The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-13
WQtlANS ROLE i>- 1ATRIrtONI

] AlNl NM gel the man who takes all the chance. and pays all the expenses and is neve seen nor heard except when the bill are due? Most of mama's friends ar, married to--'angels'. shs nodde, sweetly.
 Most society women are.. I sighsc tentatively.
 'Th So glad." exclaimed Kitty.
 Glad" I repeated, in shocked sur prise. Do you gloat over themr.
 I'm so glad found out" pursust Kitty, before deciding to--to marry anybody"
 turned and looked at E.tty pene- | tratingly.
 Were you-- deciding to rnarry any. body?" I asked desperately.
 And" continued Kitty. without stop ping to explain. though a rink flush mounted to her golden brown pompa- dour and challenged the blue forget me-knots in her hair, before gave ur the flowers and applause for a back seat In the gallery. It isn't fair. she went on, petulantly. Ito deceive "a girl by letting her make her entrance on the social stage in blaze of lights and music and allowing her to think she's the leading lady all during the ] courtship and the engagement and"
 The engagement" broke in, 'is only the curtain raiser. The star never takes the leading part in that"
 And then" proceeded Kitty un- daunted when she has become accus- toned to having all the best speeches and sitting in the limelight with a chorus of men singing her praises and the world applauding. to ask her to move back and act supernumerary while some man not half so clever nor wise nor charming turns the calcium light on himself and expects her to look on in awe and rapture while he talks politics and growls at the din- ner."
 leaned back in my chair with a hopeless sigh.
 "Oh. we'll" I remarked lndiqerent- ly, If girl prefers to go on all her life playing curtain raisers let her do 1t. But the average woman would rather be a supernumerary in the le- gitimats drama of love and matrimony than star in the cheap vaudeville of | irritation. She gets a larger and more certain salary and"
 Harder work" interpolated Kitty, scornfulIy.
 And she is safer"
 And more useful"
 And more comfortable" And commonplace and uninteresting. and meek, and easily imposed on" fin- ished Kitty dramatically. And even them she went on, with a spiteful snap of her ivory fan. "a man isn't satisfied unless he is married to a whole theat- rical company, and she is willing to shift all the domestic scenery, and do the cooking, and make the beds. and set up a charming background for him. and then to come on and play chorus, | and laugh at his jokes, and sing his | praises, and applaud his entrances and exits, and keep the limelight on him whenever they are in company, and hand him bouquets and compliments, and keep his stage clothes in order during her spare moments, and"
 "Sh!" I broke in, desperately. ''The curtain is going up."
 1 f But I needn't have bothered. Kitty had stopped with parted lips and was staring at young. person with a very | white shirt front and perfectly parted hair and a huge chrysanthemum in his coat lapel, who had just entered the box opposite.
 "Quick!" she whispered, Look at him! D-does he look as if he wanted a leading lady or--or soubretteT | leveled my glasses speculatively. He looks" said after a moments thoughtful scrutiny 'tas if nothing less than a whole chorus would satisfy"
 Kitty put her hand over my mouth.
 
 in hurriedly.
 After all' said Kitty, leaning back languidly when the curtain had drop ped again, ''the leading lady does have | the best of the situation" Perhaps" I agreed doubtfully, "at the beginning of the play; but not in the end. I've seen lots of leading la dies who lived in hallrooms and paid | their own board bills to their dying day, and who took themselves so seri- ously and were so busy trying to live up to their roles and to manage the situation that no man ever offered to manage it for them.''
 "Oh. we'll" retorted Kitty, "men ad- mire independent women." But they don't marry them," I re- piled, 'The average man steers shy of a girl who takes all ot his best speeches out of his mouth and makcS him sit back like part of the scenery, while she Is doing her drawing room act. He knows that marriage with her would mean a monologue, in which she would do all the talking, while he played the silent part of walking geh- tleman. What most men are looking for is a nice, merry little soubrette who will dance and sing her way through life and tighten the whole trag- edy and lead her husband up to his greatest heights and play up to his l cleVerneSS. He may not De Wiling 10 share his limelight with her. but most any man would be willing to share everything else on earth with a girl like that"
 Do you think" said Kitty, laconical- ly, indicating the white chrysanthe- mum in the opposite box with a nod of the head, that could play up tc his cleverness?"
 "His-iWHAT?"
 That's just what I mean!" declared Kitty, triumphantly. How many wo' men get husbands who are fit to tak' the lead? How many women get bus bands they are proud of and long !, see shingng in the llmelight and mak : ing themselves heard above the or } chestra?" And Kitty regarded thu l white chrysanthemum with a littl 5 shudder.
 gazed very thoughtfully at the bo, across the way for a moment and thei I turned to Kitty and put my hant over hers beneath the Ivory fan.
 My dear little girl" I said gently mo woman has a right to sign @ con tract of marriage until she knows tina the company she Is going to cast he lot with is good, and that the ma who is going to play the opposing role-ls the RIGHT MAN. No woma