Evening star., 1939-08-13

long time, and it's up to us to add
as much to it as we can"
What calm, kind, wise man, Muriel
thought, driving home. One must have
suffered, as he had done through the
loss of his mate, to acquire that sort of
mellowness and deep understanding.
And now, she, Muriel, was going to
lose her mate, too. Well, hardly that.
How had she happened to think of
the word mate? Such funny. old
fashioned word. Men and women
weren't mates any more; not the men
and women Muriel knew, anyway.
People - all creatures - were mates
when they lived their lives together.
depended upon each other. divided
trouble and struggle and reward. A
fellow being wasn't your mate because
he came home from work, tired, to
sleep, without your having more than
the vaguest idea what tired him, or
when he slept, or woke, or went back
to work.
1t had been different while Willis
business had been smaller, and they
had shared its responsibility. Sud-
denly Mrs. Carberry remembered one
evening when young, eager Willis
had flung into the bedroom they
shared and cried, 'Nellie, old girl,
we're out of debt! Paid the last penny
today! Grab your hat; we're going to
celebrated! Good heavens; that must
have been another couple in another
world - when had he called her
F'Nellie" last?
You're tired" she said to Willis
that night Did you have hard day
at the office? Why can't you come
home little bit earlier now?"
Carberry was astonished. "Why?"
he asked. "What'll l do when l get
here:"
I'VE might have an evening together
now and then. After all, isn't it stupid
to spend so much time talking to
people you don't care about, and so
little with people you do?"
Kind of a new tack for you, isn't
= it, old girl?" Carbery inquired.
He did look ill, and hard-driven.
Only a year left! Life was going to
seem pretty empty then. Muriel said
lust that to her two startled children,
! and was glad of their quick response.
We've got to make it a nice year."
Carol suggested. We've got to make
! it as full of one another as we can"
A week was over before Willis
noticed that Carol had been home
every night whats the matter with
\ your young man." he asked. Mot
sick, is he?"
mo" Carol answered, we've
merely decided against rushing things.
Let's wait year. said to him. If
it's all right then, it's all right, and, if
it isn't, we'll have found out in time
Winn agreed"
what's s come over THIS mouse!
Willis demanded. Il knew people went
,n,ts all of sudden, but didn't know
sthey were cured the same way. Even
Jud stays home for dinner now. Is he
sick? Listen, Carol: why don't we 60
on a cruise? If nobody has any other
engagements, it might be fun to spend
Christmas in the Mediterranean, or
somewhere all together, if you know
what mean. Speak to your mother.
will you?"
1t was on that Mediterranean cruise
that Carol met her new young man."
He was fine fellow; an outstanding
young lawyer, attached to solid. sub
stantial firm. Willis liked him so well.
in fact, that when he proposed mar
riage, shortly after their return, and
Carol said, whats the hurry?", her
father reminded her that there were
other girls, and men we're inconstant
ever - or words to that effect. Moon
light in the Mediterranean was one
thing, Willis suggested, and winter in
:<n