Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-17
And So They
Were Married
BY HAZEL DENO BATCHELoR
Copvyicht, 1919, bp Public Lsdosr Co.

"SNCOII, Salu NUN "|t"
- breakfast table one morning, do
you realize how many marriage prob
lens we have listened to and helped
settle since we have been marriedF'
Scott laughed lazily. at does look
that way" he was deep in his news
paper. and was not disposed to talk.
"Scott!'
Yes" without lifting his eyes.
Scott Raymond, want you to look
at me when / talk to you"
He looked up at this, little impa-
tiently.
"Scott, I wish romance could last
forever. For instance, if you loved me
the way you cid when we were FIRST
married, you wouldn't want to read
your paper; you'd be making love to
me instead"
"But, Ruth, a man cant make love
all the time"
NO" she said II suppose not, but
it would be so wonderful if he could.
He does at first. / was thinking OF
all the marriages we've seen. Alice's
and James and now Betty's. It's all
so thrilling at first, and other things
creep in so quickly and life becomes
matter Of fact"
''Not bit like the fairytale version "
laughed Scott. "And so they were mar
ried and lived happily ever after"
Ruth's mouth wavereG into a smile
at this.
He studied her a moment.
YOU'RE happy, aren't youT
30, Scott, you know l am And
she smiled up at him radiantly. And
then she saw his eyes wandering long
ingly toward the paper and her moment
was spoiled.
It was always so, a man fought shy
Of sentiment. He liked being in rut
he thought it was comfortable. Even
Scott, her dreamer of dreams, WAS be-
ginning to like comfort as well as any
other man she knew. Why was IT,
then, that the woman was always rest =
less, for she was? Why was it that the
woman's thoughts always turned in on
herself. made her moody? Was it be-
cause she wasn't busy enough, was II
because her nature was so different
Because it was true, she was often
bored of late. There were so many
moments of the day when she would
suddenly find herself sitting with folded
hands with nothing in the world to dc
but think. :,
And then came something like bolt
out of the blue. A flaw came in Ruth
splendid health. She had never peer
III in her life before, and now sh'
felt listless and draggy most of the day
When Scott came home at night, NJ
would find her stretched out on thu
couch, limp and weary. He had in
sisted that she see n doctor, but Rutt
had always refused.
He'd laugh at me- she would pro
test "there's really nothing the mat
ter. I'll be all right in a day or SO.
This state of affairs dragged on fol
week or more, until finally one morn
ing, Ruth decided to see the doctor III
was the same doctor who had seei
Ruth's mother Gle, who had prescrloe'
for all of her own and Bobby's child
ish ailments. Ruth had hated to go t.
him because she had not seen him sine
her mothers death, and she dreaded oil
memories.
He looked at her closely when sh
came into his Office and sat down betor
him. and he asked her few brie
questions. Then he smiled kindly, an
said something that startled her almos
out Of her chair. She thought sh
hadn't heard him Alright, and she STAN
mered out question.
''It's quite true, hadn't you though
of it?"
She shook her head, unable to speak
A baby, a baby Of her own and Scott s
How wonderful, and why hadn't sh
ever thought Of it before?
The old doctor misunderstood her 81
lence and demonstrated with her gently
You mustn't feel that way about it
Ruth. Don't resent it as an infringe
ment on your freedom; try to accept
joyfully.'
She looked up at this. "Oh," sh
gaspe6; t'you don't understand. thin
it's wonderful, the most wonderful
thing in the world! !" Already her min
was leaping ahead into the wonderful
Glowing future, a future of happ
dreams. She was visioning wee, nm
baby clothes and tiny shoes and tn
feel of tiny body held tightly agains
her breast.
She walked out of the Doctors ofic
as In, a dream. How funny that sh
hadn't suspected! How foolish she ha
been. And Scott, she knew what h
would cay, how he would feel. U, lii
was wonderful indeed, and she wa
happy. There would be no more brood
ing, no more wondering about life, n
more worrying over things that did ne
matter. Every moment would be file
to the brim with wonderful things to d.
and the years were hers and Scott
to plan ahead for some one else. Whit
else could any woman ask Of life?
THE END