How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.

doctor returned, but later she insisted on telephoning to him at the address to which he had gone to make sure that he was there, and nowhere else. Her jealousy was a matter of common knowledge in the, circle in which the K.s moved. Hostesses were almost afraid to invite the doctor and his wife because some jealous scene was certain to occur if any other woman in the party took the doctor aside for a few moments' conversation. To test the truth of her jealous beliefs Mathilda made a habit of demanding the sexual embrace from her husband whenever he returned from a night call. Occasionally the doctor, tired out, after a heavy day’s practice and a difficult night case, and needing sleep far more than sexual embraces when he returned to his home, gently denied his wife, kissed her tenderly, and retired to his room to sleep. On these occasions Mathilda became almost apoplectic with rage and jealousy and was certain that her husband was unfaithful to her and had just come from the arms of his mistress. She put detectives on his trail, shadowed him for weeks, upbraid¬ ing the detectives when they reported that her husband was a model of good behaviour. Finally, the doctor himself realized that he was being followed, and when he confided his uneasiness to his wife, and asked whether he should apply for police protection, she confessed that she had herself subjected him to these indignities. This evidence of his wife’s lack of confidence aroused the doctor’s usually placid nature to profound resentment. When he realized the extent of his wife’s pathological possessiveness, he demanded that she should agree to a divorce. Mathilda begged for another chance, and the doctor granted it, although his love for his wife had definitely cooled after the shadowing episode. Within a month his wife had forgotten her good resolutions, and returned to her technique of scenes and “ frightful headaches ”. Dr. K. realized the neurotic nature of these headaches after the first break, although he had formerly been blind to their meaning, and insisted that his wife should subject herself to psychiatric treatment. This