Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-03-04
The w oman Who
Changed
ENLIGHTENMENT.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER XVI.

The next time Mrs. Loring called she
brought Judith Collins with her. 1 had
had headache, and was lying down
But 1 knew it would anger George il
l failed to receive them, so 1 brushed
my hair, and without changing my dress
went down.
l apologized for being in morning
gown and they pretended it made nc
slight difference.
'Of course your husband is so par
ticular, such judge of what is proper
to wear that you naturally are more ner-
vous than other women when YOU
to dress, Madge Loring said
| suppose looked my astonishment at
her speech, for she added.
% You see both Julia and l are old
flames of his. We both ran around with
him lot before we married; and he Is
been one of our closest friends since. |
! ican t tell you how we felt at his deser-
tion when he went off and married
YOU"
His desertion ~ repeated. "'I
don t understand. You were married. -
| "Oh, that made no difference. l did
t want to lose my friend"
But you haven II he is still your
| friend. l returned bewiidered with her
reasoning.
"Of course, but now you are first.
| With some men it wouldn I be so, but
of course George is different" she re-
lpeated the same old sentence she had
so many times used in the short while
had known her. But this time inter
cepted a knowing look she east at Julia
Collins. 1t angered me, and helped me
keep up before them.
'Certainly he is different, as you say
Iif it is the custom for married men to
put old friends before their wives", l
said, then as ordered tea 1 figurative-
ly patted myself that for once 1 had
held my own. That l should be made
to suffer for my little caustic speech,
1 had no way of knowing.
Merton Gray Is Discussed.
FHave you seen much of Merton
Gray ?" Madge Loring asked, while Mrs
Collins added in her soft southern
dFawl:
Look out for him Mrs. Howard, he
is a fascinating man.
He called the other day and brought
lady with him, y | replied to Mrs. Lor
ing's question. GA Mrs. Reeve
1'Mrs. Kurtz Reeve?" she asked.
"Yes, she was charming.
Knrtz is charming fellow, but l
understand he married beneath him. His
is one of the oldest families in tow"
Mrs. Collins drawled.
FcOh, she is perfectly lovelyt so lady
like and yet so full of fun" declar-
ed. "She must come from nice people,.
"NICE people, yes, perhaps. +"
Mrs. Collins is great for family,
Madge Loring informed me.
"Well, I think no one not of good
family could be like Mrs. Reeve" l
defended stoutly.
"Never mind her, but don't fall in
love with that nice Gray boy" Madge
Loring cautioned. Had she not laughed
when she said it, should have thought
her in earnest, and been insulted. But
her gay laugh disarmed me and re-
piled:
''He is very nice. 1 wonder he isn't
married."
80 do we all. 1t ism t because man
aging mamas haven't thrown their
daughters at his head. Poor fellow! he Isl
been run after ever since he first put
on long pants.
The way Of the World.
l did not like either her tone or what
she said. 1t seemed rather common, al
most vulgar. But it was evidently the
way that worldly people talked about
each other. l wished they would go. Ii
George came in and found me entertain
ing them without being more suitably
dressed for afternoon he would be cross,
perhaps angry.
Not that my dress wash t perfectly
good. ut was a simple little blue serge
with white collar and cuffs; but the
liked me TO wear rather elaborate gown
when l remained at home in the after
noon, although he insisted that dress
severely for the street.
Finally they rose to go.
81 shall hope to see you soon, Juili
Collins said in her careless way.
"You must run in and see me real of |
ten, " Madge Loring said. 81 III tell you
a lot of things about George. Things
YOU ought to know my dear, If you are I
ever to learn to manage him.
"Oh, 1 don t want to manage him!
/ shoutdn' I think of itl' l haslened to !
assure her.
~ GU Ii talk differently five years
from now, - she returned.
breathed a sign of relief when they
had gone then hurried upstairs to change
my dress before George came in.
f'You are looking extremely well,
he said. 81 am glad they did not come
when you were not dressed.
1 felt horribly guilty but said nothing
really WASH t capable of enduring any
thing disagreeable. What the two women
had said about George, his desertion Of
them when he married me, had made
me uneasy. Not suspicious, just uneasy.
Tomorrow Brooding)