Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-30
And So They
We're Married
START THIS STORY TODAY
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
Copyright, 1913. bv Public Ledger Co.

ZANE was plainly carried away by the
- first real romance that had come into |
her life. The reaction on her was so |
great in comparison with the way her
first husband had treated her that 1t
seemed in the rosy days of courtship |
almost unreal. Bob was so dear, so
considerate, so thoughtful of JOY, who
adored him, that Jane cNuld see nothing
but happiness stretching before her in
great waves. 1t almost took her breath
away.
Her need for money just at present
was appalling. She wanted pretty
things, and she was kept close to the
wall with the comparatively small salary
she received, so that she did not see
how she could go to Bob with her ward
robe even in fair condition. She had the
idea that if once she could get her
things whipped into shape she could keep
them that way.
For the first time in her life Jane was
actually realizing the truth about her
self She knew that she was careless
about things. She knew that she ought
to, be more careful about her appear
.. Ace; she knew in her heart of hearts
that minor things did count, but her
nature was hard to combat, and every
I bit Of systematic management in her
manner of living had to be forced.
Little things in her past life annoyed
her by insistently cropping up once in
a while during these days. One thing
In particular she remembered with an
uncomfortable feeling. 1t had happened
during the first part of her marriage,
at a time when she was beginning to
realized the time, and when she heard the
had really married, at a time when she
was beginning to realize that her il
lusions were slipping .rom her.
She had turned almost passionately ut
this time to people created in her own
mind in order to get away from sordid
realities, and one afternoon she had
spent several hours in her room working
out story. Darkness came before she
realize the time, and when she heard the
door Of the apartment close all the lovely
imagination of the afternoon slipped
away and she stood confronted by the
fact that she had neglected her work
shamefully. After all, a. man has
right to expect certain things from his
wife-a clean house and meals served
regularly-and few men, certainly not
James husband, would understand the
urge that had driven Jane to pouring
out her heart in such fashion.
She met him in the dark little hall
they had only three tiny rooms-and she
saw that he had been drinking. His
face was flushed and a scowl of anger
swept over it as he glimpsed the untidy
rooms. ..
Jane, with the thrill of creation still
upon her lifted an eager face to his.
"what's "a big idea?" he growled.
"I've been writing a story she ex-
planned eagerly. Come in and let me
tell you about it, dear
He flung off her arm and stalked into
the front room which they used as a
combination living and dining room-the
little bedroom was just off this. Through
the open door one could glimpse the
unmade beds and the Uttered bureau.
The cheap peeling wallpaper made the
place look worse than it really was.
The table in the outer room was strewn
with the dirty breakfast dishes that had
been pushed aside to make way for
James writing materials. The place was
/, in terrible condition with dirt and
dust, but man who had loved Jane
unselfshly might have excused it for
the expression son her face, that glad
look that she did not wear often these
days.
He stood still and his eyes Travelled
swiftly around the place, James follow
ing them fearfully.
s'Some place" he sneered, "and somt
wife for n man to come home to. You
look as dirty as the place, and I'll bel
Won are"
It was a brutal thing to say and ut
terly uncalled for, no matter what haG
been the cause, and Jane whitened under
II. A terrible wave of hatred swept
over her. but down underneath sh,
knew that in way she merited it. She
hadn't even bothered to dress, and she
still wore the dirty old kimona she haG
slipned on that morning to get break
fast in. There wasn't a yestige of din
ner ON the table nor even in prepara
tion in the ketchen. and at the thought
az facing the array of dirty dishes, to
> saw nothing of pots and pans stacked
mn IN the narrow little kitchen, Jane
turned sick 1
Without a word. she hurried out
tbere however. and began to open 9
counle Of cans.
He fo,lowed her and stood by tin
door
ITnder his paze dark and slowering