The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-02-03
Chapter IS
Partnerships

Partnerships
patsy will divorce Allen one
of these day." Bob predicted
cheerfully. "She married him for
what she could get out of him,
and it hasn't proved to be as much
as she counted on. Don't worry
about him, sweet. BY this time
next year he'll be free; married to
Barbara, maybe"
There was a little silence and
then Sue said, a panied note in her
voice:
'Td hate to believe that, Bob!"
"But why?" He was honestly
surprised. "You don't want the
poor guy tied to her for life, do
you? There might be children
some day, and then he'd hate the
idea of losing them. Aliens brim-
full of paternal instinct"
"He is tied to her, whether he
likes it or not; whether there are
children or not, Bob"
"Oh, come now! You don't be-
lieve that-not in this day and age.
An unhappy marriage is like a
bad promise: better broken than
kept"
"But it needn't be unhappy
always, Bob. l mean-bad mar
riageS can be made into good ones,
if people just try hard enough. !
mean-in most cases. Of course If
a man is unfaithful-deliberately
and repeatedly unfaithful-or
wife is not fit to bring up any chill
dren there might be o.. but even
then there ought to be years and
years of effort before they admit
failure"
"You surprise me, Sue! Re-
peated infidelity! D'you mean me
to understand that you-that any
woman would forgive infdelity
in her husband?"
Il didn't say forgive it, Bob"
she answered thoughtfully. 81
don't know whether she could or
not. / suppose it would depend on
many things herself, him, the
other woman, the circumstances.
But forgiving it is beside the point.
"It's-it's like any other con-
tract, it seems to me-" she went on
slowly, thinking it out as she
talked. "If you enter into part
nership you agree to certain things.
It may turn out that you don't like
the relationship as much as you
expected to, or even your partner,
for that matter; but that doesn't
release you from your agreement
at least until the time is up. And
the time never is up in marriage
not till death do you part, any
how"
Great Scott! l didn't know I'd
married such a little Puritan!
There are mighty few people who
feel like that. Sue" he went on
gravely: 1T surprises me that you
do. Why, lots of your friends have
been divorced-remarried, even.
How does it happen that you"
"Our parents, l suppose; Aliens
and mine. / was only twelve when
Mother died but even then l re-
member her saying that marriage
took a lot of bearing and forebear-
ing to make it success. And Dad
he was III a long time, you
know. He-talked to us. He told
us that no two people had ever
been more in love than he and
Mother were when they were mar
ried but they'd had their stormy
times, too. He impressed it on us
that successful marriage has to
be built up patiently, day at
time"
Sweet. this is queer talk for
us!"
'Gold-Digger'
CHE went on as if he had not
- spoken.
"And those people you men
toned just now, Bob - those
friends of mine who made a fail
ure of their first marriage and
hurried into a second. I've watched
them. They don't seem to me to
be making a conspicuous success
Of the next one, either. l suppose
If you're a gutter once you will
be again-always in fact.
"D'you know, I'm awfully glad
we had this talk? It's clarified
something for me-" a.-
He laughed a little uneaSily.
"Your thoughts about our mar
riage, Sue? Your determination to
make the best of it?"
RlIt she was t00 YnIIph in aarnnSt
to share his mood.
"About PatSy-PatSy and Allen.
I'm going to do my best to help
Patsy succeed in her marriage,
Bobl Allen-I can count on Allen.
I'm going to have Pats out here,
give her as happy a time as / can,
encourage her to make the best
sort of wife to Allen-that sort of
thing!"
His arms frightened about her.
''Who but my wife could be so
forgiving to the girl that practi-
cally turned her out of her own
home? If you want my honest
opinion, it won't do the slightest
good. Pats is a gold-digger if /
ever saw one. But I'll back you up
in whatever you try to do. sweet
Sue!"
She pulled his face down to hers,
rubbing her soft cheek affection
ately against his.
That's what keeps my heart
singing all day long," she informed
him. knowing that whatever ]