The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-27
CONTINUED From Our Last Issue.

tSOnttnueu from Our Last Issue. J
try to be nice to Edith. II
isn't easy. I don't like her. and
don't like her methods, but / don't
tell her so. We don't quarrel, al
though we mix about like oil and
water. OF course Edith has her
good points. For instance she is
the most generous person | ever
knew, and she's good nature itself.
She'll take an insult from you, pay
you back In your own coin and
then exclaim: "Oh, come on, let's
not fight. There's a dear! Let's
go to the matinee this afternoon. A"
She has lot of practical ability.
too. She's born manager, and as
systematic as a machine.
The trouble with Edith is her
ambition. She wants to stand at
the head OF all society in the
world, and to get there she is
ready to work till she drops. There
used to be, and are still, lots of
beautiful country places sprinkled
around Hilton. These summer peo-
pie never mingled very much with
Hiltonites, but as soon as Edith
WAS able to walk she was bound
to mingle with them. Well, she
has realized that ambition.
She has fairly hypnotized Ruth.
My little sister thinks there is no
one like her. AS soon as Edith
married Alec, she took complete
possession of Ruth. provided her
with a lot of lovely clothes, and
sent her off, for the first winter,
TO a fashionable boarding-school
In New York.
After eight dazzling months of
that sort of life she ordained that
Ruth should return to Hilton and
come out" Last fall she gave her
a reception that fairly thrilled the
town. Edith's word is sacred law
to Ruth. | am a mere speck on
Ruth's outlook on life. Perhaps as
much as anything else 1t Is Edith s
complete possession of Ruth that
hurts me.
don't cry about it q won't let
myself, but | think I've missed
my own mother more since / was
twenty than before | was ten. 1t
may be a comfort to mothers
whose little children have grown
out OF the helpless age to know
this from a grown-up daughter.
| don't know what to say about
my brother Alec. | have no idea
what he thinks about this new life
OF ours. He doesn't confide in me
any more; we are almost strangers
now. OF course | should expect
him to be loyal to his wife-he's
such a thoughtful man that he
wouldn't hurt Edith's feelings for
anything-but | wonder and won
der where all his old qualities have
gone.
Once Alec was married and |
had made up my mind that |
couldn't run away to New York
and earn my way, or hire a house
of my own and live by myself, |
buekled down and did my level
best to adjust my likes and habits
to the conditions of Edith's reign.
One can get used to anything, |
believe.
l suppose every reader of this
resume chapter of mine is simply
skipping paragraphs by the dozen
In the fond hope that he'll run
across some exciting reference to
DIR. Maynard. People are always so
suspicious of an old love-affair.
Let me relieve your mind. AS
much as you may be disappointed,
j must announce that am not re-
serving any sweet sentimental
morsel for a climatic finale. Far
from 1t. l haven't got 1t I'm re-
serve. / only wish had. A sweet
memory Is such comforting
possession, a thrilling romance of
the past such as reinsurance.
But 1t is very evident that DR..
Maynard has no intention of pro-
vidfng me with sweet memories or
thrilling romances. All the balm
and comfort that his proposal may
have given me in the beginning he
has destroyed by being hopelessly
commonplace ever since.