Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-28
And So They
We're Married
BY Hazel. DEYO BATCHELOR.
Copyright, 1919, bv Public Ledger Co.
START THIS STORY TODAY

boarding house parlor. She went so
slowly that she heard the gay chatter
from the front steps all the way up.
that chatter that was momentarily
hushed as Bob went out. Then it
began again and Jane knew that it now
was filled with idle gossip about herself
and Bob. Her vivid Imagination told
her what they were saying. The girls
were probably conjecturing things about
: Bob's being in earnest. She could
almost hear them making remarks
about it being too bad that such boy
would have to be bothered with another
mans child. She wished passionately
that she hadn't JOY, but, as she went
4 into her own room, hot and close, and
with the noises Of the street coming
in. through the open windows, and
lighted the gas, and saw joys little
flushed face pressed into the pillow,
beads of perspiration on her baby fore
head, James heart smote her for what
Sne na0 WISHED IL lnOIneuI ubV'
She went down on her knees before
the bed and watched the sleeping child
for a long moment. Joy might be
nuisance but she was her own little
baby. 1t made no difference who was
joys father. she, Jane. was the baby's
mother. and everything in the world
AZ L. II. ht,1u
pend on for her needs.
When she finally rose to her feet, her
wild rebellion was gone and instead
great peace was in her heart. she
remembered Bob and his kiss. Oh! 1t
IL were true that he loved her, she would
try to make him happy. she would try
to be what he thought she was, and she
could do it,
She had brushed out her hair and
was looking about in the melee which
always cluttered the room for her night
gown, when she noticed for the first
time in her utter absorption, the con-
dition of the place. As usual, she had
been in terrible hurry when she had
dressed that night. She had put Joy
to bed without bath in her desire to
get out of the hot room, in her eager
ness to meet Rob. But now she realized
what it would mean if Bob saw how she
lived. Would he like her then. would
there still be reverence for her in his
ewes as there had been tonight?
Jane found the night dress, slipped
into il. and then YEARLY, for she was
tired. she began to pick up the room.
After she had restored it to something
resembling order, she remembered that
she hadn't a good pair of stockings to
her name. A pile of half worn stockings
adorned the radiator, and she went over
to pawn them over, hoping to make the
least torn do until she could buy some
more. The stockings showed. holes in
every heel and runs from top to bottom
in every pair. Jane finally selected
the best pair and sewed up the worst
of the rents. She reflected as she did
this, that the mended heel would show
above her pump, but there was moth :
ing else she could do tonight. Last
Sunday she had determined to 60
through her stockings, she knew that a
little judicious mending when they
needed it would prevent all of this
worry, but Jane was too apt to put on
q stocking, tucking the offending hole
down out of sight. This, of course,
made the hole so much worse that the
stocking was finally too bad to wear.
When Jane finally crept into bed be
side the sleeping JOY, she was again
resentful. After all she did all she
could. If she hadn't a baby to take
care Of, and office hours to observe she
might take the time to groom. herself
more carefully. But she knew in her
heart of hearts although she did not
admit it even to herself, that she did
not spend her time taking care of Joy
and that if she systematized things al
all she could manage beautifully with
Mrs. Mapes's help. Mrs. Mapes tooi
a great part of the care of JOY off James
shoulders. i.
James last waking thought was 6
determination to turn over a new leaf
II she married Bob she would have time
to do this. And then, like the child sht
was, she fell asleep and looked little
older than Joy as she lay with her shor'
hair flung around her on the pillow.
Ruth and Scott were sitting in thu
big studio living room the next evening
when the bell rang sharply.
Scott went to open the door and thu
next minute ushered in slim youni
woman with short black hair and {
radiant face.
Ruth sprang up. why Jane, how
lovely Of you to hunt us up! Scott, thi
8 is Mrs. Knowles. ! want you peop
to be good friends
Ruth was ashamed of herself, but sh'
could not help noticing James obviou
untidiness. The stockings which Jan
had mended SO hurriedly the night be
fore showed an unmistakable hol
across the instep where bad run ha,
widened perceptibly. Her shirtwais
was badly crumpled, and she looke'
warm. However, her little black ha
which she had made herself, crushe,
down over the curly hair redeemed her
and Ruth hoped that Scott would no
notice the discrepancies. And Scot
didn't. He was plainly taken witt
Jane, and Ruth forgot the lack 0
niceties in James dress as she Listened
to her talk. Just before she left, sh
whispered to Ruth in an aside:
~ have something to tell you
Ruth carried Jane off to the bedroom
apparently for some powder, ostensibl.
to hear the news. She was as delighte,
as Jane expected her to be, and aske,
all about Bob, what he did, what h
) looked like, where she had met him an
all the other hundred and one question
that q woman always asks at sucl
times.