Show NEG ll T WIVES WIVES' t 2 u k w ERNEST LYNN t Author of THE YELLOW V STUB BEGIN HERE TODAY John and Pay Milburn buy a ahlm ahome home when their the baby girl Irl la 1 bornand born bornand and the advertising agency In whIch John Is partner and copy writer lands land a new contract Amon Among their acquaintances are are- Noel oel and Vera Boyd oyd whose marriage mar mar- I. I strictly modern Pat t and Marian Jaran Forbes who have ha three children and whose marriage mar mar- e II fa unhappy because of Pats Pat's roving ro tendencies Previous lre chapters chapters chap chap- told how John In love 10 with his wife but buta a romantic individual was fascinated fuel fasci- on meeting Nell Neil Orme Onne or whom l Pat at Forbes hints that she Is having ha trouble with her husband When Fay took Judith the baby to to visit her hel parents John ran around a good deal with Pat Forbes Fay Is s always alwa's fearful that Johnwill JOhn will Jet get Into some BOrne kind of trouble and it ft Is rather difficult for him to tell her of some Bome of hIs escapades des duffing her absence If I Is left to Mrs Blodgett and Mrs both malicious gossips to tell her of some of the Incidents and a bitter follows between Fay and John Jhn when she learns he had been going out with other women still smarting under women her C ri l- l clam John goes on a a. party with Paul Davidson n a lawyer lawer amateur Actor And roue and two married d women who are friends of Pauls PauJI Some time later the nods are guests g or of the and Vera Inadvertently lets slip that she had seen John joyridIng with some wo- wo 0 men When hen the Boyds leave John that t a crisis Is Impending goes Into the living room to face I INOW I 18 y NOW GO ON WITH TH THE E STORY The and this story ory are nc fictitious CHAPTER XV I IJohn John was silent What could he say Welt Well Fay repeated Fay he cried In an agony of spirit for heavens heaven's sake dont don't st stand nd there looking at t tm m me as as If if I had committed murder You drove me meto meto to it It Drove you ou to what 7 That night ht I. I went out with Paul Davidson You wouldn't speak to tome tome me you OU made m me feel feel like a nal I went out wIth Paul and there were a couple of friends of his along How convenient Not convenient at all Dont Don't be sarcastic Who Vho were they Of course I realize I am just your our wife but I 1 should like to know some of the details How long was this to go on he thou thought ht Was Vall h he to be forever tormented tormented tor- tor like this He Helt lit a taking his time about It and wavIng the match deliberately several veral times before he threw it In the I have nothing to conceal from you ou he said firmly I haven't done anything I 1 have any reason to tobe tobe be a ashamed hamed of To ten tell you the truth truth- I 1 dont don't know what their last names were One of th them m Paul called Mollie 1 o IIi e. e and the other was let me see Joyce We Ve had dinner In Pauls Paul's apartment and then we drove dove to a r roadhouse and danced I And ClU had somethIng to drink ot of course John would not lie He might be I guilty at times of holding back the truth but he would not che cheapen pen I hImself to save himself About him I Iwas was an unswerving and often stupid I hc honesty nesty that was part of his English heritage So h he said without hesitating hesi- hesi I hesi-I tating Yes there was something to drink Pat Paul l Davidson exactly I a. a dry Why did you think It was s- s sary to go out with those women It wasn't necessary I accepted Pauls Paul's Invitation without knowing wh who else ele was goIng to to be there Youre not t tell J me that you didn't know now th r was g going ing to tobe be beany any women Y t No I No I suspected that I I I didn't care much one way or the other Your w was s responsIble for that Th ts t's right Try to blame me John and Fays Fay's face had suddenly gone deathly w this Is the last time Do you hear me The last time Now Fay dont don't get hysterical What dO YOU mean Im not hysterical she I cried sharplY I mean just thIs The next time you decide that s some me other w womans woman's mans man's company Is preferable preferable prefer prefer- able to 10 mine Im I'm going to leave Fa Fay Y You dont don't mean what youre you're sayIng Why hy dont don't you OU look at It sensibly I Sensibly She laughed scorn scorn- ully Do you expect to seo me sit Idly by while you gallivant arit around whenever and with whom ever you ou pl please se Its It's no use red relt- with you ou it doesn't do any good Ther Theres There's s 's only one thing left to do Im I'm through the next time It happens All AU right lie He turned abruptly from her and walked out of the room On the wa way upstaIrs Jt it suddenly suddenly sud- sud denly came to him with n a cold nip at his heart that Fay actually was beginning to dislike him God I Isaid Could she really mean what she sho had said about len leaving lenIng Ing hint 1 Didn't 1 she understand that ho he had meant no harm that he was still as much In love with her as ever that he adored Judith tried to be a good that husband It was just thoughtlessness thought thought- a a-a weakness on his part that caused him to do the things that displeased he her Couldn't she understand that What should he do what could he do to convInce Fay of his hissin sIncerIty sIn sIn- Should he go to her lieI on on his knees and ask her forgiveness Something tn In him rebelled at the thought It If she preferred to think the worst of him and threaten him he woUld just refuse to humble himself He could meet pride with witha a a pride of his own Hang It all why did marrIage make enemies of men and women Paul Davidson was right marriage was foolish Was as It his fault that he found the conversation convers Uon and company of other women stimulating Couldn't he retain his apprecIation for a a. pretty race face or a beautiful form Weren't women made to admire Did Fay expect hIm to go bO around around with a label label la- la bel on his arm arm- Sold arm Sold Perhaps Noel BOYd was right after atter all Perhaps it was the part of wIsdom to have uti an understanding with your wife before you married her that a certain amount of Independence Independence Inde- Inde would be permitted both parties But there was little comfort In thinking of Noel Noel Boyd always always al- al ways enraged him There was something revolting In the Boyds' Boyds compact they They-they went the limit or so at least Noel had Informed informed In- In formed him It It- was not pleasant around the house at all n. n He reached the stage v 1 1 tn Inn H Fay with other other u-d u women e v h he knew and rl speculate on what kind of wives they might h have ve made Somehow his mind skipped over Eleanor Elean r MaSOn Mason Ma- Ma SOn and others like her ller and seemed anchor to at the thought of Nell NeIl Orme It If occurred to him as rather an Ironic circumstance that none of these flirtations that Fay kept throwing up up to him meant a thIng to him as far as an actual regard for the women was concerned whereas the woman who Interested him above aU all others leaving Fay out of It it of was course one whom Fay greatly admired and that was Ne Nell He had liaa not se seen n her he reflected In a long t time me yet he could see her In his minds mind's eYe as clearly as though It had been yesterday ant ana she was vas poised poised-a fIgure ot of surpassing surpassing sur- sur passing grac grace for for one of those beautiful dives of hers and her voIce came to his ears like low low- pitched languorous lang orous music These were vore dl dangerous ger us thou thoughts he knew knew-he was married and Ne Nell was marrIed and the wholE thing was was we well just silly l less ss th they y persisted In Nell Orme he couldn't help feeling there was something deep and worthy ot of him He wondered during these unhappy days with F Fay y just what the trouble trouble trou- trou I ble was between Nell and Howard Was It something like the thing that was growIng up in his own home No o. o ho he told himself It couldn't be More lore and more his wakIng thoughts became occupied with her and she began to take shape In his fitful and dIssatisfied dreams Business and the socIal round and family fInances gradually began to claim more of his attention espe the last named There Thera was wall wasa walla a new budget that had b en wor worked ed out by Fay n a bUdget that was based on his now larger Income Fay ay felt that they could afford n a maid until rr ua was old enough not to require watching It had been his Idea for some time but Fay had been slow In accepting it t lie had traded In the tho old lord Ford coupe on a anew anew new on ono and for some time had been nr for a a. larger er car but Fay was against it It with the contention contention con con- that the they should economize until they had reduced the mortgage on the house and as usual prevailed pre pre- The uncomfortable feeling began to grow on John that Fay was not the only one who ho adopted an attitude attitude atti- atti tude of distrust and suspicion He became aware without knowIng Just how that people were saying unpleasant and even malicious things about hint hIm He sensed a growIng hostility on the part of his partner Nat Graham and Nat was falling Into the regular habit of making decisions without consulting consulting con con- him Tile The new advertising outfit Kelly and Jones had long since established In Peoria and was known to tobe tobe be hot after several Graham Milburn's accounts This at first had seemed to worry sham ham but latel lately he had said nothing about It John had never met Kelly or Jones but he had had both of them pointed out to him one day at lunch and andI I he discovered both of them to be cut clean looking young men obviously go getters There was luncheon downtown one day with Dick Menefee The young doctor caned called John up sayIng saying say say- Ing he had something he wanted to tell him and Dick his face a fiery re red and a tremendous embarrass embarrass- embarrassment ment In his manner g got t bluntly to the point Look here John they're talking about you Now what's It all about Im I'm your used frIend to be your best friend didn't I You sU still are Dick or I 1 wouldn't sit here and listen Usten to you All right then Im I'm not inquIsitive inquisitive in- in Im I'm concerned about you By George Ive I've had several fIghts on my hands almost telling people these things about you were Rumor has It that youre you're drinking heavily and runnIng around with gay women I dont don't dontI I believe It John Milburn said a little wearily I dont don't care whether yo you believe It or not DIck and turned his head a way away from Menefee See here John you dont don't mean that Dont I You know blamed well weIl you dont Why dont don't you go oft off somewhere on ona ona a vacation take a fIshIng trip up north or something To Be Continued |