The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-12-23
CHAPTER 36. A CLEVER GIRL

A CLEVER GIRL
 And no more bossing," Santa barricaded her lips with the sheet
 But darling, you've promised that" said Give.
 You've been awfully bossy," she repulsed him.
 %, beg pardon-you're not re- ferring to your own shortcom- ings."
 Well, haven't you?" Her eyes twinkled
 "Bossed you? I certainly have not. The shoes on the other foot If I can't salute your lips, your nose will do"
 She forestalled him by pulling the sheet higher.
 You can have my lips when you've promised"
 Promised what?"
 Not to boss me"
 T never have-but I promise. ''
 The sheet was lowered.
 Young devil!" He caught her to him.
 He left the apartment grinning Her ruse had been the revenge of little capricious girl.
 The chill November air was brac- ing. He was in mood to count his blessings A wife who wor- shipped him. An employer who at one throw had more than doub- led his salary. Scarcely more than six months ago he'd been that most desolate of creatures, bachelor.
 Marriage to him had been a vis- ion on the road to Damascus, revealing life in its fulness. He'd lacked faith in his ability till San- ta had inspired him. Merely to be her husband had boosted his stock. He was sitting on top of the world. Peaks of triumph!
 In the subway, hurtling down. town, he asked himself what had been the reason for his soreness. It boiled down to this; that Santa had forced him to reach up to a standard which had been a pro- phecy. She'd presumed his suc- cess. Anyhow, misunderstanding were things of the past His straight talking even if it wasn't quite merited, had cleared the atmos- phere
 Seated in his office, occupied with facts. doubt cast a shadow. Cleared the atmosphere! Had it? Not till lunch did he permit him. self the leisure to examine. General Foch had achieved victory by a logic wholly feminine: "A battle won is battle which we will not acknowledge to be lost" Santa had made the same discovery. In the moment of defeat, she had snatched back all her trenches by making him promise never again to be what he never had been-bossy
 With aroused suspicion that amounted almost to alarm, he ran over the progress of their quarrel. Santa had retreated, conceding ev- erything till she had brought him to a halt. She'd employed the same tactics at Stratford. She d been willing to agree with him till the arguments had grown stale through repetition; then she went her own way, dragging him at her chariot.
 It became certain that she con- templated no reforms. She still intended that he should roost in the home of her choosing, sit on her chairs, watched by all the gods who had witnessed the first mar riage. A woman who never &C., knowledged defeat, never acknow- ledged. that she had erred. Were husbands always in the wrong, he wondered.
 And yet she seemed to be un- aware of her obstinacy. Her sub tlety was instinctive. Last night he'd missed his great chance. He should have framed program be- fore accepting her submission. If he were to reopen the debate in the face of reconciliation, it would be difficult to keep conversation on a friendly basis. On the other hand, if he didn't, he might as well not have spoken; affairs would drift placidly into their old chan nelS.