The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-10
BREACH of PROMISE
By Rupert Hughes
.10THArs hls lIfe likeYg

ENJIlATs his life like9'
 w The question Mrs. Leon-
 a neckley asked her husband was tat question every wife asks Every. husband when he asks her to let yAOther mans wife Into her home 4of the first time. She asks 1t in self-
 tfonse, knowing that she will be on 81ial.
 Sue Beckley liked Walt Hilyard heat of all her husbands friends And SO did her husband, Both were with the Staton Steel Products Company, which had turned to the Bnaklng of machine guns and how. akHers for the duration. Walt had managed one of the branches in the west and had dropped in for din- mer or overnight whenever he came 70 town.
 Now he had been called to the home office and was moving to Sta eon to live, bringing his wife and daughter with him. The daughter didn't matter much; the wife was challenge. But Leonard Beckley's answer to his wife's question was e plea of ignorance:
 s'i haven't seen Margaret Hilyard since l was best man at their wed- ding in-- My goodness, 1t can't be 60 years agol'
 Tt had better be. You asid kheir daughter Is l9."
 Good Lord, how tempus fidg- etsl I can see Margaret now as q bride She was a beauty, shiny" eyed, always laughing, very sweet, very loving, very intelligent, very"
 "rf she was all those 'veries' why didn't you marry her yourselfp"
 'r knew that heaven was saving Ahe angel of All time for me" 1Ie bent and pressed a kiss Of nnock-reverenc on her head, and Was rewarded with wall:
 "Keep out of my hairl spent Ill afternoon at Pauline's, getting 1t done for this marvellous Mar garet that Walt took away from Rou. Tell me more about her. And for the Lords sake get into your dinner clothes or they'll find you with one shoe of and one shoe on, I'm nearly dressed"
 CHE was already undressed, and C stood the exposure well, for she had pretty decently won the battle with the years by depending on posture, exercise and starvation in. stead of rubber and steel to hold her together. AS Len whipped out Of his coat and waistcoat he was saying:
 '"rhe years may have made Q lot of changes in Margaret - darn youl" That was not for his Wife but for his coat and waistcoat aS they missed the chair he flung them at. Marriage usually molts the wings Of young angels" He bent down, picked Up the coat and walstcoat tossed them at the bed, and missed again. "Stay there, darn youl But you haven't lost & ,ninfeather." This last was for his wife. He started to dance out Of hiS trouSers, caught one foot in them and hoped sidewise, lurching oEn. hfaously toward Sues dressing table. IEo recovered himself in time; but, while he was so close, popped 0 kiss on her bare shoulder and gazed over % into the mirror at her ripe re. Elected beauty.
 Gosh, but you look like your w0n's younger SiSterl"
 lEe gent h!I neither garments ziylng through the air for her to i,.s': up, and paused ct the bath room door to prophecy:
 "I'l bet that tonight, as always, when Walt and his wife have gone, you'll say. How on earth did such e nice man get himself hooked by such terrible woman?"
 The sound of the shower drown. Cd her reply She went to the bath. eoom door and repeated it at the top nf her lungs: T suppose I will. But Iall bet she'll be saying the same hhing about me on their way home"
 He came out into the big towel waae handed him and answered as he scrubbed his wet flesh pink. lp.No. I'll bet she'll be saying, afEow on earth did such a wonder Rul woman as Sue Beckley ever let herself get hooked by such e dub ' ms that husband of hers?"
 "When 1t comes to the blarney, nny boy, you're cvertainly there"
 As he srleared father on his Face he spluttered. Shall I cut 1t nut?"
 aF'or heavens sake, mol Let's save Eacts for other people-your Mrs.