South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-07
WHAT MADGE FEARED.

cannot 30 this for Dicky. 1 can
not meet these people and pretend
corIiality for them. when all the
time disapproved OF them so
strongly. ! cannot. 1 cannot"
Face downward upon the bed in
my room. where / had thrown my
self when ! fled from Dicky's revel-
ations OF Elizabeth Marsden's do
nestle problem. 1 repeated these
words over and over TO myself like
the patter Of a prayer.
theoretically / have always be-
lieved in larger freedom, greater
opportunities for women. NJ moth
er was a suffrasist in the days when
the fight for suffrage meant some
thing But OF the other issues which
women have been facing in these
strange latter days I had no concep-
ton
When ] was four years old. how
ever. another woman, my mother 5
most intimate friend. had run away
with my father / have never seen
my father since. L do not know,
nor 10 l care, whether he be living
or dead. But TO me the very name
OF a woman who could claim as her
lover the father of another woman's
child has always been anathena
Yet here one OF my husbands
friends. who was 10 be my own
guest, was such a woman. I thought
of Lillian Gale. with her sensational
divorce record. and her constant
assumption Of being Dicky's best
friend. And these two women Dicky
evidently meant 10 be my associates
in my new life, 1t was unbearablel
1 told myself as [ lay lighting out
my battle.
But unbearable or not, I die not
see any way out. They were to be
my guests in a few hours. The laws
of hospitality forbade my being any
thing but cordial to them in my
own home.
/ made a sudden, swift compro-
mise with my own soul, and hurried
out before my courage should leave
me 10 lay it before Dicky.
found him still assiduously
Smelling the almonds. but his face
looked troubled. l laid my hand
on his shoulder, and at the touch
he draw me down to the arm of
his chair.
Dicky. | suppose my voice trem-
bled, for the grasp of his arm
frightened around me as if 10 give
me courage. Il am going 10 be
Nrnrs
tend to you that | am pleased with
the thought of having Mrs. Under
wood and Miss Marsden, especially
Miss Marsden, as guests. But 1 can
promise you that when / am with
you. either at our home or where
ever your crowd meets. 1 Will treat
them with all courtesy. They shall
never know my feeling. on the
other hand, please do not ask me to
make intimates of them. TO have
them meet my friends or do the
thousand and one little. chubby
thinEs that women friends usually
do
Dlcky threw back his head and
laughed uproariously. To me it was
no laughing matter that we were
discussing. ] tried to get away
from the encircling grasp Of Dicky's
arm. but it was too strong for me.
Don't be angry at me for laugh
ing. sweetheart" he said. ''but the
idea of Lii or Bess wanting TO meet
your friends, or to do any of the
ordinary social stunts women do Is
the funniest thing L have struck
yet. lii and Bess! l can see 'em at
some feminine function Yes, the
maid left yesterday. Isn't il aw-
full the trouble il is to get servan ts
nowadays? No, the baby is named
after his aunt on the fathers side.
Is it true they are going TO wear
hoops again2' Wowi" and Dicky
doubled over in enjoyment of his
own imitation.
If I had not been so angry I
would have laughed also, for Dicky