Show Kathleen Norris Says The Office Sweetheart I IDell Bell Dell Syndicate Features Feature I'll I br 1 i I rr I II I It h 1 1 V VI VJ I J V l i t i a. a 1 3 r I 1 1 i i 4 J J I 7 r. She Sh is s simply leading him Mm on because it 1 flatters her and he gives giver her presents present By KATHLEEN NORRIS 11 TV Y REWARD for 20 M MY IV years of faithful 1 1 wifehood writes a Detroit woman is His that my husband is disgustingly fatuously fatuously fatuously fatu fatu- in love with one of the girls in the office one office one of the women rather for Sheila has been divorced and has a little girl of 3 My own family a aboy aboy aboy boy of 18 girls of 16 and 14 is at an age when a fathers father's influence influence influence in in- fluence is all And this is the time when Bert chooses to become infatuated with a grass widow of 26 She is pretty of ot course but in a ahard ahard ahard hard way She has had a great deal of at attention from men and how she loves love's it I dont don't believe she would dream of ot marrying Bert even if it he were free tree She Is simply leading him along because It flatters her and he gives her presents The last was a fur coa coatI coat 1 I know this through another woman In the office who is my friend When I reproached Bert he denied nothing but expressed anger and horror at my suggestion of a divorce he will fight that to the last ditch he says I wish I could tell you how happy our life together has been until this shock burst upon me so suddenly We started as high school sweethearts sweethearts sweethearts sweet sweet- hearts began simply rejoiced inthe in inthe inthe the coming of at our lovely children prospered in the American way and only four years ago built the home of our dreams Now all this structure structure structure ture seems to be falling about my ears I have cried myself sick I have considered seeing Sheila and begging her to go away My son who is my only confidante has talked to his father Our once happy household has fallen into dark days and all because a weak man and an unscrupulous woman choose to consider themselves in loveI love I I Simply Writhe I Bert is completely oblivious to all this He goes his way He is absent absent absent ab ab- ab- ab sent from home some two or three nights a week when I simply writhe at the thought that they are to together together together to- to gether and t that at she is getting the tenderness that once was mine The loneliness of ot a woman once loved and then scorned is something nobody nobody nobody no no- body can Imagine until she has experienced experienced experienced ex ex- ex- ex it ft Will you tell me what treatment will cure this situation how to handle it wisely and get my husband back I cannot go on like this thi s. s This agitated and powerful letter letteris is signed Thelma But it might be signed by a good many once happy and confident wives who have had this same painful awakening The sad truth Is that after just so many years of even the happiest marriage something of ot the something something something some some- thing of ot the breathtaking taking ecstasy wears away That is true of all human human human hu hu- hu- hu man relationships but especially true of this most delicate and unpredictable unpredictable unpredictable un un- predictable one Often Otten if it a marriage marriage marriage mar mar- goes on as long as Thelmas Thelma's with the normal element of ot parenthood parenthood parenthood parent parent- hood homemaking working and planning together it lasts It lives to the beautiful dignity of ot middle middle- aged companionship the truest happiness happiness happiness hap hap- in the world for tor either man manor manor manor or woman But often too it breaks at just this point when a still young and handsome man realizes that he heIs heis heis is tied for life to just one woman with her goodness and badness and strength and weakness and that there are younger and lovelier wom worn women women en ready to sacrifice their own lives to him Ii 1 I. I r l I I I J cannot go on like lik this Ibi HE WILL COME BACK Thelma has ha discovered that her husband Bert is in love with a pretty divorcee in his office He lie is in his forties while the girl is only 26 Bert gives her expensive presents and goes out with her two or three ni nights a week The sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den rev revelation lation that she has lost her husbands husband's s love is almost more than Thelma can bear She protests that she site has ha been beena a faithful wife for 20 years a good mother a capable home tome mana manager er It all seems so unfair unfair un un- f fair air that she should have to endure this humiliation this mental agony now When Thelma confronted Bert with the charge l he e denied denied denied de de- de- de nied nothing not but seemed surprised surprised surprised sur sur- and angry when she mentioned the possibility of a divorce He tie said he lie would fight this move to the last ditch They Tirey have three children two girls in their middle teens and a son who is 18 Bert is f fairly airly successful and there have been no serious money problems Four years ears ago they I bought a home a goal achieved after many ninny years o of f saving Miss lUiss Norris tells Thelma that Bert will ivill come back to her in time if she will ivill patiently patient patient- ly endure this bitter cross He does not want to lose her or the children Marriage arriage is worth preserving concludes Miss Norris even at the price o of f much suffering Why not accept the situation It hurts you deeply in your pride in your heart of ot course Your nearest and dearest has failed tailed you You are being humiliated and affronted by byan byan byan an entirely inferior woman and it is nature to feel that you just wont won't you simply wont won't put wont put up with it Suffering Is Universal But women everywhere in all the great wide troubled mistaken world are putting up with the unendurable unendurable unendurable durable Thelma Millions of ot mothers mothers mothers moth moth- ers and fathers are suffering bitter incurable agony when they pass the closed door of ot what used to be the boys boy's room or when a casual glance at a photograph shows him Wm as he used to be strong and confident and loving never loving never to be theirs again Millions of ot magnificent boys are sitting quiet and patient today disfigured disfigured dis dis- figured maimed blind lame wrecked in mind and body They have to bear Jt t. t Nobody wants to hear of ot their troubles now The girls with whom they danced have danced away into happier scenes The ambitions they cherished to to be architects flyers athletes surgeons all all these are gone They bear it They even learn to interest others to serve those about them to develop develop develop de de- de- de what is left of at life for them You have had more than your share of shelter love protection Thelma Among women you are a fortunate woman You kept your three children some of us are not so fortunate You have a home health friends freedom Use them all Develop in yourself a lovely and controlled personality And inevitably inevitably inevitably bly within a few years Bert will be beback beback beback back to say he is sorry to ask forgiveness forgiveness forgiveness for for- to take his old place in everything eve but your own heart And marriage Thelma is worth saving even at such a cost as this I |