Evening star., 1936-11-15
Magazine Section

Yes, she remembered, that was what he had
said She had broken into tears when he had
said it, because on his lips it sounded both
like prayer and benediction. 1t had made
her feel humble and important and glorious.
Yet yesterday, the same man had failed,
even after being reminded of it, to leave her
money to pay the cook and maid. 1t didn't
make sense.
The change had come 50 gradually that
she had not suspected it was a change at
first. Once. about six months ago, week
passed without his asking her if she needed
anything. and it just happened that she did
need a new evening dress for dinner party
at the Van Wycks. whom George considered
an important business contact.
Mary still thought it just as wicked to
spend money on seldomused clothes as she
had when she was earning but twenty-five
dollars week. But she finally asked George
if he could conveniently let her have a
hundred dollars to buy an evening dress and
the accessories to 60 with it. Il honestly
haven't thing to wear" she said. And then
she caught her breath. 1t was one of the things
to her husband.
She felt almost guilty when George apol-
ogized for his thoughtlessness and handed her
check for the hundred dollars. But the guilt
wasimmediately dissipated by his next remark,
made in an finland, casual tone, and without
quite meeting her eyes. BE sure to tell me-"
he said, when you need anything" Tell him?
she thought. Must tell him? Won't he ever
again notice that need anything?
She supposed then that she was being
foolishly proud. or perhaps even a little
stubborn. but she could never again bring
herself to ask him for money. For 50 long
she had made salary of her own, which was
hers to spend as she chose, that she felt
degraded at the prospect of asking for some
thing which she felt she had not actually
earned. Though husbands, of course, were
supposed to support their wives, to feed and
clothe them as well as to love them.
Mary decided to wait and see how long it
would be before it occurred to George that
she was not asking him for more money. She
bought no new clothes, yet he never COM
mented upon that fact. 1t was not that, like
some husbands. he did not see what she was
wearing, for he invariably noticed her appear
ance. you always look stunning in that blue
DRESS" he would say. Or. That white satin
always was my favorite. You look good
enough to eat" And in his remarks the word
always was invariably present. Always
Mary began to wait for him to say it. 1t
soon became the one word she heard. his
compliment passing through her head like 50
much gibberish and the word always" pluck
ing a strident chord in her mind.
The thing preyed on her 50 persistently
that she wondered if he could be falling out
of love with her, and she began to look for
evidences of it. They went out less than
they had at first, she realized, but that
seemed to prove nothing. If he were bored
with her. wouldn't he have been anxious to
avoid evenings alone together, have suggested
that he wanted to run down to the University
Club to meet friend? He seemed perfectly
content with her. even anxious to be with
her constantly.
Then she suspected that she was becoming
neurotic about money. Was she turning into
a grasping wife who weighed her husbands
affection by the amount of money he gave her
each week? What was happening to her, to her
happiness? Was this what marriage did to you?
She alternated between moods of acute
depression, in which she tried to turn the
spotlight of reason upon her own emotions,