SEPTEMBER 10,1921 _“,,,..._.:............. A HUSBAND T0 MARCIA

n, CAROLYN BEECHER "yq-oooo-Qooovvowvooooa. Chapter xlili

A bit subdued, perhaps a. little "jghltllleil lacunae of John's slprnness, his evident sorrow over W dllfflil‘ Murcltl seemed to rea- lnt- that she must du something u, win hat-k the confidence he still gyprkfrltlfiil In her, but which site Count see hall received a shock. got tlillt Marcia thought she had willy done anything for which sh,-

glllllllll be censured. It’ Jolln had ‘m, her a larger allowance it would not have happened. Novel- ‘mp5s she wollld be extra nice . . w 1mm nht- said tn herself. until l he litttl forgotten all abolit It. , 1‘|||s, sill» lild not realize, John l “an; tn do. lie must forget. Ile

, 53w with a thankfulncss out of at. pronto-loin to the. way the affair lnitl affected hcr Marciifs attempt to assure lilul of her repentance, which he believed genuine.

l-‘or a time she ceased to urge him to got out in the evening. i-‘tlie

curtailed her entertaining. Shn cvtn forgot to rcmonstrtite when he failed to tion a dinner jacket uni» night will-n Ilob and Nell French came to dinner. She re- {mint-ll from mentioning cards,

alill hurried home from the clubs so that. she was "at home when he llrrivcll- ‘

--1 ftlPl like a saint," Nell French, wboiu she allowcd lo believe john oblcvtell to her “plying only because sllt- was late in getting honle. ‘ltub my should pt-s and see if yoli don't feel the ivlligs silrollting."

"NlllUYlll, Marcia," Neil replied altar sllt- ilad done as Marcial it-tittcstiwl. 'l'hen: "Aren't meal lull-tr t-rt-lttltrcs! They can come[ home its late as they like. blit just lll a womuil be olit when they collie ill zlnd—wowic!"

"You've said it‘. Wily. John acts likt- a bear with a sore ilcad If he gets homo first That's why I hurry away after we l'inisli tilay- int; instead of staying to chat. l-la, tltit-sirt rt-tllly approve of my play- ing you know."

“llc used to like a st-lf"

she tolll

game him‘

tllll-tly-s llkcd cards, lull since joinltd tlic club

ltilllil)’ is enough."

"llo\\' like a man! As long as they do a thing it s all right. lint just il-t a woman do it. then look out. \\'hat docs he say to yotlr los- ing? You liavc been playing ln rot- lt-n luck lately."

"lie knows notlling about it.’ llartrlzl prevarit-atetl. .“I~‘ol' heaven's. sake. dont say anything before lliul! I pay lily losses out of my allowance it is no oul-‘s iluslntlss vilctiter I win or lose."

"Your husband must be very K"llt‘f‘0|lt<l. Why don't yoll get that new ttlodel car we talked about‘! flail-c Sanders Iias one, an it's ttzlllty. Your car ls all right, of toursc, but nowadays one always gl-ts the latest ulodcl "

~'l t til k‘ 1 f 'ett'n a. ,, . h“vm_"lz,arl..l‘ "g-QTPL)‘ Arvplmfit‘ u‘ it forever. lic said as he walked Vi“; q “willy (m0 the 0mm, am, along. ‘lie referred tohis work. anti ‘m, '" ’ ‘ ' the strain it. was to please afarria. ", _ , . , by playing the host until a late nmligbl MMH“! Yo" “m 38mm’ hour several nights a week. or l‘ going out with ‘her. "Yet what am

t‘ Now hlarcia had no thought of .l 1 larger car tintil after this conver- sation with Nell FfllllPll. She had t, t-vt-n given up, with many sighs, Q the itlca of changing hcr coupe ft. ‘ l est Iiltitlul, liven lt up bt- sllc must, at least prt-st-nt, until John forgot

llcr ring as sccurltyn Ilut sllr- had lwcn was forgetting-she

so good could

very long hours. at ilouic he gave no sign that doubted her ln the tltillbtcti anything she. said.

Hm" km“ lwwllnrd ‘ms m!“ lWmlJilirtit-n tltlat should have been shal- Z. for hint, blit having given his word M mumlh._ '

§ lulntla flireu -g .hwp' ingwfor ‘h: aw“ u “m,” wnflfl.» he 5mm? “ll Flmlcl.‘ llml “"9" "gm ulzt-tl as he trllned his steps to- “hlm M“? “m ‘hlm Alllrlfll ward homo an hour later. "The t- lltfllltlrl)’ hall liked cards. lie hatlhnrder] (H. u“, lpggl “pom am‘. m f .

j lhl- stakes were small and t tot-ling prevailed. l,‘ ltluuo. But stilt-c Marcia had lie

ronlc so infatuated with cards he

f llfld not playcd. As hlarcla ‘hall rc

nltlrltt-ti, he thought one ganlbler in Yct until llo knew of Mart-id's losses he had no a game. a jucular

the family enough.

lllP-l silt» [iiayctl so stiff . The rcmark had been 0M1 John now seldom went

retained his nlnnlbershlp. tllthollgl

ht- was often tempted to let it Rn. with his follow meltlbers in the streets,

Yet ill-l ticctlsltmlti iticetlng

their hearty handshake. tbei clearly volcl-tl regrets that seldom used the Biturcc of conlfort to him.

“l can't afford to stay in and Pant afford to gct out".

llllll mct Larry Summerliti. wit

‘liked hlm to go to lunch with llliu

tlt's the fllnny part oi’ It! ll". little that be was silent. ‘ll he scarcely cvenJohn remarked: plays. Ho says one gambler in the.

mxbglfiliis wife, let alone put into ivqrlls l __ _ L I m ' Ile ‘had chosen her from all ill loss at tarts. bcr pu ng up gmg m, m“ known hponnsp RM

stgdlim~that he knew. She was young.

plainly. Ile was working very hard. bltt when he was ha least-or She

ltlllyctl an "easy" game at tht- cillb before he married, a game. whats good

A gcrltienlanfis

to his rluli. IIe had palll his titles and so

he so t-lllb. were a

he salt‘. krlmly to himself one day after he

c on. emt

0mg P tnd

iklntroubicalrecfwlviely anduxnch

ltx In!» Illu- "muffs-alum. SIM I5c for 1H1! Shl PERU. T. HOPKINS l SON, Mania]

'"'""'°""l

Gouruudk

Oriental Cream.

Larry good afternoon anti hurried io his office, "or rather as long as Murcia will let nle." ht.» added grimly.

Chapter Xl.V.

"it's a peach of a night!" Marcia said, licr spirits rising with every step they took ln the crisp night air. It was ‘fhllrstlay night, as us- llill lllflyt Ilutl lliiled out. "Let's go to the Ritzmtire. I'm crazy for I1 good tiance.‘

"Not to-inght. I am too tired."

John's answer had been curt. Nfarcilt acquelescetl with a shrug He had had a hard tiny", had beenl obliged to do something be hated

- ask for time on some of, their bills. Everything Marcia said had

ruhbctl hint the wrong way. Evelxvtillns they atti that night hall only added to his discomfort.

The restaurant dinner cost near- ly six. dollars, although he had out» e_n practlcnllly nothing. Blit Mar- cia as usual had insisted upon hav- lfltl dishes they’ never bad at homo. dishes that iliella svas not trapabie cf cooking. and licnct- costly. Usual ly he agreed with bcr that it was a good plan. but tonight dollars loomed large in ills mind. Ho wqtih] halve preferred a coltl hilt» nt hnmp, ’l‘hey<llatl lingered long over their coffee. Marcia interested in a gay party at the next table. while John had fretted to be gone. Bed to him seemed the most attractive place be could think of. he xvas so WPHTY.

"You're a charming companion tonight," sarcasticaliy remarked Marcia as they neared homc. John. occupied with his thoughts. had b_r>"n unulstlail)" sllcnla-llllt she hail s-litl it without apparent FCSF-fll- nlcnt. She wantcti to dancc. As Iona as he would not. sbc cared

When they rcacilctl thc elevator

“I'm going to take a. walk. Don't wait for me. o(‘t right to bed. I have a rotten headache and may be late."

I

you. ll noticed it was rather close in the restaurant.’ she said. and yawned behind her hand before Slip, entered the elevator.

ilntil they reached home John hatl thought llc ivouitl retire at once. llul suddenly the thought of hiarcllrs chatter seamed more than he could hear. IIt- would walk until she had retired. then go quietly to bed without waking her. Ills nerves were. as ho said tn himself frazz-

‘“..\'l\\f\TlP can keep up the pace I am trying to and get away with

I to tin?" he went on. POlllIlllIIllIlR with himself. “l can't illake ends meet as it is. If I say anything sllc. 1 unhappy. .I wonder it’ all women l ~ he halted Ills thoughts. Not even so would be think of alarrla.

the twas tho one he loved. Site loved

he apologized. She would be more considerate as she grew older. Just why the thought should have been folio-wed with a sigh he could not have nxplainntl. lie m0 was young. yet he had to bear the

do to satisfy her. Marvin's a tlenr. bllt she is extravagant and thought- less." Anti the tiiscourrlgeti mood still lingered when finally he had ‘gone qlliclll- to bell irithtillt waklnif hfurcia, as he had planned. ‘ John Aldrich tnlalio wind m"!

call "good nloney" for one so young in his profession. He was clever. bright. ambitious. lie had

inn] n goof] foundation at college. had neither dissipated nor wasted his time. I-lis health was good; he ltttti a splendid physique. Yet after bc had been married two years hr l not only had not isavcti a cent. bill ivas‘ not able to meet his obliglll‘ lcrns as promptly as when first mar-

l" where! IIe ilad taken

l itttlnev. but took so much out ltllti that it hlntlerctl instead making for DFOKFPR-‘l In his first"

o sion. lie had bad theories. tiled“

“Very well. I'm sorry your head‘ "Pllvfi- dlZLYlIP the fresh air will belp|

rleti. Something was vvrorlt! mm?"

on extra work to the limit of ills time anti strength. 'I‘lils extra work brought him more f7 of

which pm; ago he hall htoped to that va-

THE CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN l g '1

the street, but Jutln Aldrich ivai itot conscious of any discomfort as he bent his lteall to the wind and more carefully held the bundle in his arm;

"I'm a fool, a llauin fool- But I couldn't help it!" ht» nnitl ninth] as he stumbled a bit anti turned cold, not because of the weather, ' but because of th- fear that h.- - would urop the precious parcel. John had bet-a on ills way ttulue. I a bit later than usual, tired almost I to nausea, when in the window of I a second-hand shop he had spied a , piece of china. A plate. small ta the casual observer, insigniflca. , If only the shopkeeper were ignor ant of its value! ‘~ John's blood leaped at the l thought. lie was in the shopw the plate in his hands almost wltli- ollt. volition of ills own. IIe tried *

to keep his voice stcatly, citsutll when he asked the price. But it trembled a hit in spite of all be

could do. it is hard for a connois- seur to hide his grecti. As hard as

itls for a nlit-ler to conceal greed for gold. Tile price put upon the plata

was ridiculously lolv, a iticrt-i song twompartul with its worth. John's

sum. anti with ills tiriccltzss bit of china hastened from the place.

Ile was happy for a hit. happy with the happiness of a coliect- ~ who has stumbled upon something: to Md to his collctltlon-a-iomething wonderful. l

of the litre of that

almost foolish. iliut to one who know it would have perfectly natural. Small asthr after the first joy of possesslott had passtld, John felt that he should not have bought lt. with the thought he hugged more closely It was his!

I

it

late! I Wanted to go out tonight‘

greeted John as ltc. cattle in.

tHvcstrtl himself of his snow- hat anti coat before he replied:

"I was late in leaving the office; then I stopped lo buy a piece of china l saw in I1 shop window. is a wonderful piece," he added ln an npaltigt-til- tone that in stmle way made hitii zlngryl at himself‘. Tllfllli "ll is loo bad a night to go ollt. anywa_v."

“Tile weather makes ence when one rltlcs." snapped. She was really pointed. it madc her ill-natured. John was carefully unwrapping his purchase. anllilng it delicately as on» llantllt-s precious things. "Iloiv null-h did you pay for that tiling?" '.\litl‘t‘itl askcti as lie held lt up for her to look at. drawing her attention to its beauty, tcllittg her why it was valuable, relating to llcl" in a few words the history o.' that particular ltinli 0t‘ pottery. "Ailtl you paid twenty dollars for that‘ thing!" she exclaimed, "when only tcday I denied uiysclf a new llai that cost just that! You prl~ tend VOII want IIIP [ti Pflilllflllllrlf‘ tilt-n waste perfectly good itioney on trconlnion china plate!“

"Hut it isn't a common china, plate." John replied. "and Marcia it ls the very first piece I have all dell to my collection since we have been niarrlcrl." Ilc. quietly laiti it aside and went in tn din uer. As she followed Marcia said: “Wt-ll. you can have. your out plate aud I shall have that. ha: l‘ll call up the milIinr-r thc first thing in the morning and tell llcl‘

no tiiffer- Marcia

to send it around anti send the bill to your tifficc. My tllloivanco won't pay for it‘. I have to gt- wltllout hats ivhile volt buy clilnzi

hatt- the

to pltt ln that cabinet. l stuff! It looks so chcap to have clllna in a room where one recciv cg compttnyf’ "I will move the cabinet lIll-J llll‘ bedroom, If you wish. Job. said wearily. . "It would be worse in there The scrap ‘heap is whcrc it he- iougs. Twenty dollars for an old plate‘. l never ltcard tit‘ such :1 thing?’ "l could sell it for many times that." John itatetl himself for ex- plaining to lief‘ injustice. "Then for heaven's sake it!" "I never shall scll one piece 0f mv colicctlcn. Ncvyr!“ lltttl Murcia only known that among what she calico trash we- bits of‘ china. plates, vases. (‘UM that John had paid many times twenty dollars for she would have bet-n still more indignant. lie had bought thrill before their alar- riage. It‘ she had known that he had gone without clothes. given up outings, lived cilcanly B0 Illa’; ht- might lntlliige his love for clllnlt she would have thought his cram)“. llut slit‘ knew nothlnk ttf lllltl- fil‘ though she had known in a Vtllfll‘? way that before they maPFlWl he had spend a good deal of time gct- ting his collection tot-will".

"Itemcttibcr, l shall have that ltat, anti you'll pay for it", Murcia once again reutarketl its. after tlin~ ncr xvas ovcr. John unlocked his cabinet anti deposited his ll"'('l°llll plate within.

John made. no reply- FOT mil“ again his conscience smote lllui. lie hnd been extravagant to buy it. cheap as lt was. when Marcia _dc- maned so mllch.

sell

at the club. John litttl accepted. work out. They ware new

anti the rclll lvclcoule be received sue stlrrings nflilli-‘l ‘l;\1ll‘1<l~ Yell‘; 5'1"!" XV‘

front the n I ber , the "Ulall to gated ‘to a sort n in o iccauso o ' _

“l you, slrltPn-tilil his fflvflflff‘ the weariness of his hrnln. "You arent looking as tit 11s, waiter, gave him a homey. feelilll’ Johnltnd tried several tlmcs in "Hunt, Aldrich. Anything wions x. of content the last t-wn ,\'('iil’R to explain all Bob French asked. lie bad

I can.

"I'll hang on as long as bldlle

llil muttered after he had

"tthls to Marcia. nut

nra worth I do abolif lt.. nv more silalbtillv than I do now. it is. l um often mortified."

After such anti similar kxpresl struts of her inhnblllty‘ to change [hinge John would grow marr- sli- _ the -old ex-

ent about his affairs. nrflrqhjn more often on his lips:

"lYhnti-l tho use?" chapter XV

she seemed n ithnnttttely incapable of understand lng that Rlle might in any war help hlm to ‘work out his ltlcas or that shr- stootl In the way of his ideals. “It ts tton bad you have. to work

t." pm-th old dear.‘ she would say.

. "but if iron won't demand what l‘ll" don't see what I can I ccrtnlniv can't live Its

John in the street aild thPy stopped to chat a minute

"No-that is. I nm a bit ovrr~ worked. Don't feel quite up to ti"! mark. that's all."

Smoke l -t

The unéw awlrled and drifted f’!

Home‘ Nursing‘ " all Health ilints

ttkuztinuctl from Page Nine;

the little hall bedroom girl calmly Iwllfed off he top of a pint of milk and set lt on the stove under Mrs. [Hank's scantlallzetl eyes, "l guest;

Il- IS

they don't Neither your wife nor mine. thousands

To one who understood nothing Silcllll. and bit of china DOllllCKl- John's delight would have seemed llllllg- Th5}! Kflmlllfi.

hm." only nervous strain. 'l‘llen they

llnf, get away with It. is they drag us poor men along.’

"\‘i'iutt in the world made you so git‘ mouthful.

Now we won't bc zlble to", Marcia lllfl- Wlllb‘! {ll l! We“ llll’ n.1, drag us poor devils oi’

laid ills parcel down carefully anti alon! III lilllc.“ mcnt. Every little Willie I have to

call a halt. hut Nell never

l nuwmpnun ‘Then hola Will relieve filo pain of bruiseamll small barb.

lulu! canola

"Don't push yourself too far

h; Even a ph sit l‘k ’ i‘t , __ _ _ , m stand tt..n§_.. llle t e Y"“" w“ Illtllrt- e MIMI! trey will do. and a

“ilob, bow do the women stand t?"

The question startled Boo

blood raced as he laountetl out the lYP-mlll-

"Wllllt do you mean,

Stand what?"

“Thin constant going? Why man'1 . , minute, the breathlessness , a ac .the girl went

stop a Alb. of other women like of all sorts-bridgt. greatest joke of all. Every afternoon some foo, all

heal. Clubs

hurry

tome only to boll their food anti

“m... ha,‘ m...“ rush to the theatre or opera or ta Iilvc a dinner Dress, rush! I don't see how

or to go t0 one they

The worst of it

“A sort of “giggle, gobble, and life they lead, eh? You said a

way thcr.‘ husbands their mad hunt for excite

does Site's tt wonder. I tell her " "I guess there's no use dis‘

It "llslllllli it." John saltl with nn at» bcr of home-made

tempt to lullgll. "but I feel some times that l shall have to rebel. Yet I can't. blame Marcia for not wanting to remain at homel She's young, full of life and craves ex citement."

"i know—lhere sides

are two

.115“... to every story. I suppose. Well, so bum.“ fm. glass m", and

long. John. take better care of yourself."

"So long. old man!"

"Rob's up against lt. too." Joltn sollloquizetl as he went. on alone. and in a way be took comfort from the thought. lie wasn't the only titan who stifferetl from a too strenuous wife.

“llfTltl was developing new and strange theories nf life and living. John concluded It was due to the influence of the clubs she attend- ed, or rather to the sentiments ta which the clubwomen gave p. - presslon. One night she rcmarkedi