The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-02
The Diary of an ENGAGED Girl
BY Phyllis Philips

October 5.-Several days since
wrote in this little book, and several
things have happened. In the first
place we are on the high seas, yes,
strange, but true And l am in my
mothers very black books, of which
there is nothing blacker
We sailed three days ago, and aside
from a slight prostration, due to this
old ship rolling considerably, am
Frustrated anyhow. And why? Be
cause mother disgraced me in Rome
Positively. Made me pack my things
at two hours notice and planted me on
the first train bound for Cherbourg
and the boat for home. Said she sim
ply could not cope with my vagaries
any longer, alone, and that home was
the best place for yours truly. So
here | am Crushed in spirits, but
still optimistic. In the language OF
the poets, l should worry.
My heart was broken at having to
part so rude;y from the man who loves
me so madly as Ettore does, but what
could I do? How dreadful he must
feel now; how outraged, Mother takes
things so hard and upsets the whole
smiling world for an idea. That's
mother all over
Ettore wanted me to elope with
him and be married in Naples. Here
| have been waiting and yearnins Tor
some man to be strong enough and
daring enough to up and run away
with me, and when one finally comes
along, I am unable to run! Can you
beat Il? Well. there's one thing sure,
! shall live by own life this winter
and I may decide not to marry Jack,
or anyone else.
Had another letter. anonymous this
time, telling me that my fance was
obviously in love and very attentive
to is own cousin This news. while it
probably is not authentic, did make
me think. That's fatal with me.
have kept to my stateroom ever
since | came on board. This way
get peace. at least And l can lie here
, and go over the events of the last
few hours in Rome with my Ettore.
Mother caught us holding hands in
the reading room of the hotel. Bad
enough but imagine how much worse
when she received a large basket of
roses and lilies, plus an enamoured
love letter (by mistake) the same
evening.
Up she swished and greeted me with
a terrible look in her eyes. Was
bent on disgracing the whole family?
Didn't | know that foreign men were
not like unto our men," And then l
was foolish enough to assure her that
she was mistaken, and that they were
uncannily alike. That Ettore was just
as anxious to marry me and make me
his countess as Jack was to make me
his "Missus." Foolish, wasn't it?
And a nice countess you would
make" scoffed she. You who cannot
keep your eyes from rowing and do
not know anything about housekeep-
ing" What she didn't say l can't
imagine.
There was no earthly use arguing
with mother, so l said but little. She
ordered me to pack my things and be
ready to leave on the nine o'clock train
the same evening. That's the cruelty
of some women. My heart sank when
| remembered that Ettore had promis-
ed to come to my window at that very
hour and thought of how sorrowful
he would be when he arrived, only to
wild Italian phrases and threw his
find his bird about to fly away.
1t all turned out as | guessed and
we met just as mother and l were step
ming into the taxi. Ettore burst into