The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-18

s4sszzxnzsn.eznHAA -
COME experts say the first year
~ of married life is the hardest.
Others name the first, third, fifth
and ninth as the years of toughest
stress and strain.
There are cynics, Of course, who
declare every year between the first
and fifteenth is the worst year.
After the fifteenth, they explain, a
couple is pretty we'll adjusted to
married life.
Ann Sward, now in the fifth year
OF Wifehood, gives the palm for
stress and strain to the third year
of her married life because it was
IN that year that the actions of Bill.
her husband, forced a crisis and a
showdown. Ann rarely talks about
1t, but she always gives the credit
for what success she had to Aunt
Mary" Rollins.
If 1t weren't for aunt Mary"
Ann always says, she doesn't know
what would have become of her or
Bill or Little Bill, this last char
acter now being Q.
Probably, Ann says, she would be
divorced and Little Bill would be
one of those problem children who
grow unpredictable dispositions
through being left day by day in
nurseries while their parent hustles
out to scratch for living.
A UNIT MARY" Rollins is really
Anot AIMS aunt. She is no re-
lation to her. She is the aunt OF
Mrs. Margaret Frayne. Margaret is
AIMS best friend. 1t was she who
persuaded Ann to move from the
city to Denville. And it was this
move that precipitated most of the
unpleasant happenings of AIMS
third year of married life.
Certainly, Ann will tell you when
she talks about it, there never wers
a happier bride and bridegroom than
she and Bill during their first year.
Bill had just been given a junior
partnership in the firm of ODoul,
Gordon, Raefel, ODoul and Pratt,
theatrical lawyers,
He got pretty substantial draw
ing account and a cut of the firms
yearly income. He was-and iS-a
good looking young fellow, tall and
dark, and good mixer. Ann, who
had been secretary to Henry O'Doul.
senior partner of the firm, also was
easy to look at.
The first two years of their mar
ried life was golden dream OF
happiness. Toward the last of the
second year, Little Bill signalized
the fact that he was about to be
born and it was along here some.
where thu Zig Bill began to drift. .-
business got so that Bill had to
I'D spend lot of his time prepar-
ing cases in the Office after hours
More work for Bill meant more
income for them, and with an addi-
ton to the family about to happen,
increased income was going to be
very welcome. She hardly gave
Bills absences thought.
Little Bill and their third year
of marriage started together. Little
Bill was wonderful baby, prob
ably the most wonderful baby ever
born. Anyhow, Ann thought so
and Big Bill seemed to agree with
her, although he didn't hrag much
about it.
OF course, Little Bill was pretty
trying. Most new babies are, and
Little Bill had more than his share
of trouble. He had the three-months
collie and he was very susceptible
to colds and his disposition, natur-
ally, wasn't of the best.
Then Little Bill underwent a
long siege of general stomach.
trouble, and it was just when he
was at his worst that Margaret
Frayne, AIMS best friend, brought
Ann news that there was a per-
fectly ducky house for sale out in
the suburb of Denville, where the
Fraynes lived.
Ann Immediately figured that
nice clean suburban air would be
the very thing to clear up Little
Bills health.
DIG BILL wasn't enthusiastic
ID about moving to the suburbs.
He had his club in town and lot of
friends. If they went out to the
suburbs, they would have to meet
lot of new people. and the trip to
and from New York would eat up
from two to three hours of his day.
Ann was firm and understanding,
but insistent. Didn't Bill think that
Little Bills health was important
enough to sacrifice little con-
venience? Privately, Bill didn't, but
he didn't say so. They bought the
perfectly ducky house out in Den
vile.
Little Bill improved right away,
and though Big Bill didn't, the fact
wasn't apparent, at least to Ann,
for several months.
Then, when the press of business
one time demanded that Big Bill
spend nine nights running at the
club and away from home, Ann
lying awake and lonesome for her
husband, realized that Big Bill was
staying away from home more and
more all the time
She began to give the matter a
great deal Of thought.
There was something about Big
Bills attitude, too, which alarmed
her. He wasn't half so thoughtful as
he had been in those first two years
OF his marriage.
He was absent-minded lot of the
time and several times, when he got
home very late, there was more than
q suspicion of alcohol on his breath.
Ann taxed him with this and Bill
exploded.
n n
FOOD Marial" he said. you've
~ made a father and subur-
banite out Of me and now you're
censoring what / eat. The first
thing know you'll be demanding
an aqrn1411f a exv1x.xr xs.s&1,st~ ..@... =