Page:Man's Country (1923).pdf/207

 goods and forestall catastrophe. If it failed, not merely the writing off of prospective profits, but the writing in of a loss, was inevitable.

It was only when all that could be done that day had been done, and he turned away from his office homeward bound, that the great, crushing sensation of defeat seemed to come down upon him with full force. He felt a yearning for his beautiful wife that was different from any he had ever felt before, a yearning for her because he was weak and she was strong.

So George felt that he wanted to weaken into the arms of Fay tonight. His pride was willing to forego itself; to permit her to see him sapped and humbled; if only he might know the luxury of her outpouring sympathy and listen to a thousand crooning terms of endearment sprinkled into his mind as she sprinkled kisses upon his face. He told himself that he would never know how noble his wife might be until he flung some of his burdens upon her. This night he was resolved to jettison his pride and tell her all. He urged his chauffeur to faster and faster speed, but when he got to the house and rushed within doors, they told him his wife was not yet back from a tea at the country club.

A tea at a country club!

George shut his teeth together hard—indeed, he hardened all over into something as stiff as a post. Disconsolate, he went upstairs to Junior,