| Show I Margaret Isar aret Cai Garretts rI f 5 s Husband By JANE PHELPS J 1 y I CHAPTER 55 An Era of Happiness When I told Bob Dob of ot the conversation at John Kendalls Kendall's the day Elsie and andI I called on his mother he looked displeased but made no remark other than that he ho hovas was vas glad Mrs Kendall Intended to remain with John until he was well She spoke of ot coming over to see Donald I told hImI himI himI him I hope you will be at home when she comes was Bobs Bob's only comment Bob Dob was very attentive to me from this time on He Ile refused several invitations in invitations invitations in- in to studio affairs and came directly home from the office instead of ot making a call all on one of his bacheer bachelor bach- bach eer elor friends on his way as had been beena a custom of his one which I had vainly tried to break Mrs Sirs Kendall called one day when I was not at home Della Delia and the baby were ere however and as Mrs Kendall asked to see him and played laved p with him for some time I told Bob Dob who was re regretful at my absence that he needn't feel badly as It was really Donald she came to see She left for home the next day I shall always look back with wilh pleasure to that winter before my mv mys s second cond baby was born In spite of the many Invitations we received Bob scarcely ever left me Our evenings were spent either quietly together at home with father a and d mother occasionally occasionally oc oc- and once a week we played cards with Tom and Elsie One night I overheard Elsie say to Bob Bob- We miss you this winter Bob the boys always speak of ot you and regret you are not with us John Kendall and Henry Creedmore are always Lamenting la lamentin lamenting la- la mentin your absence Those three Mar Margaret aret are a trinity it would be hard to beat when it comes to mutual admiration she said to o meI meI me I Y would rather be missed than that that you should be glad I remained away Bob Doh answered You dont don't know how happy hanny me meare meare meare are Elsie I broke in We Ve are areto to together ether every evening and so have nothing disagreeable to worry about But Dut I should think you would hate the very sight of ot each other Elsie said In her impulsive way or would bore each other to death which would be nearly as bad Why Elsie I exclaimed you know we dont don't bore each other We Ve love each other too dearly for that dont don't we we ve Bob I love Tom but I should hate the ver very sight of him If we sat and stared at each other evening after acter evening Elsie returned preventing Bob from I answering my question You are verv very different from Margaret Mar Mar- paret garet aret Elsie Bob Dob said very quietly She makes herself so unhappy when I am awa away denies herself even proper food that I feel Just at present I must remain with her Next year we I will be more sociable I II i I was shocked and a bit puzzled at Bobs Bob's speech He Ire had not intimated be word or look that he intended to take up the old life a again ain hardly had made me feel that he regretted it I IOnly Only an nn occasional word or expression showed that he longed to be with his i old crowd that Bohemian crowd I II objected to so strenuously I Next year is a long loner lon way off otto Bob Dob I reminded We will wait walt until it i t arrives before we make any plans i Sufficient unto the day you OU know The next da day when alone I thought of what Bob had said anent my denying denying deny deny- I in ing myself when he was away I exulted as I flattered myself on my perspicuity especially Is denying myself myself my my- I self food They all an had either found I fault or laughed at me for doing so I yet now It was the means of ot keeping my husband with me That is one atthe of at I the things His love for me and mine for him of course had more to do with his devotion than anything else elso either could or would have i The holidays came and went We spent them quietlY at home mother mothr and father our only guests We had j invited Elsie and Tom but John i Kendall was giving a party An elaborate elaborate elaborate j orate affair He had rented a country house a and invited vit his IS guests guests for the C ei entire week e Elsie SI n and Tom had accepted before I invited them to Join us for Christmas but Elsie had said frankly We should have gone anyway Margaret Think what a good time we will have An entire week Elmer and Gladys Root Curtiss Morgan Marion Riggs Higgs Henry Creedmore Maud Warren and a lot more are to tobe tobe to tobe be there How can you OU resist joining I 1 Ius us 1301 Bob she asked We Ve had finished fin fin- fin j our weekly game and were chatting chatting chatting chat- chat i ting over over- the supper I had prepared I j Bob has given up that crowd so sq I it isn't hard for him to resist I 1 Ii Isaid i said quickly I I Why dont don't you come down and andI spend a day In the middle of the I week Bob Dob Tom asked then added As long as Margaret doesn't feel I that she can go Business will be dull over the holidays and even one day would do you good Perhaps I may run down some I morning and back at night Bob answered answered answered an an- I have already told John so You dont don't mean that you OU would leave me I broke in Only for the time I would be downtown down down- town town town-or or perhaps a little longer Bob replied But Dut dear if it you have an entire iday I II It to together together together to- to day to spare we can spend gether here at home or go somewhere I by ourselves You dont don't have to go goway goway goway way down there CHAPTER 56 II Bob Remains at Home I Bob did not go to John Kendalls Kendall's I house party I was very miserable and when Tom asked him what day dayi they could expect him he replied i I i I shant shan't get down Tom I Y ex exI explained ox- ox I to John that it would be beI I I I impossible I I was delighted The more so that I had not mentioned either his going I or his remaining at home with me He Is becoming tired of them I Isaid Ii I II I said to myself and rejoiced that It I Iwas Iwas was so I II j I The holiday week weel passed quietly I and for me happily We Ve made very little fuss and gave each other our I simple remembrances on Christmas i 1 eve Donald was too little to know I what Christmas meant and as father was far from well we dispensed witha with I Ia a tree Bob Dob was all kindness and i j thoughtfulness for us all and If he regretted being unable to Join John Kendalls Kendall's party he gave no sign I It has been the very best h holiday I 1 week I ever have known I declared the morning of ot the second of ot January the day the house party was to break breakup up It has been just perfect I I am very glad you have been soI eo so I happy Margaret Bob Dob responded and andI I didn't think until afterward that he had said nothing about enjoying himself Elsie came In that afternoon Just bubbling over with talk anent the good time she had had at the house party It was perfectly wonderful Margaret Margaret Margaret Mar Mar- garet How Bob Dob would have enjoyed it John spared neither expense nor pains to give us a good time We Ye danced and skated and motored and had private theatricals Every minute was filled with something I So was our holiday time Elsie I II I replied and as for Bob I imagine he was Just as happy with me as he heI would have been at the party We WeI I I had a delightfully quiet week and I know it was better for both of us than It would have been had we gone with you you All AU right Margaret But I dont don't quite understand your reasoning I know that Tom and I had a a. better time than we possibly could have had alone Yet we were together almost as much or more than if it we had re remaIned remained remained re- re In town I said nothing more because I knew it would not convince Elsie She was wasso wasso wasso so gay such gay such a gleam of ot a woman and she sipped the sweetness sweetness sweetness-as as she saw it from it-from from the cup of life Ute with no thought of the results It was useless useless useless use use- less to reason with her but I was so fond of ot her that I overlooked what I should have unhesitatingly condemned condemned condemned con con- in another The remainder of the winter passed quietly Bob Dob scarcely ever left me and mother was with me mo as often as fathers father's health and her home duties permitted In May my second boy was born We named him George after father They are so nearly of ot an age they will be almost like twins as they grow up mother remarked one day and It will be easier for you to care for them as they will be company for each other and enjoy about the same things Bob was delighted with his two sons yet almost as soon as I was up and about I noticed a difference in him almost Intangible at first yet yeta a difference We spent the summer down on Long Island with mother and father as usual Bob Dab played golf and tennis as enthusiastically as before but he remained in town oftener His excuses excuses excuses ex ex- seemed inadequate yet he re resented resented resented re- re my questions anent what kept him and either would decline to answer answer answer an an- or fretfully explain lamely that some business had kept him 1 I talked to mother about it but she dismissed the subject lightly Bob is old enough to know what he wants to do and what Is necessary Do not try to hold him with too tight a rein my dear But if it he gets In the habit of ot remaining away from us our home life lite will be ruined I objected I often have wondered if I had lis listened listened listened lis- lis to mother if I had been less arbitrary if it the outcome would have been different if it I would we we would have been happier I cried ried a great deal that summer after George was born I often otten re re- re reI I fused to eat But Dut now instead of ot I such self-denial self keeping Bob at home I with me it seemed only to annoy him or he paid no attention Once I ore o e I heard mother tell him 1 I Tomorrow Tomorrow-A A A Disappointing Journ |
