Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-01

The Daily Story
Gerald,s Wife

did not live In Pinevllle proper. but 4
Pinevllle- -by-the-sea. otherwise Pinevill
improper
] All that BroderIck saw were pines
plenty Of them. a fat white ribbon o
, roadway, and bit Of postofTlce roughl.
shinglcd In the midst OF the nearest cluml
OF pines. He stepped into the postofice al
the central spot Of civilization. Some on
was stamping letters behind the Rlas
inclosure, a girl with dark smooth hair
Where do the Vaughans live, please?'
he asked finally when the stampint
! ceased.
THE vaughans7 oh, Gerald Vaughan
ard his wife? It's a brown house down
near the shore, with n wide veranda and
a funny roof About a mile straight
down the road"
a wide veranda and n funny roof. That
sounded like Gerald He wondered how
Gerald's wife liked It. Beatrice was ar
tistic, but not artistically eccentric. She
had horror Of things odd, bizarre. So
| called Bohemian. And yet she had mar
rled Gerald. And Gerald's brother knew
! that Gerald was utterly odd, bizarre and
| Bohemian so-called
lie walked on down the flat white rib
! bon roadway, and wondered whether he
| would find her like the girls Gerald had
| always admired. a llthesome, limp,
Blessed Damozel type, with close silky
| gowns and loose 1oppy hair. Last SUM
mer she had not been that type. He
| thought of the trim girl figure holding
| the rudder OF the Water Lily that last
day. She had been more than the sort
| OF Q girl to fail In love with. She had
| been a good fellow. a stanch friend. And
az he watched her he had stopped row.
| ing, and they had drifted slowly in the
sunset glow that flooded the lake while
he told her.
There had been no actual Engagement.
He had nothing 70 reproach her with.
He had not been In a position to ask
her TO be his wife then, but he had
thought a girl like Beatrice had meant
more by kiss, a handcasp. n few vague
words of understanding, than other girls.
He had thought she might wait till next
summer. And now, In April he had re-
turned to New York to learn that Gerald
was In disgrace, had married on nothing,
eloped to Pinevlle-by-the Sea, North Car
ollna. and his wife was Beatrice Stafford
Gerald's mother had said they were PEN
niless. Gerald's father had remarked
that he didn't give a rap. They could ex-
ist upon love and art.
More or less for Beatrice'B sake, and
little for Gerald's, Gerald's brother had
taken It upon himself to visit the bridal
couple and help Gerald. smotherng his
own love. he had made up his mind that
as long as Beatrice had married n
Vaughan she should not suffer from It.
There was no bell at the door of the
little brown house with the funny roof
1t was merely a bungalow in weathered
shingles. and he pounded on the door
Justify before 1t opened and Beatrice
stood before him.
She was not the Blessed Damozel type
yet. Her smooth. dark hair was wound
about her head in just the same crown
fashion, and she wore a short dark blue
linen skirt, and a white shirtwalst. The
sleeves were rolled to her elbows and
from her finger tips to elbow dlmplus
there was flour sprinkled.
81 thought you were in London" she
said.
You don't give fellow a very decent
welcome after he's Travelled from London
to this wilderness to say congratulations.
Il can't shake hands with you, and !
and the biscuits are in the oven. l shall
have to watch them. Do you mind COM
ing out to the kltchen?"
He didn't mind. There appeared to be |
only three rooms, the o-sitlng room, |
the dining room and the kitchen. Col |
lapsble ready-ln-a- minute studio diyans |
were In the sitting room and dining room |
in lieu OF bedrooms. 1t was all charming |
ly, most uncomfortably odd, bizarre and |
Bohemian.
Where's Gerald?" he asked when he |
had found chair In the kitchen.
He went to the postoiiice for the last |
mail. You must have missed him"
Well what ever made him come TO
this lost corner?"
"Oh, because It was the chance of
something definite, you know. Don't you
Know" she added quickly, seeing the |
puzzled look on his face. well, Gerald's |
chum, Netherby Ames. broke all TO pieces
last tail, overwork, and so on. and he
was ordered down here. And he couldn't
AFFORD to come and stay indefinitely. SO
he pulled a fsw wires and things hap
pened. He was made postmaster here at
And he got lonesome and heal
thy and workful again a month ago, so
ierald's in his place, and he's in New
York. Don't you see? 1t was really very
definite and business-lihe, and right un-
der the circumstances
"oh. certainly, under the clrcum-
stances" agreed Broderlck so old
Gerry's postmaster instead OF artist"
Both" she corrected. HE has lots OF
time 10 study and it's good for him, the
responsibility / mean. You wouldn't know
him"
Il suppose not" assented Broderiek
lneasily. He tried to reconcile his little
circle OF the universe to make the chaotic
tumble fall into place and haFmonlzs
Gerald, Gerald, the helpless, erratic, fan.
lastic, irrational. jOyous-heartsd, penni-
Tess aINlhls person OF matrimonial re- |
sponsibllity, a postmaster. But then he
the young smooth haired
person stamping letters. OF course, Ger
aid had found his usual way out OF the
difficulty. He had hired some PineviIle
lass 70 do the heavy work and he drew
the salary. II was like Gerald. But ther.
was Beatrice, Beatrice making biscuits.
Don't you miss New York;"
"Oh, so mueh." she said 'I'u neysF
be happy until ! get back
Have you given up your own work?''
only Tor the time being. / shall take
I up again, OF course. l shall have to-"
Brodertek's hands frightened in a sud
aen grip So she was TO work again, turn
out her endless succession OF little wash
lustrations for second-rate monthly mag
azines. Gerald would not mind, would
not see the point He would think he
was broad-minded and Bohemian to let
ais vile carry on her own art irrespectiya
1f him. But Beatrice saw the point
He rose from his chair suddenly. his
ACE white with the anger ana love he
lad smotheFed Before ne could stop |
himself the words came leaping to his
ips;
why did you do itff
DO WhatY'
She stood beside the little bare kitchen
able, her face raised TO his her eyes
right with startled wOnderment at his
one.
Why did you marry Gerald?"
Marry Gerald IT. Some one WA
.oming along the white roadway. Prom
he kitchen window two figures could