Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-23
The
MARRIAGE Trifer
BY HAZEL DEYO BACHELOR
Copprioht, 1850, bp Public Ledrer 90.


The marriage Of Barbara Kn.oh
propttous fashion, but Bdr6dfu, tDho
hdd dlpdvs been gipen TO under
Sldha thdt vVe ,ooud be qtfe tctl,-
tng TO otve her everything she todnfed,
asa not stop to think tohether her idea
Of Hvir0 cotnoided toith her husbdnd's
or NOT. She todnted to queen y over
every one, she tDonted to be q leader
of the younger set, tohiie Keith tcdnted
the deeper things Of no. In this ,ody
she realised her oton shortcomings
only tohen she came face to face toith
the fact that " she could not give her
husband the comrddcship he pdnted,
some one else might be glad TO do so.
Newbery, Keith's private secretary
and an unusual Domdn.
BARBARA was sure OF the fact that
- for her the fight was Just beginning,
when later in the evening. having, es-
tablished her safely in the midst OF a
gay party at the theatre. Keith dis
appeared. It was not necessary for him
to remain at the play, which was gay
musical comedy and through which most
OF the party talked and laughed. much
to the displeasure OF those who came
10 IsteH' but oarDara reIne1IlDeTc"
Katherine Newbery's remark about the
day. and Keith no doubt hae gone there
as soon as he could conveniently get
away. If Barbara had cared less for
Keith she might have adopted her
he returned. But having at last mace
up her mind that she must be in fault
she did no such thing. Keith was wait
ing for her when the curtain went down
party TO one Of the roof shows. which
thev did not leave until after 2:3o.
When they reached home, Barbara
sprang her first surprise.
You'll never, guess who ] saw this
Curled up in one Of the upholstered
chairs in her sitting room. Miss New
berry"
Keith looked surprised. but not guilty.
IT suppose you've never heard me
speak Of Elise Bartlett? I met her at
school, and today we had tea together
knows Miss Newbery very we'll" Ban
bara said this SO calmly and scrutinized
her shining pink nails cemurely while
she was speaking as though the fact
that she had had tea with one of
most natural thing in the world. Keith
In the act OF lighting a cigarette. stopped
and stared at his wife.
Strange. never heard OF Elise
Bartlett" he remarked after a moment,
DO we know herr"
by that 7 suppose you mean does
she move in our circle" Barbara asked
why. yes. I suppose that is what I
mean"
Barbara laughed. and watched Keith
finally light his cigarette and blow the
smoke out In fragrant whirls. Strange
never liked TO smoke" she said irrel-
evantly
There was silence. and thArr Keith
spoke. who Is Elise Bartlett?"
Barbara laughed inwardly. Hel was
Interested!
"Oh Elise. We were speaking nf
her. weren't We? why, she isn't any
standards. She's connected with one of
the magazines and has an apartment
in one of those side streets of Wash
inrt0n SQUARE with Nancy Fair, the
writer: Have you read her book, The
EddX?"
Keith was staring at her as though he
could not believe his ears. That Bar
bara could hav" friends he had never
heard OF astounded him. Barbara whom
" l""ed nadly. brt thought the most
srohhi"N Of women had actually had
tea with a girl he had never heard of.
1t was as though he did not know her.
as though he, had judged her hastily.
It was as though suddenly he was dis
ried and lived with a year was an utter
stranger to him. The fact annoyed him
made him ashamed Of himself without
his knowing. why. OF course he could
not know that Barbara's friendship with
Elise had been resumed recently. and
she had no intention of allowing him
10 know Il.
He was angry at himself for feeling
as he did. There was no reason why
he should have expected to know OF
Elise Bartlett, but he had always felt
that Barbara chatted to him of every
thing in her life that there was nothing
about her he did not know of. Elise
stood for something in her life that he
had not suspected: that she could care
for any one not sponsored by society
changed everything in his eyes.
Barbara having launched her bomb
had no intention of spelling its effect.
Sh" went over to Keith and dropped n
light kiss on the top of his head. and
then left him before he could ask any
more questions.
Her last waking thought that night
was OF the fact that she had made two
successful moves. She had assured her
self Of the fact that Keith still loved
her, and she had pidued and surprised
him. by the calm matter-of-taCt manner
in which she had spoken of Elise. 1t
seemed like a good sbeginning.
Tomorrow-How the reaction affected
Katherine