Good Husband, The

Ellen married John Carruthers because he seemed steady, respectable, and dependable—the sort of man who came home every evening and never embarrassed his wife. Six months later she finds herself strangely content with their quiet life in a comfortable Greenwich Village apartment, even if John keeps certain details about his daily work to himself. He reads by the fire, wears a muffler even indoors, and never gives her reason to doubt his devotion. Still, there are small things she cannot quite explain. John stays late at the office more often now that spring has arrived. Sometimes he slips out for walks in the middle of the night, returning refreshed and calm. He avoids questions about his job with gentle firmness, and Ellen worries that pressing him might strain the marriage she values so much. Her friends certainly notice the oddities. When they gather for bridge, they whisper and speculate. What does John actually do all day? Why does Ellen know so little about the man she married? Ellen laughs off their suspicions, but the questions linger. One morning curiosity finally overcomes caution. Ellen rises before dawn and quietly follows her husband out of the apartment building. What she sees in the small cemetery behind their home forces her to face a startling truth about John—and to decide how much that truth really matters. The Good Husband blends dry humor with a sly supernatural twist. Evelyn E. Smith lets the story unfold in calm domestic scenes while quietly building toward a revelation that is both shocking and strangely touching. By the time Ellen understands her husband’s secret, the real question is no longer what John is—but what kind of marriage Ellen truly wants. Evelyn E. Smith (1922–2000) published widely in science fiction and fantasy magazines during the 1950s and early 1960s. Her work appeared in Galaxy Science Fiction, Fantastic Universe, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction among others.