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Show Kathleen Norris Says: Girl-Wife Plagued by Mutes Jealousy Dell Syndicate WNU Features. l From the beginning my husband wanted to know everything I was doing. I even had to read my letters aloud to him before senl tlwm, and had to show him the answers. By KATHLEEN NORRIS " jf Y HUSBAND is jeal-Vl jeal-Vl ous," writes an -L V 1 Arkansas wife. "I knew it, or suspected it, before be-fore I was married, but 1 didn't know how serious it was, or that it would affect every phase of my life with him. Now I find myself made completely wretched by his watching me and suspecting me and questioning me, and I don't seem able to cope with the matter at all. "To begin with," her letter coes on. "I was married three years ago,atl8,to a man more than twice my age. Lewis was 44 then, nij mother's friend. My father fa-ther died when I was a baby; my mother remarried immediately; her second husband being Lewis' older brother. "Lewis spoiled me when I was a small girl, sent me beautiful presents pres-ents to school, came to my graduation, gradua-tion, and it seemed to me wonderful wonder-ful and romantic to be married that very day. But now I think it was silly to crowd graduation and marriage mar-riage into one day; I was so much of a kid that I regretted missing the big dance that evening. "Even in my childhood he was jealous, teasing me about liking this boy or that better than I did him. But in those days Lewis seemed to me a sort of god, playing tennis and Eolf, wearing evening clothes to marvelous parties into which I couldn't even peep, and adored by all his patients. He is an eye doctor. doc-tor. It never occurred to me that he could be serious when he said he was jealous. Inquisitive Husband, "However, as soon as we were married I found out how much in earnest he was. From the beginning begin-ning he wanted to know everything I was doing, or even thinking. I had to read my letters aloud to him before I sent them, and show him the answers. We had a housekeeper, now my son's nurse, who was asked to accompany me practically everywhere, every-where, and was questioned when we got back. She is my good friend, by the way, and takes my side in everything. "When Junior was born Lewis showed a new side of his jealousy. He didn't like me to gush over the baby, sent him away whenever possible. pos-sible. If Junior shows eagerness to reach me, holds out his arms he is 18 months old now Lewis says 'here now, we're not going to have this mother's-boy stuff,' and often gets the little fellow screaming. "All his interest In society Is dead; he says I killed It by making such a fuss about other men, a thing I never have done and never will do. He wants to be at home every evening, sometimes having older men In for bridge, which I don't play. One of his first rrqursts was that neither my mother nor my sister should ever come to the house without being Invited; I rould ask them as often as I likrd but they must never come otherwise. "This has made for great formality formal-ity and stiffness where there oufiht to be so much pleasure and easiness; easi-ness; in fact. m,v mother has lost all patience with Lewis, and even her husband, who is Lewis' brother, rarely makes any effort to see us. Always Asking Questions. "I can charge anything I like anywhere, any-where, and we live luxuriously, but my actual money allowance is only $10 a month; and do what I will I can't seem to make any rvi'-nsivr plans on that I mean I can't g- TIME TO REGRET He spoiled her when she u as a child, brought her extensive presents, and uhen she graduated grad-uated he teas there. She thought it would he wonderful wonder-ful and romantic to he married mar-ried on her graduation day . . . A'tw, three years later, Catherine misses the youth she gave up to marry a man more than twice her age. She is unhappy, and he is jealous. A of a pleasant situation, hut Kathleen Norris tells Catherine Cather-ine that she will have to bear U. Why? Be sure to read this story of a girl whose hasty marriage has gtven her a lifetime life-time of leisure in which to regret re-gret it. in for charities or club work very well. I am studying French with an old refugee woman, but on two occasions her young son came in during the lessons, and after that Lewis insisted that they be given here in our house, which is very dull. "Am I making myself out a martyr? mar-tyr? You don't know what an effort I make to keep cheerful and busy, filling vases, ordering meals, playing play-ing with my baby, going every day to pick Lewis up in the car. But his continual questioning and suspicions suspi-cions make me nervous, and of late I have been crying a good deal, which does not improve my appearance appear-ance and annoys him. "What prompts me to write you, Catherine concludes her letter, "is that last night, when Lewis was in a particularly inquisitive mood, I suddenly emptied a vase I was filling fill-ing with primroses right over his head. He was wonderful about it, but it really frightened me, and I thought that if there is any way to cure him, or cure me if I am to blame, I had better find out what it is." And there, you luckier women, who are married to men without this particular form of vanity, pettiness and cruelty, is a perfect example of the elderly jealous mate. Waking Is No Fun. It seems great fun to the little beauty of 18 to announce to her awed and envious schoolmates that she is going to be married on graduation gradu-ation day to a successful doctor who is able to give her every luxury and who has adored her since babyhood. baby-hood. It is a school girl's dream. But the waking up isn't much fun. Cathrrinc has cheated herself out of her happiest young years, years of dancing and house par ties, picnics and camping and skiing, ski-ing, trips and theatricals and btaus. Every girl has a right to these, and every girl, rich or poor, manages to have a good share of them. It wasn't Catherine's fault that this path was made so easy for her. If her mother hadn't sense enough to suspect what a prison Lewis was preparing for her, Lewis' brother might have given her a hint. Catherine, Cath-erine, at 18, wasn't supposed to know that the flattery and the presents, the plain-gold ring and the new estate es-tate were just so many chains about her. Will Have to Rear It. In Catherine's case she simply will have to put up with it. Society Soci-ety would stand aghast at the spectacle spec-tacle of that dear little pampered wife, with her beautiful home and two good servants, her adoring husband hus-band and lovely child, running away ! from it all. And she couldn't run to her mother, because her stepfather is Lewis' brother, which would make Ihi.;; very uAv.uard. |