Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-10-26

Published by apeelsi ArEnnssmsnts with IN
Chicago Tribuns-fssv YORK news sSndleate
-. 49,. x1sarseEs ss,. ,..,vo,
ON TWO PARTS PART oNgED
YOU NAY LAUGH URBELKEvKsGEY
AS DID DUNGEONS WIFE. on
YOU AGAY WEEP Al TMK TALES
or HIS HIGH ADVENTURES
THK GREATEST or WHICH
WAS UNKNOWN no HKM.
Appreclating fully the advantages as
well as the disadvantages Of his wife's
popularity, Athol Duncon must yet
have commended 20 the day OF his death
that there ought 70 be some one in the
world IN 8 position to understand. OF
even explain II necessary, the unac-
countable adventures which were con-
stantly sssailing him.
Duncon certainly did not look like
an adVeuturing man. He was snnallish
and none too brightly coIored. His hair
indeed was distinctly drab. His eyes
were pale. His voice was mild. his
manner, almost deprecatory.
Yet. practically never did he set
foot beyond the confines Of his home
without stepping right into adventure,
even If that adventure proved no more
than falling down an empty wen, or
being invited to go to the circus with
perfect strangers, or arriving at the
bank Just ia time to see 8 robbery. or
finding himself pictured In the morning
paper as the affianced lover Of q Ru-
manian princess whom he had never
laid eyes on till the day before when
pre-Supp0stng her to be no more, no
less, than any other bew1ldered for
eigner lost for the moment in q gigantic |
railroad station, he had ushered her
back, infinitely to his own astontsh- /
ment, TO q distracted retlnue Of gold
braided coutiers and cavaliers.
Duncon's wife on the contrary, had
never met an adventure in her life, ex-
cept Duncon himself, and did not even
recognize him as that.
It wasn't, you understand, that Mrs
Duncon disapproved Of adventures.
She simply didn't credit them. That
was all.
To woman Of her particular trend
OF mind, 1t was indeed as though the
whole world and Duncon himself not
only ended but began at the latch OF
the white picket gate which enclosed
her own peaceful garden and pleasant.
well ordered house. Inside that domain
Duncon figured If not exactly as q
king, at least as a crown prince. Out
side that domain he simply didn't ex-
Ist. Through the widest flights OF
Imagination, apparently, she saw him
only as a hard working, rather lovable
chap who earned a substantial salary /
with big wooden concern, which salary J
he sometimes augmented greatly tol !
heir advantage by trips for the firm !
through the western states or even TO
ar foreign countries.
without worry, without concern, =
without even normal human interest, /,
he watched him thus at each fresh =
departure merge from living man into
wrath, even as in due time he re- a
trned again from the shadows into the
material vestige Of q man =
rho cared good deal what he was >
DING to have for supper or would prob o
bly, have for breakfast.
That Mrs. Duncon was a pretty woE1- Il
a, absolutely faithful, reasonably good 7,
atured, and an excellent manager OF =
9th house and servants, compensated :,
D some extent, OF course, for such quail q
y as she lacked. But Duncon himself Il,
ever failed to be surprised, judge, =,
nd 8 little bit bewildered, that con- .
idering all existing circumstances he n
ad married q wife who wasn't even -
oaAAtl~ II
itchment Of adventure as it we're, :.
hich fate had so thrust upon him. Z,
1t was, should imagine, In about ~
Re third year OF their married life that ~
y husband and I first stumbled on :,
lis phenomenon of his wife's tndif- -
renee to these adventures. -
Through a slight favor which my -
Isband had been able to render ~,
rough his law office, and subsequent ~
lough somewhat superficial associa- ~
IN on various committees at the coun- 81
= club, the two men had already es- IN
blished an affable II not intimate ~
It thus remained for the "a -.
o wives, who we're not yet acquainted hs
all, to domesticate the situation by a ~
rely social overture Of some sort. ~,
BY chance 1t was Mrs. Duncon and ~,
& who made this overture first. The NJ NJ
casion was dinner, the invitation h.,
Their unnecessarily formal. All the 80,
pOintments Of the table, candle light, - -,
YER, linen, the viands themselves,
ough frankly simple were almost per- q
1ctorily correct. m,
It was, therefore, q little unfortunate -
rhaps that Duncon himself, as host q
so studied and conscious an occasion, a
1uld not have arrived home until we, T
er having waited what seemed an \
erminable time for him, we're at least
! through Ine meaA. ~ Del.,s, LIZ. hO ~, not
sOnably prompt Rbsolution for him s,f,
I II only his excuse Is interesting nj
)ugh. the whole situation might wen he,
re been saved even then by the mere 7
,gestiveness Of his excited face and hin
sted necktie, If Mrs Duncon, though ba1
wing commendable patience with ro ,,1
ieIinuuencies themselves, had not IN
strated utterly every attempt on his r
t to explain or atone for the same. Dot
the
r,ov-