Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-20
And So They
Were Married
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
Copyright, 1919, bp Public Ledger Co.
START THIS STORY TODAY

SIahI THIS STOkl IODAN
NATALIE was tired, very tired,
when she and Jack finally left the
dance. She felt so physically tired that
she was mentally depressed; all of the
light sparkle that she had forced her
self to show all during the evening had
left her. Her feet hurt, and she was
Conscious Of a cold doubt around her
heart. Jack was unusually silent.
He summoned taxi which drove up
20 the curb with a raucous blow of the
Lorn. He ushered Natalie in in silence
end she sank into the corner of the
Dark little square, feeling as If she
could cry at the slightest thing. How
the wished that Jack would turn and
lsstake her into his arms; that he would
chow the slightest tenderness, but he
saad not done any of these things since
The had taken her stand at Atlantic
City. This more than anything else
convinced her that he did not care and
never would. Suddenly he turned to
her and remarked sarcastcally.
''I see your very special friend was
1t the affair tonight"
Natalie started, uncertain as to what
% reply.
''He seemed to be showing you great
Zeal of attention. Jack went on.
Natalie remembered with a certain
pang Jacks persistent attention toward
4 Ruth and the times that she had watch
ed them circle the room together, the
unfairness of Jacks attack, together
with her tired physical wearincss, pre-
cipitated an attack of nerves that she
would have given anything to have
, avoided. Before she knew what she
was doing she burst out:
81 suppose you think he showed me
more attention than you did Ruth Ray
mond."
Jack turned toward her. At last he
had managed to reach her, at last he
had broken that calm assurance in
which she had encased herself ever since
that Atlantic City episode. This was
the childish Natalie he understood, not
the calm repressed woman who some
what disturbed and worried him. At
last he could understand her again.
''Oh so that's it," he said cruelty.
Your re jealous. / suppose you're one
Of the women who think that after mar
riage man can't look at any one but
his own wife.
81 should think you might have spared
me all the lies about business, anyway"
Natalie shrilled out, "when you took
Ruth out driving the day you had
promised to stay with me-
Instead of appealing to his reason,
this unwarranted intrusion infuriated
Jack still more. Listening to gossip,
eh; well no woman ever did anything
with a man by showing him her hand,
I'll tell you that much"
Natalie covered into her corner and
burst into tears. She knew now what
she had done. How much more would
she have been able to accomplish if she
hadn't said anything? What good had
she done by the outburst? None at all.
And yet she had been so full that she
had not been able to control herself
any longer. If there were only some
one to confide in, some one to advise her,
but to maintain false attitude every
day and to see that her efforts did no
good at all and that Jack was not
learning to care as she had so hoped,
had been more than she could bear, and
now she had done the very thing that
she had sworn she would not do, shown
him that she cared.
The taxi rolled up to the apartment
and slowed. In silence Jack helped her
out and followed her into the dark
lobby. In silence they stepped into the
elevator and a sleepy hallboy whisked
them upstairs. In silence Jack unlocked
the door and they stepped inside. Nat
allie felt frozen, and she shivered as
she got out of the crushed tulle and
pulled the satin slippers from her aching
feet. Then she went into the bathroom
and turned on the bath.
Long afterward she heard Jack 60
out to the kitchen. Evidently he was
Fl fixing something to eat. She heard him
carry it into the dining room, and she
heard the click of silver on china and
the sound of a bottle opening. The
warmth of the bath had soothed her
nerves bit, and she felt less hopeless.
She was pleasantly drowsy, and she lay
there half asleep wondering what would
happen next. If only she didn't love
Jack so much. If only things had turn
ed out as she had expected they would,
as in fact her mother had said they
would, and she had been able to look at
everything Jack did, tolerantly, grum-
: bling at nothing, seeing nothing, as long
y as she had money and clothes, but she
couldn't do that, it simply wasn't pos
sible.
She was still awake and thinking
when Jack snapped out the light and
came into the bedroom. 1t was some
thing, she reflected, to have him there
SO close to her, asleep in the same room,