The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-02
Married Life
the Second Year
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

W
Warren threw down a couple of tick
cts. Carson gave me those-he's al
ways fcttNg passes.'
"Wh.> , it, Gear-what play?"
Some sort OF problem play or 9th
er THE (auSc, Think It's calico.
"The Cause! Oh, that S what I've
been wanting to see so much!"
"Um, I thought that was about your
style. Tsu:e always keen on those
psycACit %jc;N stunts We'll, you'll have
to hurry. j.. ,i2t going 70 dress.
"Oh, -" reu you're hot. And
theyre &: Ac9tra sea,&-F, Tha.'3
right ,ot;u il. the front.
"Dont care where i is. Lots of men
go to the theatre in business suits
now You even see them in boxes. And
| wouldn't get into dress suit tonight
If they's give me the show"
But Warren"
Nov, see here, if you want me to
go as l am all right, If you don't, well
stay at home"
And Helen realized the futility of
saying more. 1t was just $40 when
they reached the theatre and the play
wasannOunced 10 play at 8:15. The
usher led them down the red-carpteed
aisle to their seats.
Helen took off her hat and pinned
it on the back Of the seat in front
of her Then she looked around at
the we'll filled house. There were hard
iy any seats left in the orchestra and
all the boxes were taken. She turned
and looked up at the balconies-they
too, were filled.
Helen was keenly conscious that all
the men around them were in evening
clothes. She wanted to call Warren's
attention to this but refrained, know
ing it would only irritate him.
A beautifully gOWned woman with
her escort now swept into the row in
front of them. Helen caught the sub
tie odor of a French perfume as she
threw back her opera cloak. Her
blonde hair was deliberately dressed
with jeweled combs. her gown cut very
low, displayed the ivory white neck
and shoulders.
She was unquestionably very beau
tiful And her escort, tall faultlessly
groomed man, was bending toward her
with evident pride and admiration.
Helen felt very suddenly very plain
and insignificant. Her simple little
gown seemed cheap and ordinary COM
pared to the expensive elegance of the
one befor her.
The curtain rose now and Helens
attention was turned to the stage. The
scene was the library of an English
country house. A young woman in an
exquisite pale blue morning gown,
(the kind you never see off the stage)
was arranging some flowers in a vase.
Helen
tic tendencies was a realist at heart,
often wondering al the lack of realism
of stage gowns Possibly it was be-
cause the actress insists on very beau
tiful and expensive gowns regardless
of their suitability.
THE Problem" turned out to be the
inevitable triangle one-the love of a
man for a woman not his wife. And
the first act closed with an affecting
scene between the husband and wife.
The wife, who does not know of her
husbands faithfulness, is piteously
trying to regain his love.
Helen was glad of the applause and
the repeated curtain calls, as it gave
her time to wink back the tears be-
fore the lights flashed up. Even then
she bent over her program as though
intent or cast of characters.
Act j 'lc drawing room the next
evening go" she read aloud. Act Ill
lodging house in Cover street six
months later" Well, it's staged beau
tifully, and John Hargrave is very
good-don't you think so?"
He's alright" assented Warren,
"only he overdoes it in parts
Helen made several further COM
ments on the play, the setting and the
actors, but as Warren only answered
in monosyllables she turned to the ad-
vertisements in the program.
There was the inevitable skin food
with the actress endorsement, the
popular Scotch whiskey. the fashiona-
BILE tailor with his Fall and Winter
models" the familiar brand of choco-
1ates, and the Broadway restaurant an
nouncing a special after-theatre sup
per-all on one page. On the next
page was a tooth paste, table sauce
and a column on THE well-dressed
man"
"Oh, listen. dear" reading, "'Quite
as many cutaway coats are now braid
less as braided, the custom of braid
ing them having been so overdone that
1t had become unacceptable to some
men. Now you won't have yours braid
ed will you? No matter what the tailor
says"
Wasn't going to anyway But that
thing wouldn't influence me. I'm not
following the styles of a theatre pro-
gram"
Here two men who had crowded
past them when the curtain fell, now
returned. Again Helen stood up, clutch
ing at the things in her lap-her purse,