Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-05
And So They
We're Married
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
Copyright, 1919, bU Public LEDGER Co.
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y talie Jergens had been one of pro
tective friendship. She was so young
and fresh and it was fun to 90 about
with her because of the certain appre-
citation and hero worship that she un
consciously gave. This was, of course,
due in part to the fact that Natalie
realized that Jack was a good catch
She knew about his affair with Ruth |
as every one in their set did but her
mother urged her on in attracting Jack |
and she was proud Of his evident ad
miration Of her charms.
Jack had been terribly hurt when
Ruth had thrown him over. At first |
the idea Of another woman in his life |
had been unthinkable then Natalie had !
come into his life and with no thought
ssf love or marriage he had accepted the
" as n friend. 1t was sweet to feel
hel timid Difference; it soothed his
wounded pride as nothing else could
have done.
But Natalie was not content to be
only friend. She was playing her cards
tactfully, egged on by her mother. and
before Jack realized it. he was en-
gagged to be married. 1t wasn't until
he found himself obliged to marry Ma
talie that he realized how foreign all his
thoughts had been toward marriage. He
did not want to marry any one. but
there was nothing to do but go through
with it, now that things had gone so
far.
With thoughts of marriage had come
back all the old pain and unrest he
had felt when he had realized for the
first time that Ruth was not in love
with him. it was then that he had
discovered that it was impossible to sep
arate thoughts of love from Ruth. 1t
was then that he knew how much he
still loved her and that the old love was
the only love his life would ever hold.
In one way Natalie Jergens was
young and childish, and in another
she was surprisingly sophisticated In
the rush and whirl of the courtship
there had not been much time and
opportunity for wild lovemoking. but
once they were alone together on the
honeymoon, Jack began to be uncom-
Portable, and to realize how endlessly
life stretched into the future. A future
shared with Natalie when already her
little babyish ways were beginning to
bore him.
Natalie wanted people to know that
they were on their honeymoon. Jack
wanted everything kept silent. She
had ways of her own of allowing people
to share their secret. maddening little
ways that We're Irritating in the very
extreme. She would allow a. handful
of rice to escape in n public place and
then look deliciously embarrassed and
surprised when it was discovered. Jack,
comparing her constantly with Ruth,
found her wanting in nearly every quail
ity he most admired.
When they had returned from the
honeymoon, Natalie had insisted upon
public lovemaking. and when Jack had
not approved she had poutcd and
grumbled prettily.
People will think you are tired of
me already she would say. siding up
to him and cuddling against him.
But l just cant do things like that
before people," Jack had returned. In
his heart he realized that he was not
doing very much of the lovemaking
when they were alone. but it seemed
enough for Natalie if he responded to
her advances.
1t was pathetic in some respects,
pathetic in that she failed to allure
him in all her pretty trousseau clothes.
Natalie was child enough to confess it
to her mother and Mrs. Jcrgcns. who
was thoroughly sophisticated talked, as
she put it, sensibly to her daughter.
".. You can't expect the courtship days
to last forever. child. You have n
good husband with plenty of money. all
you want to wear and a pretty home,
what more do you want?
You cant expect a man to go on
saying pretty things forever her
mother went on sagely. land for good
ness sake, child. don't overwhelm Jack
with caresses; give your caresses char
lily il you want to keep him guessing as
to the way you feel"
but if can't be myself to my hus-
band. cant ever be natural" Natalie
walled.
Don't be silly her mother had re-
turned cryptically. ''you're a woman
now, and must realize the truth about
life. All that Stiffness that your refer
to exists only in novels, and there's no
need of making yourself miserable be-
cause your husband is not foolishly de-
monstrative over you
, Natalie half believed her mother. but
she saw things constantly that made her
doubt whether her mother knew every
thing or not. And then, gradually, be-
cause she could not seem to reach Jack
any other way, she had taken to petit
ness, little faultfindings. She was not
happy, she felt that something was
wrong, and she wanted Jack to be un-
comfortable about it. too. 1t was an
unfortunate state of affairs with Jack
feeling as he did toward Ruth, and
Ruth =. herself, although thoroughly in
love, with her husband, not at all ad-
verse to lavish admiration from an old
time lover.
In the next Observation-Disclosures Life