The Washington times., 1939-01-26
BY ISABEL JOHNSTON

A T6 a. M, Louise staggered
"A up and warmed the baby:
milk, wishing she and Ton
hadn't stayed so late at the
Carriers playing bridge. She
shut the windows, turned up
the thermostat, sleepily held
the baby's bottle through his
feeding, made him dry and
comfortable-and then crawled
back into bed for those last de-
licious hours of sleep. The rls-
ing heat from the furnace lulled
her into gentle and happy
dreams.
Toms angry voice jolted her
awake. Huddled under the com
Portable covers. she stared up at
him towering over her. His hair
was disheveled. He was still col,
larless. His fist pounded the bed
post.
You might az least keep coffee
In the house." he shouted, II
you're too lazy to get up and get
breakfast" ..
mo coffee" she tried to say it
brightly. 1T won't take you five
minutes to run down to the cor
ner
MORNING QUARREL
"1'm late now" he interrupted.
"You didn't even set the alarm" "
With desperate effort, she
Jumped out of bed, flung on a
vrapper and pattered down stairs
to the kitchen after him. The sink
did look dismal with last night S
dishes piled up in it. -.
Couldn't even wash the dishes"
Tom was sputtering.
But you know we'd have to pay
Hilda more than so cents for stay
ing with the baby if she does
dishes, too," she reminded him.
"Slovenly, inefficient" Tom
complained under his breath.
How about nice cup of tea?"
Louise suggested.
Teal" he snapped. IF I ran my
Job the way you do your house,
I'd be fired"
so you'd like to fire your wife,
would you?" she demanded grlmly.
no longer making any pretense OF
being bright and sweet. After all,
Tom wasn't the only one who
wanted cup of coffee.
Say he laughed derisively, m
a man could fire wife with two
weeks notice, I'll bet the wife
would do a better job"
Maybe you'd BETTE hire some
one to take my place." she defied
him Someone who'll cook and
scrub and clean and take care OF
q 9-month-old baby and wash and
iron and scarcely nave a thing to
wear herself! Maybe you'd better
hire someone who'll work for
nothing"
1t went on and on through a
quarreling breakfast Of burn e d
toast and underdone bacon and
the crowning irritation of mild
tea. Before he'd gulped the last
mouthful, Tom had called her
Shiftless, extravagant, a poor
manager, an inefficient mother,
and said she nagged.
He had reminded her of every
stupid mistake shed ever made.
He'd thrown up the $45 evening
dress she'd bought when the in
Surance premium was due.
He held up the clever. bril-
liant, capable wives of other men,
wives who managed on nothing,
wives who worked and still kept
a perfect house, like his secre-
tary, for instance; like the wives
Of practically all his friends, who
tossed up eightcourse dinners,
made their own clothes-wives
who never by any chance forgot
to buy coffee.
II suppose you'd be happier If
left you and got a divorce"
AOulSc I'LL 1CdGC11cU do l1C 81 1dUUCO
coat and hat to leave.
FULL SCHEDULE
"No such luck!" he scoffed
heartlesSly. The door banged after
him.
So he'd call it luck if she left
him! Well. she'd show him! She
ran to the phone. First, she vir-
tuously ordered coffee in a tone
so chill that the grocer was all
apologies. Then she telephoned
Hilda and recklessly offered her
50 if she would come over and
take care of the baby for the rest
of the day. Louise hinted that
there might be permanent job
In it.
BY the time Hilda arrived, she
was wearing her best suit-none
too grand, at that-but she looked,
she prided herself, almost as