Show Kathleen Norris Says These Wartime Giddy i Wives fives Dell Bell Syndicate Features Y h J J r At r V Ss t s i I I r fv- fv I Doris cried bitterly on the dark day I 1 said id good good by by to her hero By KATHLEEN NORRIS NORRISS OME of the husbands who S SOME are enduring terrible hardships in far-away far places are naturally worried because the little woman at home is having such a hard dull lonely time Other husbands have the problem of Capt Jerome Blank who writes me from Guadalcanal There is not a man down here says his letter who is not sick for home Every Everyone one of us talks of it it dreams of it Through heat and fatigue fatigue fa fa- fa tigue insects and prickly heat long hikes through rough grass long waifs waits under the simmering midday sun the men talk of trees and the shady porch at home and Moms Mom's cooking We know we have to get through this and well we'll get through it but Lord how we ant v the day to arrive when we can start for home Well what Im I'm writing you about Mrs Norris Is my wife Dor Dor- is Im I'm 42 she's 28 and extremely lovely Sometimes I dont don't dare let myself think how lovely she Is After a most unfortunate first marriage marriage mar mar- I was divorced 11 years ago six years later I met Doris Dons who had also had an unhappy young marriage Both our former partners partners partners part part- ners have found other mates so that we felt entirely free tree to marry I and for two years our love story was unclouded and exquisite Then I came the war and I came out here Doris cried bitterly on the dark day dayI I I said goodby to her and the memory memory memory mem mem- ory of her lonely little figure turning away haunted me i I But now its it's all different She isi is living in a group of friends who i like herself hersel are idle with plenty of money She is having a whirl of a good time It is all dancing drinking drinking drink drink- ing card games country clubs She goes to races and night clubs buys new frocks and hats Is In Florida with one friend going to Santa BarI Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara with another she visits a luxurious lux I urious Adirondacks camp and never neverin in her life lie had such a gorgeous time One Mans Man's Name Of late months the name of one man has been In her letters or rather rath rath- er has been conspicuously dropped from her letters But my jealousy I supplies his name He is a rich richand richand richand and attractive young fellow deI debarred debarred de de- de- de I barred by a mild mUd stomach complaint complaint com com- plaint from active service idle amusing and unscrupulous Dislike of him and envy of him have been burning me up for weeks I cannot get him and the thought of his admiration admiration ad ad- of my wife out of my mind Now comes a letter from Doris that has set me on fire She is making a long stay with her mother moth moth- er a thing she never wanted to do before She says she is a sorry and ashamed little girl who played too long with fire and that when I come home there Is something I must forgive her Also I am not notto notto notto to believe anything Margaret or Sally Sally Sal Sale ly write me mc These are my sisters She says she is done with Tony forever Mrs Norris the letter ends this has thrown me Into a state of Indescribable agony I 1 cannot eat cat s 1 rJ J a Hit Ha smugness at home AGONIZING SUSPICION Far harder to bear than titan tropical heat galling insects and the danger from the enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my is a soldiers soldier's haunting fear that his wife may be wandering wandering wandering wander wander- ing from him in his absence When W hen he hC has her veiled admission admission admission ad ad- mission in writing that she site has been unfaithful the bitter chagrin is almost maddening What tat can I 1 do C asks ks an unfortunate unfortunate un un- fortunate officer I 7 1 am in a state of indescribable agony I 1 cannot eat or sleep I If f she hc has really betrayed me I can never f forgive her heror or sleep My mind is filled with his detestable triumph his smugness smugness smug smug- ness at home while I fight through hot day after day down h here re At one moment I want to write her a scalding scalding scalding scald scald- ing letter at another I find myself weaken weakening ng into tears of pity and love If sh she has really betrayed me I can never forgive her But how shall I know If It she has just been foolish foolish but but no those phrases I quote above mean more than that I am miserable miserable miser miser- able What position shall I take What can I do You can do my dear Captain Jerome what thousands of other husbands and wives with all nIl sorts of new problems to face must do after the war You can come home meet your wife look your changed circumstances in the face decide where you will live and what line of work you ou want to take up find a ahouse ahouse house settle down to matrimony and forget the past If It you want to be happy happy if If anyone wants to be happy happy hap hap- py after this war it must be by a heroic closing of doors It may be that Doris DorIs' charm and beauty and leisure were not proof against temp temp- tation Well you chose her for or those very qualities you didn't want a sensible modest faithful little woman woman wom worn an who would keep your house and your memory safe War develops abnormal situations In which men and women act as they would never act ordinarily There Is going to be an enormous amount of str straightening and adjusting adjust adjust- adjusting ing to be done when the war is over It is for every everyone one of us to lessen the grand sum total of that uncomfortable uncomfortable proc process ss as much as we can It is for every everyone one of us to overlook forget forgive in every direction not to demand explanations explanations not to rake up the past noto noto no not notto to indulge suspicion and curiosity Doris Dons is evidently a little frightened frightened fright fright- ened herself hersel at the length to which she has carried this flirtation But being beautiful young Idle and rich she will presently embark on another an other Steel yourself not to bother your head about them When you come corne back expect a welcome from froma a loving wife build your lives together together to to- gether as If there had not been this grim Interruption and whatever you yell do after you have given peacetime peacetime peacetime peace peace- time marriage a fair trial let matters matters mat mat- go on as they are now and solve tomorrows tomorrow's problem when tomorrow tomorrow to to- morrow comes |