Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-05-24
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81
'Well, I never!" he gasped. "And
all this trip Of your mothers and
your and all the expenses gone for
nothin 2" was his first doleful thought.
He rel pmbered the second mortgage
he had placed on one of his properties
to 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 Daphne's 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 Wesleys ears. If
Daphne could earn a tenth Of that he
would believe in miracles.
'Where were you planning to live,
honey, while you're acting7 With
Bayard, suppose"
''Oh, no." said Daphne; 'we've ru-
ined his honeymoon enough already"
''Who with, them"
sob, by myself, I suppose"
"GoOd Lord you couldn't do that
very well-a young girl like you"
'sWhy 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 a 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 form Of slavery.
eff you've just got to stay in New
York and just got to work your mother
could stay with you, I suppose"
''But what becomes Of you and your
homer"
ooh, 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
parasite2 Thousands of women live
alone professional women, art stu
dents, music students. college girls,
normal-schooI women, besides the
women in shops and factories. It's
coming more and more"
'But you're not brought up to a
trade"
II wish I had BEEN"
''Well, that's a new complaint, any
wouldn't do anything wrong; but If
you lived alone you'd be misjudged,
and men would keep throwing tempta-
ton in your way"
Il had plenty Of that when was
living at home"
sDaphne r. he cried out in pain at
the very thought.
She went on, educating him with a
vengeance: 'sPlenty Of temptation and
plenty Of opportunity, daddy. Il 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 yeu protected me moss
People are just beginning to realize
shat even % penitentiarles the higher
tie walls and the slricter the guards
me more prisoners try TO escape
They're sending copv1ets cut % work
on roads now with nn guards at an.
Ans they 90 their work and come