The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-28

SYNOPSIS.
Everett Graham, a New York bro
ker, and a widower of Al, meets and
marries Sandra Courtney, a girl liv-
ing in a town where he had a branch
office. Sandra was is with all
girls desires and dreams.
Sandra's father was pleased that
she was to make so good match,
but her mother felt anxious, worried
for fear the disparity in ages would
not work for Sandra's happiness.
Sandra's friends plagued her un-
mercifully, calling Graham Grand
pa" and telling her she would have
to play nurse to him when he was all
doubled up with age and rheumatism.
Rose Grandon, Sandra's most intimate
friend, was particularly disguised be-
cause Sandra thought of marrying a
man as old as her father. But he
was rich, generous, and his very dig
nifty that frightened Rose. added to
his attractiveness in Sandra's eyes.
Sandra's brothers also made her
courtship a rather trying one until
Graham won them over by gifts. One
of them, Toodles, said, when Sandra
told of her marriage: $50 you are
going to play second fiddle" express
ing what her young friends all felt,
and what she herself hated to think
of. She says in telling her story: y
have a notion that a young, untried
girl is a good deal like a book with
it's leaves still uncut man takes
her with a thrill of possession; but
Just what is in her he does not know.
1t may be she will be interesting, and
able to hold HIS interest once 1t is
aroused. Or it may be that each page
as 1t is perused grows harder to read,
his thoughts wander, and will not con-
centrate because of lack of action,
or because of a sameness in the story
~ ,ry
women especially are SO anxious to be
everything all at once that they leave
no page unturned, nothing fresh and
new to stir a mans jadeG appetite"
Sandra goes to her new home with
all the enthusiasns of girlhood. only
to almost Immediately become jeal-
GUS of the wife who was number one,
while she was number two. Ora
hams friends never tired of tellin :
her how lovely his first wife was,
and she also had to constantly gaze
upon her picture hung in a promi-
nent place in the home. He also
bought her sapphires, and sapphire
colored gowns, which she adored I'M
til she was told he did the same for
his first wife, whom everyone said
she resembled.
Graham, a cold, undemonstrative
man, was untitled to marry the girl,
who longed constantly for the ex-
preston of love. He wanted Sandra
to be dignified, he hated tears, and
Sandra was inclined to weep when
unhappy. Irma Barton, an old friend
of Graham's is introduced. Sandra
has many sad hours over what she
thinks is a love affair between Irma
and Graham. Also Sandra meets Hal
liday, a friend of Graham's "a man
about town. Thru this acquaintance
she also finds herself in unpleasant
situations.
Instead of the home she has pic
tured, all rose and bright colors, she
has the old home and the furnish
ings used by the first wife. While
everything was good, solid and sub
stantial, it was not dainty, not
"girly"
Graham affects clubs, etc While
he is out Sandra finds pictures, let
tiers, etc. from Leola, his first wife.
All these TO her mean that he still
loves the other woman more than he
does her, and she agonizes according
ly. For she has learned to love him
in spite OF his careless treatm ent of
her.
AS time rolls on her troubles be-
come more poignantly real. She suf-
fers and endures until she is driven
almost to desperation because of his
lack of understanding her nature; his
absorption in self and his own affairs.
In the end, however, Sandra finds
that even being wife number two has
its compensations, that she possesses
love that is deeper, stronger than
that he had given the first wife, OF
whom she is no longer aalous