Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-05
And So They We're Married
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
Copyright, 1919, bv Public LEDGER Co.

n L1CE'S divorce turned out not to be
I1one. MS It happened. Ruth got a
special delivery letter telling her so on
the morning after Scott left.
Mother was all for smoothing mat
ters over" Scott wrote. From the be-
ginning could see that nothing else
would satisfy her 1 myself am not
at all sure that we are right about
fixing things up between them"
81 should think not" exclaimed Ruth
to herself. poor Bert! and I Thought
he would be free at last!"
I'VE have both talked to Alice the
letter went on, "and she seems to realize
that she has only herself to thank tor
everything. Even mother agreed w,.n
me On that and she herself told Alice
that Bert was not to blame. l don't
know how Bert feels, although he has
consented TO go back to Alice and to try
again. I shall be glad to get away
from here and will leave tonight. Mother
Is staying on for a few days"
Ruth folded up the letter thoughtfui-
ly and put II into It's envelope. Sne
could not help wondering II Scott and MS
mother had a right to interfere between
Alice and her husband just to avoid
facing a divorce. How much better u
would be for Bert TO be free; futn
wondered II he really cared for Alice
deeply. II looked that way, inasmuch
as he was going back to her. but Ruth
felt that Alice would not really be any
different. Alice had not developed her
traits after marriage. Her married life
had not been the means Of preying on
her nerves and rendering her unlike her
self. Scott had told Ruth once that
the only person he had ever quarreled
with was his sister, and Alice had quar-
relied with every one apparently, from
the time she was a small girl. She had
inherent jealousy, she was narrow and
very selfish.
Well, there was no need OF thinking
about things any longer. Tomorrow
Scott would be home, and the house
needed rearranging Ruth after all
had stayed with her mother. Mrs. Row.
land had insisted and the night before
she had gone to sleep in her own little
room, that same little room that hao
harbored SO much girlish unhappiness,
so many girlsh fears. There had been
fought out all her dread of marrying
Jack Bond, all her realization that she
had chosen the wrong man. There she
had gone to suffer alone when the
news had come from France that Scott
was reported missing. there she had
tasted her first real happiness In the
few short days before she was married,
for they were the only days In weeks
that she had spent without worrying
about life.
That morning she had walked to hear
Bobby scampering around the hall. and
she had dropped off again. When she
next opened her eyes Martha was spoil
ing her with a breakfast tray, good old
Martha who still treated Ruth like a
child. 1t had seemed just like old times
when she had gone in to see her mother,
and Mrs. Rowland had complained Of q
headache. nothing was changed except
ing Ruth herself and she would never
be quite the same, for she had Scott
| and he would always come first.
She had hurried back to her owr
! place Immediately after breakfast ex.
! pecting letter from Scott and 1t was
! there waiting for her. When the regular