Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-16
The .
MARRIAGE Trifler
HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR
Cop1rtoht, 1880, bu Public Ledger co.

Bdrbdro Rnioht and Keith Grant
ore married, and a brilliant lUe ts
prophested for them, for they hdUe
.oVe dnd everything else as DeU. Bar
odrd, however, has never been taught
into consideration Reiths likes aud
dtshkes, only her oDn. It tswt until
she discovers frtendshtp bctt1een Keith
aud Katherine NeDbery. his private
secretary, that her attitude changes.
The d1dtr ts entirely innocent, but
lack Of Jrankness on Keiths part
causes trouble.
THE Barbara of the ueat few days
was still a different Barbara from
| any that Keith had. known thus far.
| She was different from the Barbara he
had known in those wonderful days to-
gether. and different from the Barbara
he had known since his marriage. She
| still made society frivoling her aim and
| ambition, but now instead oe enjoying II
as she had. she did everything coldly,
that Eleanor had. She was whimsical,
elusive and very nervous. Keith was
not out of her mind a single minute,
and she magnifed everything so that
her imagination pictured the impossible
Barbara was clever. Not for the world
would she have let Keith suspect how
she felt, and she forced herself to act
| naturally. This waSspartly because she
was afraid OF what she might say, and
partly because she was uncertain how
to proceed. Barbara was doing more
thinking than she had ever done in her
| life before. She wished vaguely that she
had some one TO talk to, some one whose
advice she might value, but among the
rl,o tod thara Al 70 ha
| no one who looked on life seriously.
| Their motto seemed to be, Live for
today, for tomorrow we die" and Bar
| bara was seeing her life more in per-
| spective than she ever had before.
Her own mother could not help her
not even IL she had been disposed to
confide in her. Keith's mother was out
of the question. and no one Of all the
| women she knew was any better. She
| thought of Leslie and shuddered. Leslie
drinking steadilN their life together was
hollow mockery and had been almost
| from the very first, for Lawrence was
| not disposed to think seriously OF any
toward Leslie because Of her rather
bitter wit, the fact that she always
had a comeback, but now thar she was
his wife and used that bitter tongue too
often on him, he thought of 1t no longer
| as an asset. Barbara was terrified lest
| Leslie get hold of Keith's attraction for
| Katherine Newbery She knew how Les
| lie would talk. for Leslie, ever since
Barbara had walked off with Keith. had
not been the same.
| One afternoon Barbara was walking
down Fifth avenue when at one OF the
\ crossings in the sudden stop OF traffic
she almost bumped into a girl who was
coming from the other direction. She
murmured an apology and the girl looked
at her with bright dark eyes. a sudden
| hRarhara Kni0btN' Eba said ntlicklv
smile of recognition dawning in them.
why Elise !" Barbara returned, and
there was real Joy in the words. Elise
| Bartlett" 1t was the Elise of boarding
| school days, the little BolshevilS. the
| girl who had rebelled aga inst society
| and had arraigned Barbara for planning
| a life that held no broader significance.
Elise was dressed quite simply in a
little blue serge suit with wide white
collar. and cuffs. A small hat was
that was cut short. She looked much
the same as she had looked at school.
Where were you going?" Barbara
asked impetuously. Cant we go some.
you What are you doing with your
self, and do you still look at life so
seriously"
Elise laughed. I'm not doing any
thing, Just now. and I don't think my
Ideas have changed much. No need to
ask you what you're doing. Barbara,
you're busy being successful. I suppose
you're married"
Barbara nodded. Lets go to tea
somewhere" sch said. drawing Elise
along with her. They were passing one
Of the big hotels and she drew Elise up
the steps and into the big cool lobby.
In the shaded tearoom. she ordered, and
then propping her elbows on the table
| looked at Elise expectantly.
Tell me about yourself" Elise said
smiling.
You didn't read about my marriage?"
Barbara began.
Elise shook her head '.Never read the
society columns"
II was married less than a year ago
My name is Grant" Barbara made no
| effort to say what Grant, she doubted II
Elise would know anyway, and somehow
1t did not seem to matter.
Pm with one of the magazines" I"
Elise returned working like mad. My
uncle died shortly after left school. It
was he who paid for my education. He
left all Of his money to his wife, who has
always hated me. and 80 / scrambled
around for Job. l intended TO anyway,
but did want to go to college"
There was such world of regret in
this remark that Barbara knew the dis.
appointment must have been very great
(Tomorrow-More about Ellse)
|