The Monticellonian., 1919-04-04
CHAPTER XI-Continued.
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 Well, I 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 to get the money for the vitally 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 Wesley's ears. If Daphne could earn a tenth of that he would believe in miracles.
 'Where were you planning to live, honey. while you're acting? With Bayard, I suppose"
 "Oh, no.e said Daphne; "we've ru- ined his honeymoon enough already" :"
 Who with, then?'
 "Oh, by myself. I 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 yitally important topics with the children vitally 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 q form of slavery.
 If you've just got to stay in New York and just got to work your mother sta I
 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 q parasite? Thousands of women live alone-professional women. art stu dents. music students. college girls, nOrmal-sehool women, besides the women in shops and factories. It's coming more and more.
 But you're not brought up to q trade.'
 'I wish I had been.'
 Well, that's 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"
 "I had plenty of that when l was living at home"
 Daphne !" 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. It 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 convicts out to work on roads now with no guards at all And they do their work and come back. Don't you think women can be trusted as far as convictS|
 ''I suppose so," he sighed. But he was convinced of the security of nei- ther 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 whirlwind affection, but he knew that he would please Wesley better by hurrying on to his office than by neglecting his business for the purpose of entertainment.