The Washington times., 1937-12-17
FURIOUS WIFE

Don't you dare swear at me,
Phil Ellerton!" Susan's teeth
fairly chartered with rage. "As
though I hadn't given my whole
life since we were married to you
and the children! I'm doing this
for your sake and theirs"
mo, you're not Phil broke in.
You're doing it for your own
qualification and excit e m n t..
You're seeing life in a wrong per-
spective, Susan. Please think it
| through"
You're the one who has the
wrong perspective, you'd better
do some thinking through" Her
voice couldn't be trusted any far
ther. She turned and ran up
stairs to the guest room, slam
ming the door behind her.
Phil had left before Susan woke
up the next morning. The sight
of the guest room brought back
the whole hideouS wakeful night.
The clock had struck five before
she'd had a wink of sleep. From
the looks of the sun, 1t must be
nine or later, now.
Susan's lips frightened to a stub
born line. She must get UP and
telephone. She'd told Mrs. jackson
she'd give her her answer before
10 o'clock.
She got up and glanced grimly
at herself in the mirror.
She looked all of 40 this morn
ing.
Absentmindedly. she heard
Mary's shrill treble announce to
Tommy and two of the neighbor's
children that they were playing
house.
I'm the mother, and you're the
children, getting off to school.
Hurry now, childr e NJ" she
dropped her voice to a querulous
note that galvanized Susan to sud.
den attention. It was ludicrously
devastatingly like her own
"T have to go to a committee,
so can't wait until the bus comes.
You'll have to get yourselves off.
Tommy, where's your a n
shirt?'" Haven't one" yelped
Tommy, "'You have, tooH" Re-
sounding smacks brought forth
well simulated roars.
SHOCKING PICTURE
Susan turned abruptly away
from the window. Except for the
dramatic addition of the spanking,
Marys personification of her came
perilously close to the truth. That
was the picture her children had
Of her!
At the telephone in the hall
downstairs, she h d to swallow
twice before she could get out
Mrs. Jackson's number.
There was a queer buzzing over
the wire that suddenly cleared to
voices.
Susan was about to hang up
and try for a better connection,
when the lilt of Mrs. Jackson s
voice held her rooted to the spot.
She knew the wires were crossed.
knew she ought to hang up, but
she couldn't.
We've got that little Mrs. Ell.
lerton to take it," Mrs. Jackson
laughed. my dear, we had to-!
Not another soul would touch it.
"Oh. she'll be all right. She's a
good little worker, and she's SO
thrilled at being asked that we
won't have to do thing"
Gently, very gently. Susan put
the receiver back on the hook.
There was some measure oi
comfort in Mrs. Jackson's sur
prised chagrin when she finally
reached her and said she wouldn't t
take the Craftsmanship.
But there was infinitely more
comfort in the joyous shouts that
greeted her blanket invitation to
the quareling family" in the
front yard to come in and have
some cookies, then go marketing
with her.
Don't you have to go to a com
mittee?" Mary asked. "I thought
Ouch! Mummy, you hurt when
you hug so hard"
mo, darling; I'm not going tt
any more committees. We're
going to buy a nice big beefsteak
for daddy" her laugh was shakv
"It's going to be the biggest
incest beefsteak daddy ever att
in all his life"
THE END.