Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-15
And So They
Were Married
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHEL0R
Copyright, 1919, bv Public Ledger Co.
START THIS STORY TODAY

rather foolish to contemplate 1t too
often, not only foolish but dangerous
For instance. it is dangerous for tif-
teen dollar a week stenographer to
stand before shop window filled with
brocade dresses and furs. Unless she
marries and marrics out of her class she
will never possess them anyway. King
Cophetua and the bcggar maid are rarely
re enacted in these modern times, and
for her to even dream of possessing
lovely. expensive, fragile garments
through any other means would result in
one of two things, discomfort or down
right wrong doing. And whore is the
stenogrnpher who has taken the wrong
road for the possession of luxurious
clothes and handsomely furnished
apartment who has not regretted IT ter
ribly after it is too late to do anything
about it?
And so it is with married life. A man
has n fighting chance in the world. and
il he chooses wisely. may find happiness
Men do not always marry the women
they should. but if they play fair and
think before they do anything foolish
they can certainly avoid downright un-
: happiness. Jack Bond had lost Ruth
Rowland to another man. but instead
of waiting for the wound to heal. hav-
ing made up his mind to marry, and in
order not to show to the world at large
that he cared one way or another, he
married Natalie Jergens. The thing
to do was. of course, to try and make
the best of it after he had discovered
that he did not care. and he might have
done that thing if Ruth had not shown
herself ready for mild Irritation. What
Ruth was doing for a pastime, how
ever. was grim earnest to Jack. tic had
even arrived at the conclusion that Ruth
might, after all. care for him.
The following week he was forced to
20 down to Atlantic City for Natalie.
There wasn't single excuse he could
manufacture if he intended to go on
living with Natalie at all, so he went.
He found Natalie not so pale and not
50 listless, the sea air had done worlds
for her. He found her Quetcr and not
50 eyacting in her demands. 1t puz-
zled him. One of the things that had
botbercd Jack most about Natalie were
those very demands. She chung around
his neck like a vertible albatroSs' now
she did not do this. 1t renewed JACK,
even while he wondered about It,
He had expected that as soon as he
and Natalie were alone she would bury
him with reproaches for his neglect. she
did not do this. although he gave her
annie opportunity by bringing up the
subject himself with some vague apo'o
pies. All of this interested Jack but
If did not make him care any more for
Natalie which was pity. All that IL
roal,v did was to rob him of apparently
getting the best of the situation, which
vaguely irritated him.
During their honeymoon, Jack ana
Natalie had occupied one room. me
night Jack arrived at Atlantic CITY,
Natalie, with the poise that an older
woman might have been glad to possess,
steered him to separate room: ~
was done so smoothly that Jack was
amazed to find himself ensconccd there.
He did not want room with Natai'e,
not at all. Natalie was to him the most
obvious woman in the world ana al.
tbe little airs and graces that she had
employed during the honeymoon to fas-
cinate him had left him cold and at the
Now as he glanced around at Ma
+,lia,s vanishing back he called after
her '.Nhat's the idea?'
She swerved around. What 90 you
mean?' o.,
.Why the separate rooms:
ooh. Jack, l thought you'd like it
better You do so why do you pretend
That vou don't?" He did, but he didn t
,;Le the idea of having her tell him so
SO calmly.
She vanished this time into the ad-
;o;n;Ip room, and when he came in tif-
teen minutes later she was sitting at
tbe dressing table trying the effect of
n sapphire studded comb IN her blond
hair. -.
"Iooks great. Where did you get
it?" he commented.
Mother gave it to me- she respond
ed serenely.
..NIother get off all right?" he asked
politely.
"Oh. yes
Jack was studying Natalie in the
glass. She was very slim, but her slim
ness was very alluring. She was like a
flower on stem with all that yellow
tulle and the blue comb and the very
white, young shoulders. Once during
their honeymoon. seized with sudden
mood, Jack had stopped and kissed her
shoulder as she sat at the dressing table
like this. She had flushed and trem-
bled with feeling, and he had been
bored. Tonight, fired with the strange
ness of everything and with the boom
of the sea just outside the window, he
MOE fan, fo Uo III again
He did, but nothing happened.
Quite suddenly he was angry. Why.
he did not know. Was Natalie trying
to play a game? Did she suspect any
thing of his feelings? But, no; certainly
that wasn't possible.
In the next installment Jack is still
more puzzled at NataIies strange be-