The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-03-15
Conscripi' Wife
CONTINUED Fron PaFs 8
By BETTY WALLACE

for q long walk He Vas 50 pitt
fully oooped Up. Paul said It would
be better. perhaps. TO put him out
70 board or a farm ne knew.
+ She read Bits letter again.
Suddenly she decided. TN stsy
home tonight" She could not
quite put her finger on what made
her decide that 49,.
CHE told Paul while she vas in
- his office going over some re-
ports with him The round II
eaiety Is wearing me out. Paul.
And I have no clean stockings left.
I believe III fry myself a couple
Of eggs tonight and stay home"
I suppose girl has to have
some time 70 herself. he said.
And there's no danger OF weeps
any more. is there ."
No. I'm getting quite sccus-
TONED TO being a widow" She
added honestly. Rather too ray
a widow | expect"
Nonsense he said Lets get
back to these reports
She washed the stockings. and
then stuck Butch in the bathtub
and washed him. He whined and
moaned piteously. as he always
did. This had always been Bits
task
After that. she Strengthened her
bureau drawers. II was still only
half past s. What's the matter
with me? One evening at home.
and I'm bored stiff"
The apartm ent seemed so
empty, So quiet! She turned on
the radio She remembered that
quiz program and Psul's voice
saying that the army didn't sep
arate people quite as permanently
as Reno
What's the matter with me ="
Definitely. ii wasn't good to see
him as much as she had been do
ing. And alone. Not that there
was anything in it. but 80.
The telephone rang. She had
asked Bill to call her long dis
lance, in her last letter pull
loose from some change" she had
told him. You're rich on S21
month. and I want to hear your
voice" She didn't know II he
could phone from camp. Perhaps
he had to wait until he got into
town. Now that he was in camp,
She wanted to drive up next week
end. II was about 100 miles but
Peg could make il.
She picked up the telephone.
Hello >"
II wasn't Bill. 1t was Suzanne
Decker.
TRYING to get you on the tele-
phone is about as hard as get
ting Greta Carlo" she said For
heavens sake, where have you
been >"
I've been out a lot" Martha adj
mitted guilty Il was just think
ing about it."
"Out with Paul ," asked Su-
zanne. There was something tight
in her voice. Something held back,
waiting
Yes" She hurried on. What
ever happened between you two
idiots, anyway? Why don't you
come around any more? I asked
Paul, but he told me exactly moth
ing. What did you fight about, if
you did fight >"
Suppose come over right
! now? I've wanted to talk to you.
In fact. that's why ! called"
Why, of course, come right
over"
She went to the bedroom. after
she hung up. and looked critically
into the mirror Paul had said she
wasn't looking so well And SUI
zanne was always perfectly per-
feet her hair glossy. each curl in
place, her makeup srtful. She
couldn't explain to herself why
suddenly she wanted to look well
for Suzanne. 1t had something TO
do with the way the other girl
had asked, "Out with Paul." but
she didn't want to think about
that.
. Suzanne appeared. in soft black.
Silver foxes were slung across her
shoulders. Her mouth was very
red, her voice very gay. But her
eyes were not happy. Martha saw
that at once. Saw that there was
purpose in the squared. slender
shoulders; something beneath the
hammered way Suzanne Invested
herself Of hat, gloves, furs and sat
down on the sofa
II called you at least a dozen
times she said.
we were out a great deal"
There WAS a silence. Suzanne
lighted a cigaret. Her fingers were
shaking.
Martha" she began. Martha,
I'm putting my nose into some
thing that : none Of my business,
maybe. But-wsll-"
Don't apologize" Martha said.
What's the matter"
You're sure Paul didn't tell
you what we quarreled about >"
No. haven't the least idea"
Suzanne took long, deep drag
on the cigaret- We euarreied
about you she said. very dis
tinctly.
10 Be Continued
L you're not using IL. sell il with
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