Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-04-04
CHAPTER xI-continued.


''Well / never!' he gasped. "And
all this trip of your mothers and
yours and all the expenses gone for
nothing?" was his first doleful thought.
He remembered the second mortgage
he had placed on one Of his properties
ito get the money for the vitality impor-
tant wedding festival And now there
was to be no wedding. The son-in-law
who was to have assumed the burden
of Daphnes bills was banished.
Daphne was again her fathers own
child
He was glad to have her back, but
he could have wished that she had not
gone away, since he paid the freight
in both directions. And now here was
himself in New York and nothing to
show for all the split milk Of time,
money and emotions.
At the critical moment Daphne men
toned that the star whose understudy
she was would earn fifty thousand dol
lars that year in spite of the hard
times. Fifty thousand dollars" had a
musical sound to Wesley's ears. If
Daphne could earn tenth of that he
would believe in miracles.
"Where were you planning to live,
honey, while you're acting? With
Bayard, suppose"
"Oh, no." said Daphne; we've ru-
ined his honeymoon enough already"
"Who with, then?'
"Oh, by myself, suppose"
'Good Lord! you couldn't do that
very well-a young girl like you."
"Why not?' she said.
He turned pale. This was like being
asked why babies were found under
cabbage leaves. He was an old-fash-
toned father, and he had never been
able to rise to the new school Of dis
cussing vitality important topics with
the children vitality interested.
"Why, why" he stammered, "why,
because nobody does it, honey. Nice
girls don't live alone"
Daphne studied him with tender
amusement. He was so innocent in
his way, in spite of all he must know.
She understood what he was thinking
of. She was sophisticated in the man.
ner of the nice girl of her time and
she liked to treat submerged themes
with clean candor. She thought that
prudery was a form of slavery.
eff you've just got to stay in New
York and just got to work your mother
could stay with you, suppose"
''But what becomes Of you and your
home?"
"Oh, I'll get along somehow. don't
matter"
This broke her heart. She cried out (:
."But you do matter, daddy; you mat
ter terribly. Can't you understand,
daddy, that I'm trying to relieve you
and make myself useful instead of a
parasite? Thousands of women live
aIone-professio women, art stu
dents, music students, college girls,
nOrmal-school women, besides the
women in shops and factories. It's
coming more and more"
'But you're not brought up to a
trade"
81 wish / had BEEN"
"Well, that's q new complaint, any
way, but - well - of course you
wouldn't do anything wrong; but If
you lived alone you'd be misjudged,
and men would keep throwing tempta-
ton In your way"
81 had plenty of that when was
living at home"
"DaphneI" He cried out in pain at
the very thought.
She went on, educating him with a
vengeance: PLENTY of temptation and
plenty of opportunity, daddy. 1t wasn't
your fault. You gave me all the pro-
lection that anybody could, daddy
But you can't protect people all the
time. And it was when you trusted
me most that you protected me most
People are just beginning to realize
that even In penitentiaries the higher
the walls and the stricter the guards
the more prisoners try. to escape.
They're sending convfcts out to work
on roads now with no guards at ALL
And they de- their work and come
back. Don't you think women can be
trusted as far as convictsY'
81 suppose So" he sighed. But he
was convinced Of the security Of nei-
Their the convicts nor of the women
under these new anarchies. He was
convinced of only one thing, and that
was his helplessness.
Daphne took him home in taxicab.
At the apartment they caught Bayard
Just rushing for his Office. He greeted
his father with whirlwlnd affection,
but he knew that he would please
Wesley better by hurrying on to his
office than by neglecting his business
car tha nurnoS0 Of entertainment.