Show Kathleen Norris Says Returning Husband Brings Tragedy 1 t Bell Syndicate Features I Ir It rr r J f fr r r A Al t l i 1 She has toted loved Peter all her life He lIe is w her ideal of a husband and father I i He totes loves little Bob Dob as aj if he were the childs child's own father and ha ho idolizes Baby Mollie By KATHLEEN NORRIS NORRISH ERE is a real puzzler H HERE and a sad tragedy too I am at a loss what to advise Rosamond Kay who writes me a charming letter from East St. St Louis Hers Her's is isone isone isone one of those problems that can be solved only in her own heart she must weigh the claims of the two men in her life one against the other and decide which is the real claim Rosamond was married seven years Years to Robert She was then 20 She loved him very truly and when he be was numbered officially among the dead in Tunisia she grieved for forman man many months Then she married Peter By Robert she had a son now five years old by Peter she has a old Rosamond Rosamond Rosa Rosa- daughter just one year ear mond Is 31 She writes me that her heart aches for Robert coming home tired and sad after alter a long and agonizing imprisonment and ill- ill ness But she says sh she has loved Peter all her life lie He is' is isher her ideal of a husband and father He loves little Bob as if it he were the childs child's own father and he idolizes Baby Mollie Rosamond has to meet Robert In a week or two and she doesn't know what to do for Robert Robertis is living and coming home to rejoin rejoin rejoin re re- re- re join his wife and child chili Petes Pete's Finer in Every Way i He has my letter now explaining E the situation writes Rosamond It was a terrible letter to write I was prostrated with the shock of ot knowing knowing knowing know know- ing that the man who was actually I La a ghost to me was coming back These years ears with Peter have been heaven heaven heaven-he he is the more successful jiman man the more popular the finer in every way Robert is of a moody jealous na- na ture He was always unhappy if ff I It took Bob to visit my mother he disliked disliked dis- dis t liked my having guests in the house he made enemies in his business married long before before be- be 6 We had not been fore tore I spent many hours in tears and doubt and realized the extreme difficulty dif- dif of the path I 1 had chosen To emerge from all this into the security security rity and joy of Peters Peter's companionship companion- companion ship his enthusiasms and plans was to come out into the sunlight after la a time of shadows I really had mourned Robert I was genuinely shocked by his reported dea death th but butt t after Baiter that I learned what true mart mar mar- t tied felicity can beNow beNow beNow be Now as to the children children Bob Bob Is Isa a shy hy affectionate little fellow who shags dings to me He has all but recovered recovered recovered re re- covered physically from a bad ses- ses eloa lioa with infantile paralysis but it ith h has left felt him dependent and nerv nerv- 1 cus- cus cusHe He dearly loves Mollie who isa is isa a fat ht riotous laughing little tyrant t already I cannot bear to separate them and yet It Is inconceivable that I I should take Mollie to Roberts Robert's r house Robert as a matter of fact y has no house no job and not a single single sin- sin s gle living relative Also I must say that he always was devoted to Bobby Bobby Bobby Bob- Bob by and Bobby to him although naturally nat nat- orally the small boy hardly hardi hers bets him now I ft t Still Sun no Roberts Robert's berts bert's Wile Wife fj t si I I know the letter lette concludes t j I that Peter and I are not legally e married I am st still 11 Roberts Robert's wife 1 e t. t 4 Shall all I return to him Or shall I ask him for a Il divorce and turn him I ov over cr to lonesomeness and perhaps h hen heartbreak In my letter I said I ra ras s d' d dI I I Is s 1 r f l lv rd v X Bob is shy affectionate clinging i ENOCH ARDEN DILEMMA F Fortunately only a few jew wives ever have to make the decision that Rosamond must It is the Enoch Arden plot the plot the supposedly supposedly supposedly sup sup- dead husband returns to find h his wife married and happier than she had ever been with him Robert was reported dead I Iby by the war tear department during I Ithe the Tun Tunisian ian campaign Man Many months later Rosamond married married married mar mar- ried Peter a fine man she had known all her life She already had lied a son five years old Now she h has a baby daughter Mollie Mollie Mol Mol- lie who resembles her father Peter This little family is quite happy together Peter i is successful jolly and affection affection- I ate Robert has a moody and jealous disposition Rosamond nevertheless realizes realie realizes rea rea- lizes lie that Robert is really her husband and that he has every right to her The shock o of f losing her after the bitter years year of fighting and the misery misery misery mis mis- ery o of f life in a German prison camp is almost unbearable to Robert He 11 e is coming home soon and Rosamond will have to face him She doesn't know what to do The thought of giving up the delightful life she is now leading to return to toa a weary war jobless man who at best was inferior to her present husband is almost maddening Yet et she he knows her duty and can see no decent decent decent de de- cent way tray outCome outCome outCome out Come home and we will adjust all these matters You will see your our adorable boy and believe me you are welcome despite these strange circumstances I hardly could say less He has been fighting to protect protect pro pro- lect these same babies from the hell that was wad Nazi Europe His answering answering answering answer answer- ing letter takes it for granted that I st still 11 love him perhaps him perhaps in a pitying pitying pitying pity pity- ing sorrowful way I do Peter will only say to me We must do what is right What In your opinion is right Poor Rosamond This is a heartbreaking heartbreaking heartbreaking heart heart- breaking situation To return to Robert is more than can be expected of poor human flesh and blood Sho She might make the effort but to be poor again working hard again separated ed from her laughing baby missing misSing miss misS' missing ing Peter there Peter there is a daily hourly Immolation that would call for supernatural supernatural su suo su- su graces of an unusual kind Roberts Robert's jealousy and moodiness add one more difficult note to a difficult dif position Robert is not apt to give up his place generously when he sees Rosamond's happiness or of suspects it He will not subside into the amiable family friend willing to accept the overflow from the com completely completely completely felicitous household So I only can recommend praye prayed to Rosamond Gods God's ways are not our ways There are unexpected unexpected- twists and turns and changes in any domestic crisis that tha t can remove from it all the bitterness and ran 1 cor car There is a certain mysterious rightness Tightness and smoothness about the I curing of those ills iUs that are taken to God in prayer That is the on ono one unfailing answer |