the expenses Of that
driven little household, and strangely
enough, thrived doing it. And so did
her baby. 1t was impossible to en-
ploy the services Of a nurse in the
household, and SO, to her despair at
first, she was obliged to entrust the
child to a nursing home for infants.
But the little girl, even as her mother,
seemed to bloom and blossom under
what might normally be considered
an adverse condition, and as Ruth
beheld this take place, her heart on
that score at least was light within
her.
It was strenuous, nerve-racking
life, darting like frenzied messenger
Of sweetness, between the dance hall,
the nursing home and the hospital
where Christian lay strapped to his
cot.
His recovery was tedious, slow and
torturous. And yet, Ruth who how
cred so lovingly over him, did not
know the most tortuous aspect Of it.
Lying there day after day, week
| after week, month after month, the
pressure of the secret jealousy came
| to be almost unbearable to Christian.
Evenings, when the ward lights were
low and the patients about him had
dropped off to their troubled sleep, he
was forced to lie there, visioning Ruth
in the arms Of others. It was impos-
sible to imagine that the men who
held her did not thrill to her near
ness as he did. 1t was impossible to
| fight down the frenzy, knowing that
even as he lay there, she was desir-
able to others. It made Of him, as
the months wore on, fretful, nervous,
irascible patient, sharp with his
nurses critical, even cruel, in his
remarks to Ruth.
There came time, however, when
Christian, on crutches, was able to
leave the hospital; was even able, Of
on evening, to hobble down, when as
sisted by Ruth, and sit on the sidelines
in the dance hall and watch the scene.
It was his idea that this might ease
the secret torture.
On the contrary, it only seemed to
infame it. The sight Of her, tireless,
enthusiastic, playful, even with the
burden of her responsibilities full
upon her, actually seeming to delight
in the act Of the dance, was even
more than he could bear.
Poor Christian, in his sense Of de-
feat and in his love for this girl; and
in his fear and torment for her, he
was all warped inside, and Of that
Ruth knew nothing. She only saw
her MANNED, nervous husband through
the eyes Of her desire to serve him
and to ameliorate, If possible, the
dreariness of the semi-invalldism that
seemed to stretch YEARLY ahead.
By now, the hurting jealousy Of
Christians began to take on a certain
menace. He plainly detected that In
Ruth's dancing there was a joy-of-life.
There was one Spanish fellow in
particular, who used to spend his en-
tire strip of tickets in dances with
| Ruth, toward whom she seemed to lift
a face as dewy as flower. Sitting
on the sidelines with his crutches be-
side him, slow smoldering hates began
to burn In the MANNED husband Of
Ruth.
The two things that Christian loved
best in life, that small, dancing mother
and the small child she had begot, were
in peril. And somehow, to the fever
ish brain of the troubled young hus-
band, the Spanish fellow who came to
the dance hall once or twice a week
began to be the symbol Of that peril.
One evening, there occurred in that
dance hall what seemed a miracle, al
though medically, and in the colder
annals of science, it is known as
"trauma."
In the midst Of what was the routine
performance of Ruth dancing around
the floor in the arms Of the young
| Spaniard, Christian, unable to bear
any longer what seemed to him the
amorous clasp Of these two, jerked
himself to his feet. and forgetful Of
his spine, rushed without his crutches
out to the center of the floor, hurting
them apart.
In the confusion and the unpleasant
notoriety Of the moment, one outstand-
ing fact was revealed to Ruth. Chris
tian was standing erect and strong on
his two feet. Christian was able to
walk off that dance floor without the
aid Of crutches.
That was the beginning; the begin
ming Of a great many things in their
little household. Also it revealed to
Ruth the pitiful, tortured mental life
that had been her husbands through
out the months. More than that. 1t
revealed to her the power Of his mind
over the matter Of his body.
Christian, who walks as normally as
anyone now, has paying position
with a commercial house; Ruth is now
able to carry on life she loves even
over and above the life Of dancing.
She is mistress Of little home and
of the day-by-day destiny Of two
growing children.