South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-14
BY Dorothy Dix.


After ALL most house parties are
mistakes. one sees people at too close
range. Only the very young care to
look at the stage through opera
glasses or to know their acquaintance
intimately When one arrives at the
year of discretion one is glad TO cher
ish ones illusion and TO know ones
friends without knowing their secrets.
Nevertheless, / accepted the invita-
ton when Alicia asked me to be one
of a party that she was entertaining
at the Beeches. There were several
pretty girls staying with her, some
unattached men, and Tom Morton
and his bride
Good heavens!" ] said TO Alicia
the first night of my visit as she came
TO my room in her dressing gown for
a talk, what made you ask herr"
Because ] couldn't ask him with
out her" she replied. Even you"
with whitening emphasis. must see
that"
oh, l suppose So 1 answered
disconsolately. but why the balance
of US have TO do pennance when an
adorable man marries a sheep wom-
an, or an enhancing woman mar
ries a human stick of a man. L
don't know. We didn't commit the
crime, and we ought not have to suf-
fer for it. It's a beastly unjust law
OF society that makes us have to put
up with nice peoples detrimentals. ."
True" replied Alicia but, &"
Frightening up, after all, she isn't
as bad as | anticipated"
Il never had your power of i'm
pected anything worse than the
reality"
Aren't we a little unjust to her?"
began Alicia. 4 am sure she seems
very good
The virtue Of a potato" I inter
rupted scOrnfully.
And as for her being homely''-
put in Alicia.
1T isn't the ugliness." ] returned.
Il never object to that in other wOm-
en-. On the contrary it endears them
TO me. The palmer the better What
sets my nerve on edge is her ready
madness. You feel that she got her
opinions. and her religion and her
clothes all ready made from the best
people, and that they are all thor
oughly orthodox. / don't suppose she
ever wore a kimOno, or ate "A thing
that was indigestible, or had an irig-
inal sin impulse in her life"
She is always so calm and collect
ed"-began Alicia.
That's just it," said you
couldn't get up an argument with her
to save your life. And she'd always
be fatally right if YOU did. Just fancy
the misery of being married to per-
son who wouldn't quarrel with you"
She is a queer choice for n man
with Toms fiery disposition to have
made" Alicia admitted, but it was
fine match for him. and showed
that he had more practical sense
than we supposed"
You mean she had lot of
money ] said brutally.
do YOU think TOm-dO YOU think
the money influenced him" Alicia
asked.
mo, I don't, I said holly, because
in my heart I was sure il had You
see, I have known Tom and loved
him since he was a slip OF a lad. and
so I felt that l had the right TO hate
his wife if I wanted to-
He is such brilliant fellow. -
pursued Alicia calmly. land. er-er-
though his wife isn't exactly quite err
er-one of us. YOU know. I was glad to
hear that he had married a woman
with money. And she's got bags of
1T. He needed only a little help at
the beginning of his career. and they
say he's quite sure of his nomination
for congress now"
She doesn't fire my fancy" I said.
pretending to stifle yawn. but no
doubt he is madly in love with her 1
am told there are people who actually
prefer mush and milk"
All" replied Alicia, hopefully.
Shell be the making of him. She'll
discipline him" But I don't want
him disciplined" 7 said GROSSLY.
as / put her out of the room That
was the charm of him. You never
knew what he would do next"