Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-21
CHAPTER I

a ! ,rving to prove TO her own satisiactioh
husband was no worse than the
~, NJ Young men married to rich
M, she could never find the argu-
-. ,vhereby she might arrive at the de-
"a .,rclusion. 1t Is not to be wondered
..., that eventually there came n day
5s.n the information was brought to her
a, .ven in the gay and ultrafashionable
~, N which they moved people spoke of
=. "that mad Challoner," and were
<r.,.. that he was going pace that was
-.,,v carrying him far beyond the horizon
Z ..rvthing like respectability-going to
n aors. in truth, as fast as her money
ssuld take him there'
vov Miriam Challoner was not one OF
". yomen who deceive themselves, II not
~ friends, when they say that II ever
~ hear of their husbands doing such-and-
~ a-tbine they know perfectly well what
Lii do II is true that, like them, she
". '.",hing: nevertheless, she could not be
poaodsd y TO discuss with any one the hu-
En'.,oo nosition in which her husband had
paced her.
wav this attitude of hers was un- |
.r.,e for It was more or less responsible |
~ the note of melancholy cadence whlch |
W.. into her mind. And so 1t was that
1 s.tore very long she was dimly conscious Oh
- .r,o,ion quite unlike anything that she
y. htherto experienced; all the bitterness
49, heart had given way to sickening
m.a,,on that she, as we'll as he. had been
"a IN the matrimonial furnace ana found
n,ne Somehow, she had fallen griev-
sr.lv in her own estimation.
"a society's estimation? Illusions In
n.. d,rection were Hardly possible there,
=. doubtless she would incur the loss OF a
ilor
.. ronpossession of highly imaginative
-rsrament did not prevent her from
snxvng the expressive shrugs, and "Oh,
y course his wife Is to blame,' which, for
-. sake of an inference that Is obvious
~cu,d be voiced by more than one I'M
s.rcable dame of her acquaintance - as
ssssr as not superbly gulible souls. whose
,.nco .'s Increases in direct proportion to
y. worlds lack of belief in the fidelity OF
Ner liege lords.
T-uo. were comments of that kind the
vorst that she might expect For, as
ssraltv for belonging to set which, 10
rsster degree, perhaps than any other.
scognzes the possibility Of an up-to-aate
srunle having mutually implied under-
sanding that neither shall object 10 the
H.creet-and more or less temporary
Sph,essness of the other-she knew that II
avid he well nigh miraculous If some
s,rA,v disposed persons did not go sun
erther for an explanation Of his conduct,
"A point to her and her husband as
sonsnjcuous example Of such precious pair.
MI though her whole being rebeled at the
rsre thought that there could be people VINO
could regard her in such light, she could
sot bring herself to take decisive action OF
INV kind There was nothing that coulo
Il = sad. she told herself, nothing that could
y done-since a most conscientious ana
pkless self-analysis had failed to reveal
NJ wifely shortcomings--except TO nave
Aim that there were some of her sex
- manv. Il Is true, but still few friends
II would continue to believe her incapable
doing any of the things that SO many
sA1rs did for whom there was far less eX-
4 ~ than there would be for her.
But whatever were the opinions OF the
women. there was no disposition on the
part Of the men to hold her in any way re-
sponsble for his behavior. Far from IT,
And In a fayorite corner or an exclusive
dub. when the names OF fair iadles-
mostly of the stage-were banded about az
fguring in young Chaloner's escapades, oio
cronies Of his father, between sips OF theii
scotch and sodas, were wont to Doll over
with contemptuous indignation anu eH-
plosvey give thanks to the gods for WHINE
that their lovable, old-time friend shouic
not live to see the confirmation of his fears
And how we'll they recalled those fears.
For Notwithstanding his very moderate
circumstances, the elder Challoner had beer
hat rarest of mortals-a man blsstuil!
Nntent with his lot in life, and, one wh'
eldom missed an opportunity to depior
he Unsuitable craze Of the rich Tor NOR
yiches forever protesting that blatant com
merclalism haste and artifciality were IN
sods of the present day; and no picture II
their gallery of lasting impressions stoo'
but more vividly than the one in whicn
Wrrounded by group of young reilows
Rho had "got him going" as they phrase
he was declaiming against-what wa
berely his pet hobby in another form--th
egregious folly of poor young men seekin
riches through marriage.
and I, young gentlemen" h
would conclude with great earnestness' wi
elvays maintain that such union WI
make man lose all incentive to work ou
Nhat the good Lord put in him.
Little wonder, then, that on the announce
ment that a marriage had been arranged
between Challoner's son and daughter
man whose name the world over wa
ngnifcant of fiscal potency, the day pi
hir to be a memorable one at the CLUB, n
incorporates preparing to make merry
me old fellows expense.
But. In a sense, his Showing up" theI
Ad been a disappointment; one look at III
nce, which showed symptoms or dlstres
AND a desire to be reassured, was sutilclei
70 cause the banter to die in their hear
before 1t had reached their lips.
soon came out that there had been
scene between father and son. These wv
ior many years. had been the only member
u the family; and probably better ina
any one in the world the father had know
me sons weaknesses; hypersensitive to ne
mnuences, vanity and inability to say nc
snd ne had pointed out to him the mar
euadvantages-dangers to one OF his Ten
Perament-which he could see In such
stfance To the fathers thinking the DC
would have no home-only establishment
yAehts racing stables and motorcars al
3Pd contended that there were far mo
sssnable things in life thanthe possessi'
tnese-fro9 which 1t can easily De su su
@ised that ]. Lawrence Challoner, ST., WI
man little In sympathy with the ideas
ooern fashionable society.
Now to appreciate the mental anguish
.nother organism-even II that organism
vnes own parents never an easy matte
20, OF all men, the modern lover Is apt
me last to succumb to an argument IN
eaicts blighted future because or an
Sntion to marry an heiress. And SO
only natural that Lawrence should ma
fskarded his father as an old fogy, ma