Trust

Futures is Mildred’s journal from her time at a Swiss psychiatric hospital as she was dying of cancer. The entries are undated and marked only by the time of day she wrote them. Although most of the entries are brief, they present a starkly different picture of her life with Bevel than presented in Bonds or My Life.

In fragments, Mildred recounts her life with Bevel. The first two years of their marriage were polite and passionless. This changes in 1922 when Mildred invests money Bevel gives her for philanthropy. Her returns are much higher than Bevel’s, prompting him to try, and fail, to replicate her strategy. They begin collaborating on investments: He teaches her the nuts and bolts, and she teaches him to think outside the box. For the first time in their marriage, they are happy. However, it quickly becomes clear that Mildred has more to teach Bevel than he her. Bevel doesn’t understand the investment algorithm Mildred develops and fails to generate her results without her. He continues to follow her directives, building his reputation as an investing genius; however, being the puppet to her hand makes him feel emasculated. Mildred continues to help him because she’s drawn to the intellectual challenge and success of investing; however, she resents Bevel for getting credit for her achievements.