Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-28
WOMAN WHO SCORNS THE POWDER PUFF-QJ
MY MARRIED LIFE
"Life Is Just One Long Com promise"
By ADELE GARRISON

"NIARGARET, have you found out yet
lfl which man you really love, your hus-
band or Jack Bickett?"
Mrs Stewart shot the question at me as
II II were a bullet from a revolver could
not have been more stunned II II had oeen
real missile.
We were sitting facing each other In her
little upstairs sitting room. She nau
shrewdly guessed my quarrel with DlcKy.
and she had announced her intention OF
talking to me like a Dutch uncle.
But this question was too much even
from my old landlady, who, since my
mothers death, was my nearest woman
friend. / raised my head resentfully.
Really, Mrs Stewart" began haught-
lily.
brusquely Your affairs are in a bad
tangle, | can see that, and | guess It's up
to me TO straighten them out bit II can
But I've got to know first exactly now
matters stand. So just answer my question:
my dear"
Her tone held a note of command that
curiously enough | felt like obeylnB l
answered her docilely as a child
MY husband is the only man in the
world for me, Mrs. Stewart"
As my lips uttered the words my heart
echoed them. Life might 80 shape itself
as to keep me apart from my husband
was not very sanguine as to my Iuture
with Dicky--but I loved him--loved him
so much that the thought of this estrange-
ment from him was a torture.
II thought So: Mrs. Stewards voice was
fat "More's the pity"
You don't need to look so shocked she
went on dryly. "Of course. this isn't the
proper thing to say. l ought to exclaim.
Thank God " | suppose but l never was
built to be hypocrite."
She turned aside her head moment and
l saw her wipe her eyes. The action sur
prlsed me. for had always thought Mrs.
Stewart to be the least emotional, the most
matter-of-fact woman ] had ever known
Margaret" she said huskily, when she
faced me again, mo one will ever know
how | loved your mother, or how much |
miss her. And when l remember how fer
vently your mother hoped you would some
day marry Jack Beckett, and now to see
Jack going to his death very likely across
the ocean, and you married to that-that-
whlpper- snapper" She hestated for the
last word, and then brought it out II
1t were an exploding firecracker II could
just tear things to pieces" she finished
fiercely.
MRS. STEWARDS "CYNICISM"
you must not speak that way of my
husband, Mrs Stewart" / said but my
my little mother and her plans for me had
nearly upset me.
"Fiddlesticks. :" she returned brusquely.
This isn't time for picking your words.
I'm going to speak my mind once for all.
and then you'll never hear me say a word
about your husband again.
I'm not strong for that until death
do us part thing as lots of people are"
she went on. It's long time waiting for
death when two unsuted people are tied
together. You have the chance of your life
time now to break away from that husba nd
of yours, If you have quarreled with him.
Jack can go back to South America or
some other place, where he has at least
one chance in ten for his life, and then
when you are really free you can have a
real man who will take care of you. not
an imitation of one that makes you miser-
able nine-tenths of your time"
could not speak. I gazed at her, posi-
lively fascinated by the brutal cynicism
She was displaying.
"Oh. of course. you are shocked out of
your wits" she said calmly, but that won't
hurt either you or me. | don't expect you
to heed anything | am saying. You're just
waiting for that Dcky bird of yours to
chirp. and you'll be back in your nest But
couldn't let you go back to almost certain
misery without showing you a way out"
She stopped and gazed into the fire for
a long moment, her face set and stern. I
was too angry at her structures against
Dicky, too miserable with my fears of the
meeting between Dicky and Jack to break
the silence. Finally she turned to me,
struggling her shoulders as IL she were drop
ping a load from them.
There. that's done with" she said "Now
for the rest of il. How serious is this
quarrel with your husband?"
II don't know" l said forlornly. II only
know that he said things for which he
must apologize before can go back home"
What things"
felt like a child being catechized. but