Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-03
TIE BETTER PART
BY VICTOR R%EocLIFFE.

$50 you and Cora have decided to
embark upon the sea Of matrimony,
Brin7"
Il am happy and fortunate in saying
yes"
Cora is a fine girl" declared Myron
Blair. aid ought to know, for she is
my sister-ln-law. She will make you
y good wife, only-one piece Of advice,
cut out the motherin-law."
II hardly understand you" spoke
Wallace Brill, with manifest resent
ment.
you will when you get farther
along In your experience. See here,
as relatives prospective by courtesy, /
can be plain with you. If one princi-
pie was instilled into my nature by
prejudice and observation it was the
mother-in-law problem. When I mar
ried Bella Mayne l made up my mint
to run no risks of having a fussy, med
dlesome old lady on my hands. OF
course ] said nothing to Bella. OF
course ! treated Mrs. Mayne with all
due respect. Firmly, persistently,
though, I adopted a policy of proceed
ure that set up the bars against any
mother-in-law invasion. I settled down
In a house at the farther end Of the
village on purpose, so Mrs. Mayne
wouldn't find 1t convenient to run In
on us every day. When the two chill
dren came along I saw to 1t that they
didn't come under her rule and infiu-
ence In any way. No. sir 1 tell you,
Brill, the man who wants a weil-or-
dered household must keep the mother
in-law at q distance. Hello There's
q mar I want to see on business" and
the voluble speaker darted off.
Wallace was glad. In another mo-
ment he would have been unable to
control his indignation. To him the
mother Of his bride expectant was al
most a part Of herself, and q person
for whom he felt a dutiful and respect
full consideration. Then, again, Wal
lace knew something of "the system"
Of Myron Blair and its results. 1t had
not worked, except for the selfish bene-
fit OF shallow, self%-opinionated Blair.
As Wallace was well aware 1t had
brought misery and unhappiness to
others-victims who mace no COM
piaint, but silently experienced their
Indebtedness because they were Of a
noble, self-sacrifclng nature. When
Blair installed the daughter in a home
two miles away. Mrs. Mayne expert
enced q loneliness that might have been
easily avoided. When Blair jealousy
restricted the children to only occa-
sional formal visits to their grand
mother, 1t almost broke her heart, The
absence of her mother at critical juno
tures In her life meant suffering and
q. broken constitution for Bella, and
the boastful, insensate Blair fancied
that as a model disciplinarian he was
a decided success.
Wallace Brill had not known a
mothers care from early childhood.
When he began to pay attention to
Cora Mayne it seemed as though her
mother came to fill a precious place In
his life.
Very careful was Mrs, Maype-
TO refrain from intruding her per-
sonality or her Views upon this
new prospective son-in-law, but she
bestowed many a grateful look upon
him and her old, wearied heart warm
ed toward him, as he clearly
showed that he not only desired, but
cherished her interest and counsel In
the problems that confronted Cora and
himself on the threshold Of their mat
rimonial venture.
Wallace was doing well In a busi-
ness way. He had been thrifty and
had accumulated sufficient to enable
him to start Out In life with a home
OF his own. When he first spoke to
Cora of this 1t was In the presence of
her mother.
ssAEell, ! settled about a lot today"
he announced In his brisk, pleasant
way. 81 say, mother. there's n dis
appointment. I have tried to get as
near as possible to the old homestead
here, but the only vacant lot that fitted
to my money requirements was two
squares down the street"
s'That-that is not far, is 1t, Wal
lager" spoke the old lady. Her tones
were tremulous.
s.If you will put on your s~pectacles,
mother" went on Wallace, well all
draw up to the table and look over
some plans for a new house / got from
the architect today. ''There," as he
settled her in the most comfortable
chair and directly at his side, with
such counsellors as you precious two,
III warrant we'll have a regular little
palace"
with his pencil Wallace went over
the plans-parlor, dining room, kltch.
EN-, bedrooms, closets, and then he in
dicated a special apartment.
'Tm throwing myself on that ROOM"
emphasized Wallace with a token of
rare pride in his tones. Sunlight on
three sides, ventilation perfect, con-
venient to all the other rooms in the
house. What do you think of it,
mother?"
aYour den. / suppose?" said Mrs.
Mayne.
's0h. no." replied Wallace promptly.
sThat's your room, mother"
MY roomi !" faltered the old lady. all
a tremble.
"Ali your own. and no one else's,"
declared Wallace. .How do you like
it,
Airs. Mayne fixed her faded eyes
upon the speaker with a devotion and