Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-08-11

o1lV apartment house permitted ia the
restricted suburb, things wouldn't be
right shed Be oniy a widow and q
widow IN her set had practically no
SociM standing. In Oxford Gardens
you were invited oszt Ia ccnpies-with
the man the most valuable half. A
bachelor or q widower didn't have such
q hard time Of it but q wssnan alone
was pretty much out 81 khings-invit-
ed 70 q dinner OF 3 bridge party at the
Lass minute to fiH IN but never exactly
10 demand or wholly desirable.
lift anything happened to George.
that would be different. A little diff
ferent, anyhow. Shed be lonely but st
least Lois wouldn't have him. For q
brief moment there played through Ro-
nertas mind the idea Of murder. She
pat Il aside. Not because she vas
afraid. She didn't know how 70 20
anout IT, she'd get found out-there
would be awful things IN the paper.
They'd put her through q third degree.
There would be q terrible trial The
electric chair
She suffered. IN one brief moment. all
o. the horrors Of q murderer. came to
herself with a little shuddex. Anyhow,
she didn't want George "a die. She
Che wanted George TO live-and with
her. Happily with her, II il we're pos
Eible.
All Of the stories she had read about
how women kept their husbands, or got
their husbands back after they had
wandered away went through her
mind. How did you really get your
husband back, once he had gomez The
fiction versions were too unhelieVably
simple. But there must be s0methingl
a sort Of an unhappy nervous frenzy
came down over Roberta. She didn't
want to lose Georgel Every minute, no
matter what she was doing, the emo
ton would surge over her. Lois and
Georgel
There were three bedrooms IN the
pretty little Oxford Gardens home. The
largest, with its four poster twin maple
beds, was. Of course, the room George
and Roberta occupied. The maid oc-
cupied the smallest bedroom and the
third bedroom. furnished Ia green ena-
mel and rather fussy accessories. was
the guest room.
The guest room was seldom occupied.
Usually IL was empty and In apple pie
perfection, save for thin layer Of dust
the kind Of clean dust that settles over
3 room that is cared for but not lived
IN.
Roberta decided TO move into the
guest room. She could not possibly
keep on sharing the room with George.
She couldn't put 1t into words. It
was . grown-up Interpretation OF the
childish Il won't 60 where I'm not
wanted, yet she felt she was not want
ed In the house at all-and she hadn't
the slightest intention in the world OF
leaving.
She was afraid George would de-
mand an explanation. She hadn't ever
slept in the guest room except one time
when she had had q cold which left
her with an annoying cough and she |
didn't want to keep George awake.
Now she thought It over and decid- |
ed to have insomnia. II was hard for |
Roberta TO have insomnia. She Was the
sort who fell asleep the minute her
head touched the pillow. It Was almost /
agony for her to stay awake once she
was IN bed She got sleepy far too eas-
ily-when they went out 70 dinner and
she should have been gay and animated.
Now she forced herself 70 lie awake
in bed until after she heard Georges
regular breathing and she was sure he
was asleep. She did this for half q
dozen nights. Then she announced her
plan at the breakfast table.
Darling" she said, i've been lying
awake for hours after you're asleep.
And wake up at uneaxthly times. Four
Ia the morningl And can't get to sleep
again. think III have Annie move
my things into the guest room. II I'm
awake can turn on the light ia there
and read without disturbing you"
Sne watched Georges face.
That sounds like 9 sensible plan"
he said with no expression ct ali as he
piled marmalade on another piece Of
toase.
I'm sorry you're not sleeping well.
ne added, courteously.
o, he didn't carel He didn't carel
He didn't carel
Roberta wanted 10 throw her knife
and plate and cup and saucer all ct
his smooth and pleasant face.
4 know you're In love with another
wonnanl" she wanted 70 tell him. you
lont love mel You love herl You'll
are seeing her all the tinel On the
slyIS
she wished she could scream. 6hsI
wanted to stamp her foot She smiled
salnly instead H-h she only knew
what 30 dol
That day she and Annie moved her
iainga into the guest room. She would
1aias abe knew, the little fntsmacies o.
lAaTing q room With George. These
est minute aftermath conversations,
he pleasantest part Of parties. But.
somehow, staying IN the same room
WITH George was the one thing she
'ouldn't do.
cro Be Continued