Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-30
And So They
We're Married
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
COPYRIGHT, 1870, bv Public Ledger Co.

4 HIHEN Scott told Ruth In rev
w simple words that he was willing,
Z in fact, wanted her TO have wholesome
men friends, she might have understood
if they had gone on talking about 1t.
She might have tried, at any rate. to
see his viewpoint. AS It was, she MADE
no effort to see beyond the impression
his words first made on her. She thought
that in that way he was telling her that
he did not intend to give up his friend
ships with women and that he was CIV
ing her the privilege therefore OF
amusing herself in the SAME way with
men. She thought too, that II he felt
he could trust her to other men, he
simply did not care enough to be jealous.
That was the way matters stood when
few days later, after several telephone
calls, Ruth consented to go out with
! Isabel to tea. 1t was the first invita-
stiop shn had accepted from Isabel since
| the unfortunate cabaret aff.-lr, and II
Exwas not the old Ruth who accepted. The
k'ojd Ruth never vert anywhere without
X6r glad heart, without a certain spon-
llA(XBtlilSI Y W iNloul dbNl1ib't'N' W
vR engagement would bring forth The
ath who met Isabel in the lobby OF one
M the fashionable hotels was vaguely
Weren't.
\ NRuth had suffered and In a way had
{8wn She had unfortunately become
Y Ard she had lost precious something
u fGho had suffered a hurt OF No first faint
M4osions we have about IS that can
UUGfer again be quite H. At nrst
&6Ub had believed it t. bic TO go on
Woo1ing as she did, pride Kept
1f up She had ept at all that
[Bt night; she st thought and
ought. only one night before out of
q entire married life had she fallen
leep without making peace with Scott
ZEN now she wavered the impulse to
I1l.0 his arms about her. was almost too
{dpch. but her pride kept her away. He
Ia41d flung down the gauntlet, and she
laXpud accept the challenge. After ALL
5vVHhat did It matter now? What did any
1 fthing matter? Life was not what she
nad thought it would be. Scott no longer
l10eed her. She must do something ;
sphA must have something TO keep
Aher from thinking. If she could not
fWork as Helen Townsend was doing, she
-@~r,ld at least frivol with Isabel and
segof her class Isabel managed to
going. Very well. then, she, Ruth,
Would keep going in the same way.
sst4' 'And in the end I'll be a lot more con-
tepted" she argued to herself. There
kj4no happiness where one feels as deep
t." nave "'''"S' '''S'e'' 10 ''''"" 0'
VI hat resolution was what found Ruth
NJ four-thirty half buried in the depths
1M q big chair waiting for Isabel.
n isabel breezed In at quarter of five.
lIM Yam ! late? I'm sorry. Heaven
M ,nows / should have tried not to be. I
"a ever get you to come out with me any
I Wwhere these days"
7 IkSE Ruth laughed gayly I know I've been
NO moly-grup." she admitted, but I've
fltturned over a new leaf"
ii }itb Isabel looked at her curiously. How
u ~did that happen? Ruth, you haven't
"A Iuarreled with Scott, have you? That
N Eould be funny"
n HWhy, don't all married couples quar-
Il az" They were standing together in
[, t.he corr Tor. Life passed them in all
N ~ phas as they talked. Fashonably
4 fdresscd men waited for others or join
I ..N men. aughter was rife every one
xtemed II py. and yet underneath many
a these pie must be az unhappy. as
~ scontent, as she was, thought Ruth.
st was / ;.
s~-.'Then yo, two devoted people have
Il NNquarreled?" Isabel returned.
s"Nonsense,' Rut, said brskly, moth
,<H>ine of the kind. simply decided to
shAve some fun in life, accept some OF
REGour ideas"
III HWell, we'll begin Il is afternoon.
fsabel said without any other remarks
~ didn't know how you would fee
Dyl&bout this, but | guess it's all right. Bob
R R14Carter is going to meet me here, and at
\ 2@he last moment he teIephoned that he
FNWas bringing another man. | think
= Nsyoull like them, but | was afraid you
P'Rould be furious, you're such little
prude.
X fA Ruth had "A momentary throb of pain
How that she was actually embarked on
kEhis thing, she realized how genuinely
her entire spirit rebelled against any
X ming of the kind. A wave OF intense
J#fo( ing for Scott swept over her She
N.f(Ved him, she loved him! She closed
lMh sgeyes a moment at the physical
" ught of him, then cold nausea
spt over her at the remembrance OF
u ATTITUDE. How could she forget her
Nv ITO the extent of caring like that for
II nan who did not care for her? Scott
" Noted her to know otheC men; Scott
nted her to leave the way clear for
.,fy h4 we'll she could do it--other women
4Ms kF Ruth summoned all her pride to
fjs said as she responded to lsabers light
3tt nark.
{i& tPrude, / really don't deserve that
IA II do II"
N label did not reply to this. She saw
"A ross the room the two men she had
II rationcd and exclaimed, There they
\ now"
The next minute Ruth looked and saw
[d 10 tall, good-looking men coming to-
IN hfd them. They were sleek, well
W oomed types the kind of men Rutf
NJ Ia known all her life, and yet now
i4 eeting them this way, without Scott
IA ~ her IA sinister feeling that almost
M 4Hhtered her. Isabel was IS usual
III Aaptifuly poised, gracious. She gave
II kentire meeting casual every-da!
Il 0Doct and yet Ruth found herself
\ ~ 4Yyousy wettinG her lips, expectantlS
tt{ldering what would happen next. Sh,
DtYalmost panicky; marriage hat
nged her so much in so short time
(xomorrow. Ruth meets Nick Carson