| Show Margaret 1 Garrett Carrett's s I L I Husband I l l I I I K-C K t e Bv Dy JANE j I I I CHAPTER 69 A New Order of Things For a moment Bob Dob looked at mo me without speaking and It seemed that an expression of almost ot almost disgust crossed his face Then ho he said I was sorry not to get home to dinner dinner dinner din din- din din- ner tonight but I am am trying to sell sen the Hampton block and Lawrence the theman theman theman man who Is la talking of ot buying wished to see me I could eat no dinner but that j i makes no difference I replied as aa I Ii i i wondered If It he had recognized the leti let- let Ur ter i No not No not It If you are silly lIllY enough to toI togo togo go back to your old tricks and refuse to eat because I was not wl h you I That Is just Just the reason And after this you m may know that whenever you remain away I shall not cat at nt You You have plenty plent of ot time for tor business during the day without taking the time which belongs belongs belongs be be- longs to me Suit yourself Go on a a. hunger strike If It you nice like I Ishall shall stay out whenever I think It necessary or when when when-I 1 choose Here Is a letter I 1 found round I 1 returned eo 10 so angry and hurt at his tone that I cared nothing If It I had al also o displeased him In reading It I wish you OU would explain It it There Is nothing to explain If It you have read the letter I have read It It and wish an explanation What right have you ou to receive letters from women Then I added probably make an awful fuss ruiS If It I had a n man correspondent of ot whom you ou knew nothing No indeed Margaret I should be glad if It you ou had a man friend who made you Ou happy and contented one who was a true friend and compa companion lon he answered I 1 looked at him In amazement Then I thought lie ITe is only saying that so soI soI soI I wont won't find fault tault about the letter You haven't explained this letter I 1 said holding It toward himAs himAs himAs him As I told you there is nothing to ex explain explain ex- ex plain since you have read it it he re returned returned re- re turned and took the tho letter from my outstretched hand He smoothed it out carefully and put it in his pocket Who Vho Is this woman who calls you dear What Is she to you She is a young writer who I have tried to help She is nothing to me he answered the latter question sadly or so It seemed to me I will say good goodnight goodnight goodnight night now Margaret and without another another an an- other glance at me he went vent into his room and closed the door So the new order of ot things was in In- In Not only was Bob Dob leaving lea me alone but when he returned he shut himself away from me Long I sat thinking of ot what I could do to combat him to make him see I things as I saw them At first I thought too of ot the letter from the girl Irma but not for long Bob Dob had said she was wasa I a writer whom he with his love for books and Quixotic notions was tryIng trying trying try try- I ing to help toward success Had he I Inot not declared she was nothing to him Once there crossed my mind an un uneasy uneasy uneasy un- un easy remembrance of or his tone as he had said she meant nothing to him but butI I dismissed the idea as my imagination tion and recurred to the vital theme how was I 1 to make Bob Dob give mo me the thee love e the attention the time I felt were mine by right It was very late when I at last retired after listening at his I closed door until I was assured by his heavy breathing he was asleep yet I Iwas Iwas Iwas was no nearer the solution of ot my problem problem problem lem than I had been in the countless times before when I had tried to think out a way to curb and manage my husband Ive Ivo invited John Kendall to come comedown comedown comedown down for the week weck end Bob nob said at brea breakfast fast I know you OU do not like him but as he ho is my dearest friend I 1 hope you you- will try to be more cordial than the last time he was with us We have a a. good deal to talk over so will bother you Ou with our society very lit lit lit- tle tic It isn't your OUr society I object to lo He lie will either cither come como down here or we will go so down to the Long Island nd II I club for Sunday Let him come here by all means If It alone If It it means you would leave lea me replied appalled ho M didn't I hastily at the idea of a a. lonely week end Very well wellI I was beginning to hate John Kendall to dislike more intensely all of ot Bobs Dobs Bohemian friends Was as he going to invite Ite them to our home without even ven angrily at atthe atthe atthe consulting me I flushed Hushed the thought the while white I r gave orders to have one of ot the guest rooms ready for John Kendall who would come comedown comedown comedown down with Bob on Friday That night when Bob Dob came home he took a a. long envelope out of ot his pocket and laid It on the taste Take good care of It It Margaret argaret he said as I picked it up and looked curi curl curiously curiously at It What Is it I questioned It U Is yours yours- The deed to the house f no matter what happens Thank you Bob I 1 said rather Indifferent indifferently In In- In different differently I would as soon Boon you kept th the title I In your own name What's what s yours Is mine you know At If least It you ou said so when we we were married I But Dut this makes you ou safe sate sate-as as far as is concerned always having home a-home I dont don't care for a a. home unless we weare weare weare are happy together in It it It was my an answer answer an- an I Imer and I really meant ant It ft CHAPTER 70 I Elsie pj Praises Bob I Thursday I met mel Elsie In town and while we were lunching toles I 1 told d er h hr her that I Bob Dob had given Shen me tho the house She was delighted You lucky girl she exclaimed But Dut Bob is a a. prince anyway I 1 told Tom the other night that I considered you ou had made tho the best marriage of ot any girl 1 knew I dont don't consider It anything to give me the house I 1 wouldn't stay there If It Bob DOb wasn't there too You ungrateful creature Dont Don't you know that It gives gl you a home no matter what happens to Bob Dob In a a. business business business busi busi- ness way Then too you ou might want to leave him You might get tired of ot him and want a divorce she finished roguishly If It If I didn't know you ou were Joking I should be angry The Idea of ot m my ever leaving Bob Dob Its It's unthinkable I I. I declared emphatically Of Ot course 1 I w was s only fooling But Dut Its It's nice to have the home homo Margaret I only wish Tom would go and do like like- wise He Ile is such an improvident dear and and 1 I am too too too- tha that sometimes I Iwonder Iwonder Iwonder wonder what would happen if It he could not take care cara of ot me ana and the babies she finished serious seriously Bob has Invited John Kendall do down n for tor the week end I told her fine I hope you ou will get getto getto getto to know John better Margaret If It you do you OU will surely surety fona tone of him But nut I dont don't like him I hate him him I responded vehemently He lIe takes Bob from me You know Bob nob has bought an Interest In his publishing business It was all nonsense for Cor him to do it It We Ye have money enough for forthe forthe forthe the way we ve live II Perhaps Bob did It because he was Interested and not because he n needed eded more money I heard Tom say he must have havo made a pile pUe on the sale ale of that Hampton block Ho did You lucky girl again Elsie ex ex- ex claimed Then Then- Come Como along and well we'll spend some of ot it It Wo We 0 spent pent the afternoon shopping then I met Bob at the station statton He lie was talking to n. n nice looking man about his own age when I went up to him Margaret I want to present Mr lr Baldwin one of our neighbors My wife Mr Baldwin He Ire sat opposite us all the way down and during the conversation asked if It Ithe he and his Ills wife might call Do Oo Bob Dob answered heartily y iam I Iam am to have a friend with me over th the tho week end If It you dont don't get In before before be be- fore ore run In Sunday evening you ou will enjoy meeting him Thank you we will make It Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day ay then he replied II While he and Bob Dob talk talked d of property property property prop prop- erty values and improvements I studied I Ithe the man He lIe had a face tace a face tace one would instinctively trust I thought Then I speculated upon the kind of a wife he had and wondered I If It through them I 1 could keep Bol Bot Interested at home If It Mrs Baldwin proved congenial I 1 would tr try to make them of ot use So when we left him at his gate Just a block from our home I was unusually unusually unusually un un- un- un usually cordall so BO winning Bobs Bob's ap- ap ap ap- I Why arent aren't you OU always like that Margaret he asked as we turned toward home I should be so 80 pleated pleat d dIt It If you ou were genial to all my friends I T 1 do not like ALL your friends I know he answered And the tone of ot weariness I often detected wa plainly In his voice 0 lee t 1 know he re repeated re- re Our aloofness Bobs Bob's and mine seemed to extend to the tho simplest st mat mat- We Wo seemed to have nothing In common save the children Other young couples talked of ot their household matters consulted consulted con con- together when a a. guest was expected as to the menu and talked ever er the general household ex ex- ex Bob Dob had no slightest Interest interest Inter Inter- est st in the homely matters of housekeeping housekeeping house house- keeping yet ht he I knew enjoyed havIng having hav hay ing log his home well kept But Dut he left lett all detail to me and seemed annoyed when I talked of ot household matters mat mat- Life Lite is too short to spend It talkIng talkIng talking talk- talk Ing of nonessentials he ho often said When we talk W wo we should talk of or something elevating give elevating give each other new thoughts There are vital subjects subjects subjects sub sub- enough upon which one can converse eon con verse or Interesting topics If It f they car care for the lighter things but servants food tood the machinery of ot the home should be kept out of ot our conversa conversa- Hon tion As my home and my children were the tho total of ot my Int Interests I had but little to talk of with Bob little Bob little that Interested him I J see lee that now al although although although al- al though at the time I was as Impatient of ot his criticism and deplored his lack of ot interest in his home A real home he once said laid Is a place where ones one's friends are welcome a restful place where a a. man can drop the sordid everyday business life and entertain thoughts and give expression to ideas Ideal which are necessarily crowded out In Inho the ho he rush for money during his working hours But nut Bob Dab arent aren't you OU Interested In what things cost In how I plan In what I shall give glYe you and you and your guests and how it will be served nerved I asked No o not at all That 1 Is your Job You should 1 bo be 0 able to finish It durIng during during dur dur- ing certain hours as I am able to finish mine mine- Then you should drop It en entirely tI reI I furnish you money to todo todo todo do your work easily and properly When It Is so o done you ou should have time for self ement time Improvement time tomake to tomake tomake make yourself Interesting To be continued |
