Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-05-28
!. The Woman Who Changed
/ y X = r = = = = = = ]
NO TIME FOR THOUGHT.
BY JANE PHELPS



thought), George was pleased, JUL;
Collins furious, yet she hid it all under
the most suave manner. Only occasion
ally, when she thought herself unobserv
ed, did she show her true feelings
"Shall we move onlN George asked
he one night. "Have you had enough
af thisl"
Ch, vesl Let us go tomorrow.
Why are you in such a hurryY"
| made a laughing excuse, but the
truth was that l wanted to get away
from Julia Collins. l did not try to de
eeive myself; 1 was intensely jealou:
of her-jealous Of her influence ovel
George. Then, too, Clark Huntington
had begun to annoy me. Whenever he
saw George with Julia, he would al
once seek me out, and his half veiled
remarks anent their friendship caused
me unhappiness.
| should be glad when we left foI
Newport. should miss the gayety of
Narragansett-th free and easy sort
of atmosphere-but l should gain more
than | missed in having George to my
self.
We were to leave the next day but
one. That last night / had violent
headache, and went to bed early. George
went over to the casino, as usual. lay
thinking over all that had happened
since | married George. Ny nerves were
on edge. commenced to cry. felt that
my husband didn t really love me, and
that | never could have children to
comfort me. Need l go on with it9 Had
| not the right to live happier life
than that | saw before me?
Of course 1 exaggerated, as young,
immature women are apt to do. In think
ing of the unhappy things in my mar
lied life, | neglected to weigh them in
the balance with all that had come to
me They loomed so large. had no
room for fair thinking. l had tried to
please George-tried to make myself
attractive to him, and, also attractive
to others in order that he might see
them admire me.
| felt that | was almost a new being.
From a loving, spontaneous girl, had
become q reserved, hard-hearted, deceit
full, and often utterly wretched woman.
IL only he would change back into what
he was or seemed to be, when we were
married-when he seemed to love me.
that he had married me because he had
that hit had married me because he had
saw the possibility of making me over
to suit him. If he should be disappoint-
ed in that, he would cease to care for
me in any way. l must try, in every
way, to please him--try to become like
those women he SO admired for their
poise, their self-possession, under ali cir
cumstances.
II was just beginning to grow light
when George came in. had not closed
my eyes, but l kept quiet and he
thought I was asleep. The next morn
ing he made me remain in bed. "Sleep
until noon We will have plenty of time
to get acros to Newport before din
ner. he said kindly, as he darkened
the windows.
Scarcely had the door closed, than I
fell asleep, s1othed and comforted by
his kindly tone.
Two Wrongs Never Make Right.
Often, at this time, when l felt that
| could not go on-that all joy was be-
ing crushed from my life-I would think
of what mother used to say.
"Two wrongs never make one right +"
sic would say, when we argued with
her. There is always duty to perform
To mother, duty meant much, Had it
not been for her teachings, l surely
would have given up when my misery
seemed too heavy for me to bear.
At times, felt that if George were
consistently neglectful and cruel to me,
| could soon learn to bear it; but, every
now and then, he would be so kind,
so thoughtful, that my hopes would rise
and | would have brief period of
happiness. Always, was either in the
depths, or floating on the clouds, There
seemed no middle path.
He called me about one o clock and
was so solieitous, so tender that l fair
ly aehed to throw myself into his arms
and tell him to love me--beg him to
take me away from all these people
he used to know, and to whom he com
pared me to my disadvantage. But, in
stead, l dressed quickly, and braced
myself to say goodbye to Mrs. Collins
and the others had met. We should
see them often: "It is only lark to
go over to Newport, Clark Huntington
said.
But when George and 1 were en-
seoneed in our charming new quarters
aud l knew we had left some of the
causes of our unhappiness even little
way behind, said to him:
81 shall be very happy here, alone
with you, George"
"We shan 7 be alonei know almost |
everyone in Newport. l want you to rest
tonight. Tomorrow shall introduce you
TO some of my friends"
1t is no use," said to myself, as
he left me to smoke.
1t may seem strange that all this
gayety did not appeal more strongly |
to Nne so young as l. Had / been really
happy, it probably would. But blamed |
al my unhappiness upon the life George |
led before we were married-upon the
friends he held up to me as patterns.
(Tomorrow-Merton Gray Arrives)