The Washington times., 1937-08-20

one picked OuG GI1c GAllLASo 4OA
him to read and the shows for
him to see, and she told him after
ward what she thought Of them,
which developed into what he
thought too. All the while the
world saw him basking and ex-
panding in so careful a directing.
She had grown into a self
reliant, sure-principaled human
being secure always with the
thought hidden from every one
but herself, that some day she
would be privileged to lie back
and indulge the serene dependence
which ought to be the right of
her middle age.
To be sure her employer had
learned to get along without her.
But if she had lost her hold over
one means Of accumulation
through job for the future, she
had at least insured it through
the job of marriage.
HUSBAND REBELS
She knew she was not as strong
in will, in dynamic force as she
had always put up the front Of
being. But what did it matter?
Fred never laid down on his job
or ceased to earn. He might have
had more of a career if he had not
so consistently availed himself of
her backing.
Partly, perhaps, because of the
culture with which she had in
vested him, he impressed self
made men of business, who never
failed to give him jobs in their
efficiency departments, dealing
with the psychology of handling
help.
This, or something. at length
turned his mind on his own eff
ficiency, and he said Jeanette in
terfered with it. She dragged him
down.
He asked her please to stand
back and not assert herself.
Heaven knows in the beginning
she had not tried to make up his
mind for him and now he made
such an effort to detach himself.
He even took a turn at advising
her about her little investments
of her savings, and he did not do
it so well as she, but she did not
interfere. It gave her a slight
hold on him.
He got jobs with as much travel
in them as possible. He raced
round the country organizing men
for his company.
More than realizing a career,
she wanted to direct a husband.
More than making her own way,
she wanted to be dependent and
give herself to some one.
SHE GIVES HIM UP
Then the inevitable happened.
He asked her to excuse him from
their marriage. 1t seemed impos-
sible to let him go. He was the
one thing she could not relinquish.
Anything in point of view she
would give up without a murmur;
but to forfeit him-weu, it was
the old mother stuff.
She had brought him up and
she could not let him go. The
thought of it dragged her down.
Friends noticed it and sort of
hated him for his attitude.
Still they were modern-and she
at last relinquished him in the
true modern manner. She would
content herself with being a spec
tator of life on her tiny savings,
backed by what he would want
to contribute toward her ease.
She would wish for no more
no, not so much as one would
have to give to buy ones way out
of any other long economic ar
rangement. She could be at peace
alone indulging in the serene de-
pendence that ought to be the
reward of ones later years.
But he was not willing to give.
Her lifelong plan for a placid
spectatorShip of events was not to
be INDUCED.
A friend Of hers who was like
wise a friend of his, acted, so to
speak, as liason officer and brought
her his mandate: why, she's per-
/ fectably able to look after her
self" retorted this modern hus-
band when approached on the
subject.
"She always busted herself by
looking after herself if she wants
somebody to look after"
| Jeanette is so alone" the friend
reminded him.
"Yes-hut she was getting de-
pendent" He did not, like Ibsen,
swing back to the laws preserving
the state, but expressed his own
modernism. It'll be good for her
to be thrown on her own resources.
To have something to do for her
SELF" he said.
THE END,