Evening star., 1938-10-23
OUT ALL NIGHT
IL man can. 50 can woman" she declared
s. s. -. So by Nina Wilcox Putnam

minimize the fact of his wifes disappearance lie
i i had thrown his tuxedo over the back of chair and
removed his shoes noselessy before he somehow sensed
she not there Then tormented by some strange pre-
ontion he had turned on the light and sure enough
both beds empty The electric clock above the door
of the bleak hotel bedroom pointed to quarter past four
The shock of seeing that empty bed sobered him COM
pletey He had sat there and kissed her good night
eight hours ago. She had been drowsy then overed from
shopping and he had promised to be back in twenty
minutes, And now incredibly, she was gone His heart
leaped to his throat.
Where she2 1t utterly strange her not beng
there waiting for him. awake asleep but there Me1e
Nothing like this had happened before in all their
years of marriage.
His alarm grew with the clearing OF his head She had
no friends in the city Why! She hardly knew her way
around, And she SO trusting with strangers What
could have happened If only he had the sense to come
home sooner,
He walked about the in torment. fllnglng open
doors in fruess search The closet the bathroom even
the door to the long dmy silent corridor outside Then
he went back to his pacing back and forth back and
forth his hands claspng and unclaspng nervousy what
should he do? Where could he look for her in this big
place which was really unknown to them both except for
their brief annual visit
His chaotic wondering was interrupted by slight sound
The door had opened and there she stood oddly untam
lar lovely vision in white satin, of perfume en-
folding her, quizzical smile on her lips.
obi hello there she said casually, closing the door
behind her, Have nice evening. dear?
where the hell have you BEEN? he shouted furiously
relief shaking him semblance of rage She shrugged
her shoulders and laughed trlfe shrlly.
What does it matter where I've BEEN she said lightly
except that I've had very amusing tme? 1t was so
unlike her that he could only gasp ncreduousy for
moment and then he found his roaring at her that
he had been wild with worry that he had right to know
where she had been and with whom No wife of his could
stay all night and not give accounting of herself
BY gad this grounds for dvorce She interrupted him
with little gesture still smiling:
Listen my dear! Every time come to town you We
done this to me. Walked out me without warning and
made night of it. Each time you've promised you'd
never do again It's made sort of fool out of me And
whenever it's happened I've lain awake and worried felt
humiated and cheap
''Bosh" he shouted cant man
Then so can woman. she declared fppantly You
kissed good night and said you'd go down to the bar
for nghtcap and be up twenty minutes At onethrty
woke up you hadn't come in, so went out That ALL.
Damn it, that isn't a' he ragged I've been worried
sick imagining you'd been in accident, or murdered
Don't know how it fees?" she said amiably. I'm
sure ought to by now No quarrel over this hope?
I've surely right to be amused, too
Il demand to know where you We been!
And that she chuckled, lis something you will never
know my dear! My! I'm sleepy. Glad you weren't along
was lust out talking little business with the boys
Hearing his own standard excuse from her lips, he
turned livd Ill find out where you've been he said
hoarsey the first jealousy he had experienced in many
long year burning him. 'Il find out and won't come
back until do! The door banged behind him. but not
until her mocking laughter had followed him into the hall
Downstairs he thrust troubled face at the sleepy
night clerk What time had the lady come n' Why, the
lady had come in just few minutes ago. No, he had not
seen her go out the other clerk had probably been on
duty then No. sir would not be possible to reach the
other clerk tonight. He would come on duty at tour IN
the afternoon Turning away from the desk with an in
articulate sound the made for the hotel entrance
Outside thin bitter rain falling The man shivered
slightly he stepped out into It, and questioned the
wachman who paced drearly before the entrance
But the watChman knew nothing lie q seen a lady go