The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-04

lovemaking. Val had been passion
ately responsive to Wade's ardor.
She had been convinced their mar
riage was a wise thing, that in
lit they could both find happiness,
and the forgesulness of all that
had gone before, the bitter sense
lof loss from which she had been
afraid she could never escape.
Even when they got home Val
had seen no reason why their life
shouldn't continue to be q gay
round of pleasure. It had proved
impossible to rent an apartment,
but, Wade's bachelor quarters were
luxuriously adequate. Val had
been happy and busy, having the
place re-done by the current IN.
terror decorator. There had been
parties il their honor, they had
entertained in turn, everything
had been just as Val had hoped
for. Naturally, she had assumed
Wade was satisfied, too, Why
shouldn't he be?
The. knowledge that Wade WASH t
satisfied had come to her So
gradually she couldn't have said
just when she knew it for a fact
DO we have to 60 out tonight
again? Val, let's slow down a
Bit"
The first time Wade had said
that Val broke the date in question
agreeably enough. She assumed
merely that he was tired, that
perhaps he wasn't feeling quite up
to par. They had stayed at home,
Val remembered, and she had
worn one of the glamorous loung-
ing robes from her t~rousseau. She
had lain on the couch before the
fireplace and Wade had sat be.
side her, holding her close and
kissing her, telling her how much
he loved her, how wonderful she
was.
Val had enjoyed it. But when
he began wanting to spend more
and more evenings at HONEYWELL,
there were limits! Val was young,
she liked a very gay time. Wade
was forty. He had been having a
gay time Cor a good many years.
He was beginning to grow a little
tired, somewhat surfeited. And
there was another thing
AS time passed and the months
OF their marriage added up, they
%quarreled with increasing fire.
quency, with mounting heat.
You're getting to be al old
mani" Val accused furiously.
"Only a few months older than
I was when you married me-"
Wade snapped back, resentful.
II "But - you were different then.
We had such fun always. You
liked going places. doing things =.
being with our friends. 1t was a
part OF what I loved in you"
Il love you-just you, Val. Not
the chasing around, the whole
crazy whirl. Don't you see, if that
was all 1 wanted, there'd have
been no point in my marrying. l
could have had the other with any
number of other girls. Gay COM
psnions are a dime a dozen. But
it was you l fell in love with, YOU
l wanted for my wife. Only - I
thought you'd grow up wnen we
were married"
"Grow up?" There was hot
young scorn in Val's voice. Don't
you mean settle down."
Maybe I do! Is there anything
wrong with settling down? Or do
you intend to go rushing crafty
on all the rest of your Life, from
one night club to another?"
1t wasn't one quarrel. 1t a a
composite of countless quarrels,
big and little. Bitter words, spok-
en- in anger remembered, resent
ed, LETT fostering in the mind. And
in between, passionate reconcilia-
tions, intervals of truce, lasting
days or weeks, but always eventu-
ally broken.
And now, Val thought, her eyes
still closed, her cheek still press
ing her silken pillows, the basic
cause OF it ali had finally been
brought out into the open. Last
night, for the first time, Wade had
admitted what was il his mind,
what he undoubtedly had been
working up to from the start.
Wade wanted a child.
Val recalled how she had taunt-
ed, after that first blank moment
of incredulity But why bestoW
such an u~nheard-of honor on me,
pet? 1t wouldn't be fair to your
other wives"
She shouldn't have said that,
O. course. But she had been so
furious-and just a little intoxi-
Gated. And the very idea was alb