Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-26
And So They
We're Married
BY HAZEL DEY0 BATCHELOR
Copyright. 1918, by Public LEDGER Co.
START THIs STORY TODAY

TyO JANE the loss Of her husband
i meant only release from him for
ever. She did not stop to think whether
she ought to rejoice as she did or not,
she was simply glad like a child, to be
free. To the fact that life stretched
ahead indefinitely and that hard work
and the care of little Joy would doubt
less be her Lot forever, she gave no
thought at all.
Jane was no fool, she was not as art
less as she seemed. In n way 1t was
somewhat of a pose with her, and when
she saw that people liked 1t she intensi-
fed It all she could. She generally
used her most artlcss manner when she
wanted to impress people most. She
loved to hear people say that she was
such joyous child, and that her life
had been so sad. Jane was not like some
girls who would have shuddered away
from the memory Of such an experience
'nas she had had, she enjoyed too much
being petted and pitied.
All this does not mean that Jane was
an adventures, she was nothing of the
kind. She was really a child, precocious
beyond her years.
Jane grew to learn that little Joy
served her purpose, too, In the scheme
of things. When it was noised about
that there was baby to support people
always wanted to do more and Jane
loved being fused over. In her heart
of hearts she made no more sacrifice for
Joy than was absolutely necessary. She
did not do any more than she could
help, in spite of the fact that she loved
the child dearly. There are some
mothers who are fanatica. in regard
to their children, they sacrifice because
they deem it privilege, they love to
martyr themselves, they love to tell
people that 1t Is necessary to do without
things so that John and Mary can have
j them. Every one knows that type of
mother. But Jane was not essentially
the mother type. She loved Joy dearly,
but she thought taking care Of her a
nuisance.
After Helen and Ruth had left her
that night she fell to thinking about
what Helen had said, and she felt
vaguely indignant that Helen should
have spoken to her that way before
Ruth. Jane knew that she had impressed
Ruth and she wanted to 60 on doing so.
, Joy was lying warm and cOzy in the
clean bed which Helen had made up
so carefully, and now Jane looked
around the disordered room. A per-
feet passion of work suddenly seized
her and she few around humming to
herself, and did more work than she
had done in weeks. When she was
finished she went to bed tired and
happy, with not a thing on her mind.
For few days she did make a con
scious struggle to keep up to a certain
standard, and she got up an hour
earlier every morning to battle Joy
and to dress herself with the assur
\ ance that everything was all right.
Then she slumped again. She over
slept one morning, and needed every
minute of her time to get down to
work. That day Joy received only
a hasty mopping from a washcloth and
was hustled into a pair of rompers
without any ceremony. When Mrs.
Mapes came upstairs to see if the
baby was all right, she found rather
disgustingly dirty room, with joys
clothes as we'll es James thrown all
over the chairs and bed.
At the office Jane was conscious that
bne was Dduly SiunB toBether. l"o
hooks were off her skirt and her waist
was badly soiled around the cuffs. The
immaculate cleanness Of Miss Jones
one Of the stenosraphers, shamed her
carelessness.
"But then," Jane reflected, "Miss
Jones is the type that must look that
way.
Nevertheless that did not prevent
Jane from feeling horribly humiliated
and very angry when she overheard
a conversation between Miss Jones and
one Of the proofreaders.
you'd think, wouldn't you" said
the proofreader, a sallow, unhealthy
looking girl with mean disposition
"that Mrs. Knowles would take bet
ter care of her appearance"
Miss Jones was a peacable girl who
did not like to gossip, and she made
an evasive reply. James cheeks
burned.
IT wouldn't speak of it at all If II
weren't so noticeable" persisted the
other girl, "but it doesn't speak very
well for the Office force. Even her
finger nails are dirty"
T.uo,. onoop Jaapad IN onI 81. s.x