The Monticellonian., 1919-03-14

to bed and you'll feel better in the morning I'll finish my letter."
 She added, unbeknownst to Daphne q postscript as long as the letter. con tradictlng all she had just written and urging her husband to come East ut once and take charge of his unruly daughter. She dropped il in the mail chute, and it fell into q bottomless pit. along with her other hopes
 Daphne and her mother were uneasy at the prospect of the breakfast en- counter with the bridal couple. There 1 had been sense of strain the first morning. But now bitter quarrel had intervened-that first ugly quarrel when the wedge of finance is driven between united hearts.
 Bayard and Leila. however, arrived at the table all smiles, more amerouS than eyer Leila wore Il triumphant smile, such as Delilah must have worn the second time she went out walking with her big beau
 It was plain 10 the anxious eyes of Mrs. Kip and Daphne that Leila had emerged from the quarrel with all the loot and aggravated power.
 She had taken advantage of her hus- bands trust and abused his generosity recklessly, with no more evil motive, indeed. than the wish to beautify her self in his honor. and yet with reck- 1 lessneSs.
 It was not altogether Leila's fault if the lesson she learned, perhaps un- consciously from the combat was something like this
 ''I ran my husband into debt with out consulting him. His listless love woke from its torpor and enchanted me with q frst-elass demonstration of it's energy. He stormed. l wept thrill ingly. He apologiZed, begged to be permitted to bring me some more nice things Ergo, when home life grows dull, l can always stir up the fire by 1 buying something we can't afford. When I want anything I must get it. I shall be scolded, then kissed and treated with awe. If I hadn't bought it I wouldn't have had it. nor the bonus that goes with it. If We had not quarreled we should have missed the rapture of making up.'"
 This is one of the first lessons that certain sorts of husbands teach to cer- | tain sorts of wives.
 When the man of the house had de- parted for his office, and the waiter had carried off the breakfast relics, the three women were left alone in a completely feminine conelave. They | faced life like three Norns: the old mother, the new wife. and the deferred wife, each from her coign of disadvan- tage.
 The two married women turned on the maid, with common resentment. They were married and dependent and she had her independence. They were Tories and she Whig It was their privilege to rail at things as they were, but il was their religion to frown on changing them. Mrs. Kip senior spoke for Mrs. Kip junior.
 Now. Daphne, tell us what is this new foolishness all about?''
 Daphne answered, stoutly: Its not foolishness. It's the first glimmer of sense I've ever had. I'm sick of the idea of always living on the mercy of some man, taking his charity or his extravaganza. I've always been drag on poor daddy. and I was getting ready to shift my weight over to poor Clay's back. But l don't think woman ought to be dependent on man. I think she ought to bear her share of the burden"
 As if she didnt.' Mrs. Kip broke out. "As if the home weren't just as much labor as the office" Leila attacked her from another di- rection. For goodness sake, Daphne. don't lose your head. Don't you i'm agine for q moment that q husband will be happier and love his wife bet l ter because she earns wages. The harder you work for men. the better l they like somebody else. The harder q man works for you the better he 1 likes you. Best of all, he loves the woman that tries to break him." Daphne's answer was a snappy q don't believe it I'd despise a man that felt that way"
 The three women wrangled with wise saws and modern instances and they were in Il perilouS state of dis Sension when the telephone rang Leila answered it and her outerieS of indig- nation alarmed Mrs. Kip and Daphne 1 till they learned the cause.
 Bayard had called np to say thai the luncheon party must be postponed. 1 Outrageous business had made anoth- CT inSidious attack on love.
 Leila came from the telephone in q state of desperation mtieated lY the i fact that Bayard had asked her to take his mother and. Daphne shopping and buy them and herself something worth while as an atonement for his abandonment.
 Sc they set forth again on another onset against the ramparts of beauty.
 To the silent horror of Daphne and her mother. Leila was persuaded to buy a new coat and new hat and to pay for them by the convenience of 1 opening two new accounts at the sng- gestion of two soapy salesmen. Bay ards surrender after his first battle had already accomplished the expect able result.
 Everything was the very latest thing and yet was marked down. But Daph- ne priced things now with a new soul.