Middletown transcript., 1917-04-28

q
me-"
No sooner were they seated in the
actress car and headed north along
the drive, than, instead of answering
Roses question, the actress repeated
one of her own.
Il ask you who you are, and you say
your name-Rose something. But
that tells me nothing. Who are you-
one of them?"
mo, not exactly" said Rose. "Only
by accident. The man l married is
one of them, in Il way. l mean, be-
cause of his family and all that. And
so they take me in"
$50 you are married. said the
Frenchwoman. But not since long?"
"Six months" said Rose.
She said it so with the air of regard
ing it as a very considerable period
of time, that Greville laughed. But
tell me about him, then, this husband
of yours. 1 saw him perhaps at the
tea this afternoon?"
Rose laughed. "NO, he draws the
line at teas" she said. He says that
from seven o'clock on, until as late
as I like, he's-game. you know-will-
ing to do whatever I like. But until
seven, there are novel, he says,
siren songs for him.
"Tell me-you will forgive the in
discretion of a Stranger?-hOw has 1t
arrived that you married him? Was
it one of your American romances"
1T didn't seem very romantic" said
Rose. 1--WE just happened to get ac-
quainted, and we knew almost straight
off that we wanted to marry each
other, so we did, and-it came out
very Well"
"It came out'?" questioned the
actress.
"Yes," said Rose. ENDED happily,
you know"
"Ended!" Madame Greville echoed.
Then she laughed.
Rose flushed and smiled at herself.
"Of course, 1 don't mean that" she
admitted, land I suppose six months
isn't so very long. Still you could
find out quite q good deal-?"
'sWhat is his AFFAIR."" The actress
preferred asking another question, it
seemed, to committing herself to an
answer to Roses unspoken one. "Is
he one of your-what you call, tired
business mem?
Hes never tired" said Rose, "and
| he isn't business man. He's law
vera rather special kind of lawyer.
He has other lawyers, mostly, for his
clients. He's awfully enthusiastic
about it. He says it's the finest pro-
fession in the world, if you don't let
yourself get dragged down into the
stupid routine of it. 1t certainly
sounds thrilling when he tells about
it,"
The actress looked round at her.
$50" she said, you follow his work
as he follows your play? He talks
seriously to you about his affairs?'
why, yes" said Rose, 1--WE have
wonderful talks" Then she hesitated.
cat least we used to have. There
hasn't seemed to be much - time,
lately. 1 suppose that's it."
"One question more" said the
Frenchwoman, "and not an idle one
you will believe that? Alors! You
love your husband. No need to ask
that But what do you mean by love:
Something vital and strong and essen
tial-the meeting of thought with
thought, need with need, desire with
desire?"
Yes" said Rose after a little
silence, that's what I mean"
There was another silence, while the
Frenchwoman gazed contemplatively
out Of the open window of the limou
sine.
Then Rose said: "But you are go.
ing to tell me what you meant about
American women"
Madame Greville took her time
about answering. "They are an enig
ma to me-" she said II confess it
| haven't ever seen such women any.
where as these upper-class Americans
They are beautiful, clever; they know
how to dress. For the first hour, OF
day, or week, of an acquaintance, they
have a charm quite Incompatible
And, up to a certain point, they ex
ercise it. Your jeunes files are amaZ
ing. All over the world, men go mad
about them. But when they marry
:" She finished the sentence with
a ghost of shrug, and turned to Rose
"Can you account for them? Were
you wondering at them, too, with
those great eyes of yours? Alors
Are we puzzled by the same thing
What is it, to you, they lack?'
Rose stirred a little uneasily. 81
don't know" she said, Except that
some of them seem little dissatisfied
and restless, as if-well, as if they
wanted something they haven't got
"But do they truly want it?" Ma
dame Greville demanded 81 an
willing to be convinced; but myself
I find, of your women of the aristocrat
class, the type most characteristic is
she paused and said the thing first
W llcIScll III PrcH1ii, lAeH u iduSidteu-
sis q passive epicure in sensations
sensations mostly mental, irritating OF
, soothing-a pleasant variety. She
waits to be made to feel; she per
, petually-tastes. They give stranger
like me the impression of being per
fectly frigid, perfectly passionless
And so, as you say, of missing thu
!, great thing altogether. A few of YOU
women are great, but not as women
and Of secondrate men in petticoat t:
YOU have vast number. But WON
IN rrnut by the qualities of her Spy