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Show Too Much Admiration By MEREDITH SCHOLL (Associated Newspapers WNU Service.) GLENNA and Stuart Nichols had been married nearly a year when Stuart began to be alarmed because of the attention shown his wife by other men. It had always pleased him to see other men admire her, and to know that she belonged to him; that she was all his for good and forever. Now, it seemed that Glenna was getting too much of a kick out of being admired and complimented. She was, thought Stuart, more interested in-terested iri the attentions of other men; of pleasing strangers, rather rath-er than her husband. This wasn't so good. Other men could admire her, but he wanted to be the big shot. He wanted to be the one whom she tried to please most. There was a remedy for cases like Glenna's. Just now the thing had gone to her head. Since their marriage mar-riage they had, as is the way with most young married people, got in with a new crowd. They joined the circle of married folks. New faces, different kind of parties, a changed atmosphere. And most of all, a new group of men married men to admire ad-mire pretty, vivacious, young Mrs. Nichols. There was a remedy for cases like Glenna's, and Stuart decided her case needed remedying. His most effective weapon, he knew, was the fact that Glenna loved him. He room, announcing that he was going out that evening. He offered no explanation ex-planation as to where or with whom he was going or when he would return. re-turn. If Glenna would only inquire. If she would only display that much interest, it would be enough. But Glenna didn't. Instead, when Stuart came down to his dinner, he found Glenna dressed in her finest, waiting for him. "You'll have to eat alone tonight, darling," she cried. "I'm going out." And she went. Without another single word she went, and left Stuart alone with a poorly cooked dinner and his thoughts. Stuart was thunderstruck! Aghast! Overcome! He sat for a long time thinking. At last he decided that it must be so. Glenna had ceased to love him. Dispiritedly he got his hat and coat and went out. For more than an hour he walked the streets, and at last dropped into a movie to kill time and to try to still the maddening mad-dening thoughts that harassed him. He found a seat and sat like one in a daze. He tried to concentrate on the picture in front of him, but it was like trying to listen to the ticking tick-ing of a clock with an express train thundering past. 'He sat for hours, through one performance per-formance and then another. People came and went around him. And at last, as the final performance of the evening drew near its conclusion, conclu-sion, the audience began to thin out. Save for a handful of spectators Stuart sat alone, slumped down in his seat, from appearances asleep. At last it was over. The lights flashed up and an usher came down the aisle to shake him gently by the shoulder. The usher had to shake him more than once, for at that moment Stuart was visualizing Glenna attending some gay night club in company with another man. He roused himself with an effort. He looked around, blinked, tried to recall where he was, and after a moment succeeded. He stood up, reached for his hat and stared. Someone else was occupying the seat next to him. Someone who looked at him with wide, startled eyes. Someone who tried to speak his name and couldn't. But it wasn't necessary. For the someone was Glenna, and Stuart, seeing that look in her eyes, knew that she had tried the same remedy, and she, too, had failed. And most of all a new group of men to admire pretty, vivacious, young Mrs. Nichols. could depend on that. And he could resort to it whenever need be. Now, for example. And so Stuart said casually one evening, "Let's , have the Laceys over tomorrow night. Inez is rather attractive, don't you think?" Stuart could feel Glenna's eyes on him. He knew what she was thinking; think-ing; knew that they had only met the Laceys once, and the fact that he had called Mrs. Lacey by her first name might mean anything. But Glenna, after a moment, said, "I'd love to. Eliot suggested that we get together only last night." Eliot! Only last night! Stuart fought a desire to leap to his feet and demand an explanation. Where had she seen Eliot Lacey last night? He glanced up, but Glenna was already al-ready at the phone dialing the Laceys' number. The Laceys came on the following evening. But Stuart's well-formed plans went all to smash. It was quite useless devoting a lot of attention atten-tion to Mrs. Lacey when Glenna wasn't even watching him, especially especial-ly when she seemed so occupied with Eliot Lacey. Stuart was bitter in defeat. But he wouldn't give up. The next evening eve-ning they attended a party at the Masons, and he singled out the pretty pret-ty Mrs. Keyes and tried to give her a lot of time. But it was hard work, hard because he had to keep one eye on Glenna; and every time he located locat-ed her she was dancing with one of the younger married men and seemed to be having a merry time. Once he saw her strolling in the conservatory with Ken Wilson. The situation left Stuart in a helpless help-less rage. He couldn't very well reprimand Glenna for what she was doing, not after he'd set the pace himself. And he couldn't very well admit defeat by quitting, either. No, he'd have to bring her to terms, have to show her how fortunate she was in having him for a husband. . It wasn't until after the thing had been going on for a week, during which time Stuart openly paid court to a half dozen of the prettier girls in their crowd only to have his efforts ef-forts totally lost on Glenna, who, in the meantime, seemed to be finding considerable pleasure and satisfaction satisfac-tion in the attentions of as many young men it was only then that a most alarming thought occurred to Stuart. Perhaps, after all, Glenna didn't love him! Perhaps she was seeking the things from other men that she had found lacking in her own husband. The thought tormented him, tortured tor-tured his soul, kept him awake nights, made him panicky with fear and desperation. To lose Glenna Glen-na would be to lose life. Quite desperate with himself, Stuart conceived one last scheme which, he hoped, would bring the sign or word from Glenna's lips that would lead to an explanation of the whole hideous thing. He came home early one night and rushed to his |