Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-21
MY MARRIED LIFE
What Dicky Said About Jacks Letter
BY ADELE GARRISON

ssTS SHE asleep?' ] asked the question in
l. hushed voice as Dicky tiptoed from
his mothers room
yes" returned Diciy shortly, and going
to the table sat down and picked up maga-
zine. utterly ignoring me.
| knew, OF course. that he must have re-
sented the way pushed him from me when
he had attempted TO make up for his moth
er's coldness by caressing me in her pres.
ence. But I was not prepared for this
cavalier treatment.
How | regretted the impulse which had
made me repulse DCky because his mother
was looking at us with cold, satrical eyes!
II ever | wanted Dicky to he unrufrled
and TO feel kindly toward me 1t was when
had anything unpleasant to say to him.
/ knew he would resent Jacks letter, and
yet felt that | ought to show it to him.
But It is never my way to postpone un-
pleasant duties 7 have always felt that If
were condemned to execution | would not
ask for rcprieve. ! would rather have
the awful business done with at once.
So ] mentally bfaced myself to brave
Dicky's dlspcasure, and said quietly:
"Can you give me a few minutes time,
Dlcky? ! have something to tell you"
Dicky put down the magazine with n
bored air. What IL it," he asked shortly.
1nvoluntarily, my thoughts flew back to
the exquisite courtesy which had always
been Dicky's in tho days before We were
married. There had been such n delicate
reverence i'm his every tone and action l
wondered If marriage changed all men as
II had my husband
81 received letter this morning which l
wish you to read" I said.
"Oh" Dicky stirfcned 81 suppose from
his precious nibs. Brother Jack"
at is from Jack, certainly" ] said, ignor'
ing Dickys succr
We'll, let's have e."
went to my room and brought the letter
back to Dcky lie read it through, and |
saw his face grow backcr with each word.
When he Camc to the signature he turned
back to the beginning apd read the cpistle
through again. Then he CrumplCd II into "A
ball and threw II violently across the room.
See here my lady" he exploded 81 think
it's about time we came to n showdown
over this business When ! found that first
letter from this lad asked you if he were
relative and you said NO Then you
hand me this touching scrccd with its near
est OF kin twaddlc. and speaking of leaving
YOU a fortune Now what's the answer"
"Oh, hardly a fortune. Dicky," I returned
quietly. Jack has only a few thousand at
the outside"
fear | was purposely provoking but
DiCky's sneerine. insulting manner reused
every bit Of spirit in me,
"A few thousand you'll never touch as
long as, you are my wife" stormcd Dicky.
But you are evadinE my question"
"Oh, no, | am not" | said coully. THAT
real relationship between Jack and myself
is SO slight as to be virtually nothing
He is the son Of Il distant cousin of my
mothers. Perhaps you remember that on
the day you made the scene about the
letter you had just emphasized your very
close friendship for Mrs. Underwood in a
fashion rather embarrassing to me. | re-
solved that to speak vulgarly, what was
sauce for the gander,' etc, and that |
would put my friendship for Jack upon
the same basis az yours for Mrs. Under
wood. SO when you asked me whether or
not Jack was a relative | said NO"
That makes this letter an insult both