Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-27
MY MARRIED LIFE
By ADELE GARRISON

| | III not Know when n simple problem has
L SO perplexed me as did the dilemma
faced while sitting opposite my mother-in-
| law In Fraunces's Tavern
, win the obstinacy of a spoiled child the
| elder Mrs Graham was persisting in sitting
| with her heavy coat on while she ate her
| luncheon, although our table was next tc
| the big, old fireplace In which a wood fire
was burning, Indeed il was the tables To-
| cation, which she had selected herself. that
was the cause of her obstinacy She had
| construed an innocent remark of mine into
q slur upon her choice. and had evidently
decided to wear her coat to emphasize the
| fact that in spite of the fire she was none
| too warm.
AS | watched the beads OF persplration
| upon her forehead and her futile dabbing
| AT them with her handkerchief / realized
| that something must be done. | saw that
| she would soon be in a condition To receive
| chill which might prove fatal
sudden inspiration came to me. Per-
maps If ! made some excuse 10 leave her
for few minutes she would take advantage
Of my absence to slip off the coat which
she would not do II my eyes were upon
her. With an unpleasant recognition Of the
fact mat ! was fast becoming an accom-
pished teller of half-truths I spoke to her
"Will you pardon me for inoment?"
| laid down my bouillon spoon and rose
! There are some things of which | must re-
I mind Katie. | should have phoned her be-
| fore"
: may nave IdltlpN ", hut 1IptIgHt !
saw an expression of relief come into her
| eyes
"By all means" she returned, and
walked swiftly into the hall
Where Is the telephone booth?" [ asked
OF the man who had opened the doorway
Right back there behind the taproon"
IT was not until | entered the booth that
| recognized the incongruity of being d-
rected by Colonial ma 10 dOmu to a twen-
! teth century telephone booth behind "A tap.
room"
TT this were hundred years ago I
should have to dispatch a mounted mcssen-
ger 10 Katie" I thought whmscally
racked my brain to think of something
which ! could say to Katie. There was
really nothing of which | had TO remind
her, as had given her fun directions as TO
dinner before left | knew better than to
omit the telephone message, however; my
mother-tn-law would be sure to find out the
truth about il. But plausible pretext soon
presented itself. | ready for Katie
when she answered the telephone.
MADGE'S PREaTONITORY PLAN
We'll" her familiar voice come over the
wire. who is dis? Oh Missis Graham, vot
you want?"
we shall be home in an hour or two
Katie, and | am afraid Mrs. Graham will
be chilled through, We shall have had
luncheon. so don't bother about that but
keep kettle of boiling water on the sim
mering burner so that she can have a cup Of
tea the moment she gets in. Be sure that
the steam doesn't get down. either | want
the rooms to be good and warm when she
returns"
"All right, I feex"
AS | was about to hang up the phone
katle's voice came again.
"Oh Missis Graham I almost forgot
tell you something. Meester Graham he
call up little while ago say he not going
TO be at studio till after , o'clock. lie say
he tell me dot so if you want him for any
thing you call up studio and not find him
dare and den call here / know vot to tell
you"
DISQUIETlNCf THOUGHT
THANK you, Katie" | said quietly Good
by" and hung up the receiver. But in the
mdarlInesS Of the little booth | paused.
clenchng my fists. trying to control my
emotions before going back to meet the
searching eyes of my husbands mother.
For while there probably were a hundred
plausible explanations of Dicky's message,
any one Of which at any other time | would
have accepted without question. yet to my
wrought-up nerves there seemed but one
Interpretation of his words.
Dcky must have taken Grace Draper out
to lunch, | had sudden swift vision of
that stunning girl sitting opposite Ticl<y
in the allurng setting of a well-appointed
luncheon table.
| was as sure that he was with her as If
| had actually seen them together. My lips
twisted into bitter little smile rs | walked
back to the table in the dining room.
| was lunchlng with my husbands
mother while he was cnterta lining the beau
tiful art student, who was his model and
protege in one.
| had intended to telephone To Dickt not
to come home until had a chance to see
him and talk with him alone ! wished To
tax him with the secret which he shared
in common with Lillian Underwood, and
which had been unwittmgly revealed to me
when T.illians husband. Harry Underwood.
and my mother-in-law had accidentally met
two hours before.
Now | saw that | would have to wait to
telephone him untll / reached our own
apaltment. The chances were all in favor
Of my mother-in-law seeing him before |
rould get telephone message to him. This
was something | devoutly desired to avert.
did not wish DIcky TO have the slightest
idea that | knew anything or suspected
anything secret between himself and Lillian
Underwood before | had chance to talk
20 him. Like a fencer who plans for his
opponents weakest point, | wished to catch
him off guard
But 1 managed TO keep all trace of my
thoughts from my face as ! walked back to
my table. and with much qualification saw
that my mother-in-aw had removed her
heavy coat and was eating the main course
of her luncheon with evident relish.
tCopyrightD
CONTINUED TOMORROW