Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-07-06
ONE WOMAN'S
STORY
ByCarolyn
BeeCher

NO: l have never worn II. Helen
sent il to me. / told you of IL at the
time. offered TO show il to you; but
as usual you had no time"
Well it's all right. and as l told
you last night you are looking very
well again"
We were the last ones TO arrive. and
| when Myrtle went with me while |
laid aside my wraps she laughingly re-
marked:
| Bully for you. Margaret! If you
| can't have the color one way have II
| another. You look lovely. Come on
now and see how your old sweetheart
acts when he's engaged"
| l shall rever forget how lovely .Hol-
| land Lansing looked our cOngratula-
! smilingly received our congratula-
i tions. Tod was beaming, and talked
| and acted as If he expected me to be
i thoroughly en- rapport with him. Again
| I was thankful that | had not talked to
| Tod OF Robert, more than thankful that
i 1 had not mentioned Holland My mar
| row escape would be lesson to me. IL
/ would teach me to keep all my concerns
/ TO myself. 10 lock the closet which held
/ my skeleton so tightly that no one
would suspect the stark ugliness of the
| soulless creature.
A. dinner / sat between Tod and
/ Harper Carleton. They both compli-
! mented me on my improved looks. and
/ l caught a roguish CLEAN in Myrtle's
I eyes when she overheard.
You haven't been i'll, have your"
Miss Sloane inquired with her usual
/ tact Mrs Mulhany said you looked
very badly the last time she saw you"
NO. indeed. 1 never felt better!'
replied.
Nor looked more. charmingr" Harper
! Carleton whispered.
( 1 knew / looked well, and that knowl
edge always makes a woman master of
herself more completely than does any
other one thing. 1 laughed and chatted,
/ told stories, and when We adjourned to
| the drawing room 1 played and sang for
them.
You're in great form tonight. Mrs.
Drayton." Howard Cutting remarked as
/ he turned my music. 1T is delightful
to see you so happy"
So in turn each Of the men present
had complimented me on my appear
/ ance Even staid old Ned Caldwell had
| told me l looked very lovely. In fact,
/ l received quite as much attention as
the beautiful bride to be, and my lip
curled as / thought how much men
cared for woman's looks, how little
| for her faithfulness-
After a bit we danced. When Robert
danced with Holland, l was with Tod.
As Robert ana Holland swept by us
| Tod said proudly:
isn't she lovely?"
Very" 1 replied.
II know you are glad for me, Mar
garet. feel so unworthy Of her"
Tod had improved vastly in the last
two years. He was more Of a man
in every way than when he used to
think he was in love with me.
How do you expect me to be glad
i - I'll Ita91p
I teased, half in Jest. half earnest.
You know / came very near accepting
you"
How queerly things turn OUT he
/ mused your husband has probably
made you happier than 1 ever could.
/ and
Probably" interrupted. Come.
| let's dance"
CHAPTER XIX
tn HE next day Myrtle came down
TO talk about the party.
- II felt bad, so thought I'd in
nict myself on YOU" she greeted me-
Then 1 didn't get much chance 10 talK
to you last night What did you thlinK
OF my party?'
cit was an immense success" L said
Il thought ii went OF pretty well
myself" Myrtle reJoined. and dion
Holland look lovely? You looked ter
ribly we'll yourself. / haven't seen you
I look so well. in months. You're as
white as & ghost this morning. I'd
advise another visit TO the rouge jar.
II was fairly pasty last night before
[ used IT," 1 replied to her banter, put
isn't II amusing, Myrtle, how easily
men are fooled?"
. l smiled at the remembrance or the
compliments / had received the night
Jefore.
- -. - o-o ,,,ara will he fooled
for long, that is no one but Robert
FOR their wives will tell them. You
I.Uow every woman there knew you
were rouged. I'll bet a nickel that
Harper Carleton was told before he
reached homer
flushed chagrined. Was Myrtle
right. and did wives tell their husbands
such trifling things? or were they
Jealous of any attention given other
3 women. and tried to belittle them? II
knew ! had never talked to Robert
about any of the intimate affairs or
nv women friends, and hadn't supposed
other wives did. But then Robert was
ID different. more stern, more unapproach-
: abe. Trivialities had never interested
, him l doubt IL he would have lis
tened.
? Don't look so solemn" Myrtle said.
What difference does il make? One
would think you had committed an un-
pardonable sin to see your expression.
'It is embarrassing, Myrtle, to have
men know We use makeup because IL
is necessary. l have always used lit
tie powder, and occasionally rouge; but
last night 1 just plastered il on. But
never mind, tell me about Holland and
/ Tod was never more surprised In
I my life"
/ Neither was I. l supposed Tod in
E consolable because you did not marry
him. He was always talking Of you,
telling what a belle you were before
you were married. He said. you were
the brightest, handsOmest girl in your
set. and that any number of masculine
hearts, were broken when you married
Robert Drayton."
Nonsense I exclaimed, laughing,
sc, BATTERED that Tod had so spoken
Of me.
While Myrtle ratified on in her usual
. vivacious fashion my thoughts ran riot
I ing, although / heard what she said.
. One idea after another ran through my
I mind. the gist of them being that
must find some way TO let Robert know
that / was admired, so that he, too,
would find me desirable.
Come walk over TO Mrs. Mulhany's
q with me-" Myrtle said she rose 10
On 81 hear she is not we'll"