Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-07
START THIS STORY TODAY

on Jack and realized that she would
be alone for the evening, and that he
had not cared enough even to ask her
what she would do, she felt almost
desperate. 1t wasn't that she minded so
much being alone, 1t was Jacks manner
of leaving her that hurt intolerably and
made her restless.
Natalie was really nothing but n
child and she was facing for the first
time big forces in life. At last she was
forced to realize what she had been
desperately fighting against since she
had first married Jack. Jack didn't
love her! What then? What would
happen? What did happen to couples
who did not love each other? Only she
did love Jack, it was Jack who didn' t
love her.
Rapidly her moods changed. At first
she was just wretchedly unhappy, then
she began to get angry, and to decide
what she would do. OF course Jack
would hate her if she insisted upon fore
ing herself on him. She would begin
new tactics, she would act cool and
mysterious and dignificd; she would
laugh in n weary fashion and pretend
bored nonchalance when people Qucs-
toned her. In this mood she wandered
TO the window and looked down into
the silent street. and then back into
the lovicncss Of the lamp lighted room.
Liza, the colored maid, came in and
tnlt off Nh N ltn al
layed her on some trifling excuse. She
was hungry to talk, hungry for human
sympathy, but Liza was finally gone
and now she was alone in the house.
She wandered over and peepcd into
the bedroom. Liza had opened the beds
for the night, eiderdown puffs of palest
gold were spread over the cream
enaineled beds, her own bed was piled
high with little pillows in embroidered
slips over pale yellow silk. 1t looked like
a nest. Several new novels lay on the
table and pale gold light flooded the
room with soft luxury. But Natalie in
stead of feeling comfortcd, felt worse.
and thoughts again wandered off at a
tangent.
Suppose Jack grew TO care for some
other woman, suppose she would have
to stand back and watch an affair.
Suppose she would know when hc went
out where he was going. Oh. she
couldn't bear that. She put her hands
over her face and shuddcrcd. IF any
thing like that happened, she would
have to leave him.
And then her mood changed again
and softcncd. How silly she was. Jack
did not like to be bothered. that was
all. He had told her so many times
that he did not care for demonstrativc
lovemaking, that he couldn't boar
questions. and what had she done all
evening but bother him? After all,
he had not done anything so awful. He
had decided, perhaps. to go down to the
club and Instead of acquicsriug as she
should have done she had raised Il
scene. She would never keep his love
unless she practiccd tact and diplomacy.
No man liked woman who whincd
Might not all her gloomy communions
with herself be the result of an enlarged
Imagination? OF course they might.
and she simply would not allow herself
to be so silly about nothing. Jack had
never looked at another woman, not
seriously, and now just because he did
not want to stay at home and lavish
lovemaking on her every evening, she
was imagining all kinds of silly things.
1t was in this softencd mood that Ma
talia finally undresscd, carried an arm
fu1 Of yrit III bn,l
into bed. She looked very sweet and
fair lying against the pillows. her pale
gold hair streaming out from under
the dainty cap, her pale yellow ncgligee
about her shoulders.
She grew tired finally and turning out
the light by the bed slipped down lower
and fell sound asleep with her hand
beneath her cheek. 1t seemed hours later
that she was aroused by the harsh ring
ing of the telephone. She was out of
bed when she was only half awake.
sleepily conscious of the fact that Jack
had not come in yet She stumbled over
+ to the telephone and shrilled a sleepy
Hello" into it. Her mothers voice
rcassuringly natural, and yet somehow
unnatural, spoke to her.
Natalie, your father is very i'll you
had better come over. Ask Jack to
bring YOU as soon as you can get
ready" Then there was the click of the
receiver and Natalie turned back to the
room. She glanced at the clock and
the hands pointed to ! 80. Jack had
not come in yet. .
Tbcp ebn want ho.l tn tbo holrnn,,