Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-10
HIS SECOND WIFE
BY ERNEST POOLE
Ay,bor Of "The Havbor," "His Famiiuo
Copyright, 1880, bp Public Ledger Co.

But some had beautiful illustrations that
set her to imagining. Eagerly she CROPPED
her way deep into the history Of the
buiiding or cathedrals and palaces in
smes s,nrS gone y. ny; h. And the long majestic
thrilled her to the very soul. Joe must
make his place In IL alil
When on coming home at night he
dumped a pile Of work on the table, she
would unobtrusively slip some book be-
side IT,. She grew to know which ones
tempted him most.
He had been surprised and amused at
first at her interest in architecture
and secretly 9 little disturbed. suspect
ing what lay behind II, But as autumn
drew on he read more and more Of the
books she kept putting in his way, While
he read she would sit with a novel or
sew. She would glance up with some
read on. -, subtly she made the atmos-
phere. She often brought Paris into
their talks. She spoke longingly of the
shops and plays, and all she wanted 70
see over there, And she almost sue
ceeded In making him promise to take
her over the following spring.
Joe was happy at such times, when
she could make him leave business alone.
And although he had many relapses,
when night after night he would SIT by
the table planning more horrible Junk
for the Bronx" with an inner smile she
saw how often her husband scowled at
such labor now. She heard OF changes
In the Office.
We're still building junk" Nourse
confded one day. but it isn't quite as
just as hard, but he's plainly jarred by
some of the jobs. He even fought his
press agent last weekv'
One night Joe suggested. awkwardly,
Let me Bring W him home @ So'sf 70 dnner. ase'n
mean He ISN'T especially CHEEKY, God
this fall"
Very we'll, dear--if you want to-"
she sighed. She had told Nourse to
When Nourse came to dinner that
Saturday night, Joe was surprised and
delighted at the way his partner seemed
to get on now with his wife. The visit
indeed was such n success that II was
not long before Joe proposed bringing
home IAN old pal of mine-fellow named
Dwight" To this. too, Ethel assented,
and when Dwight arrived one night she
"I feel as thou gh I knew you" she
said. 1--WE heard Joe talk Of you so
much"
To Joe's delight they got on like o,n
friends. And when Dwight spied the
piano there and learned OF her interest
In music. he insisted on trying her voice,
and was lold In his praise of It's promise.
Before he left, It was arranged that she
should come to his studio and take les
sons twice week. Openly his pupil
and he came to dine with them often,
How smoothly things were working
out. II there were any cloud upon the
horizon It was the occasional presence
| of Amy's old friend, Fanny Carr. Fanny
had been abroad through "the summer
| but in October she had returned. She
had come to see Ethel several times
| in the same determinedly friendly Wa!
and Nourse reported that she was going
| frequently to see Joe at his office about
fact that Joe never spoke of 1t only
made the matter worse. For Joe still
had his money side, and Fanny knew
| how to fiatter him so. He still had his
| loyalty to his first wife, and Fanny SO
her too,-ciothes, voice, perfumery and
III" Ethel would declare to herself In
anger and vexation. Oh. these women
who used sex every minute. How could
men be so easily fooled!
"You can't change man in, min:
ute" she thought. Remember, Amy had
him Ave years" Amy had planted SO
deep in him the feeling that money is
| everything; she had got the fever into
his blood And Fanny was there to keer
II alive by her flattery Of his money
| success And for Ethel even still, 1t was
decidedly unsafe to criticize Joe in some
| of his moods. As autumn changed tt
winter, these moods grew much more
| frequent. What was worrying him? Sh'
couldn't find out: She sent for Nourst
and asked him. whats going on in the
oceT" e,i,, - .u.,. t.. n,s,,nr hin
bard" was Nourses gloomy answer, "fol
that row of patriotic atrocities up or
Riysrsde sst he pryS won E'heI shs sa0trmedd ered
"oh. yes. he could" Joe's partner
growled. There's so much money in it,
III he puts that through In d1n, I,'
name will be perfect joke-.among al
the people I want to know. And theyl
all keep away from us az though M
were running a yellow journal. Ane
then her friends Will crowd aoout--oe
| cause we'll be 30 rich, you see.
She was lying sleepless on her bed bed
and Joe was sleeping at her side. Sh'
sat up now and looked at his face II
the dim light from the window
"and' middle-aged and very fat in body
and soul j. get to care only for building
Junk and for going about with Amy!
| friends--I wonder what I would dt
then?" Again the words of young Mrs
" get out % Whenever You choose She
frowned. But there are the children
And besides, I love you. Joe-yes, more
than ever, and In queer way; In
nBhting TOT what love III YOU, put
the same time I love you ail-every bl
of YOU /" Breathing quickly now, sh'
sank back on her pillow, and there sh'
| soon grew quiet again. =,
so we'll fight It out once and for all
You've got TO drop this plan OF yours.
| One evening that same week wher
Nourse had come to dinner, she led the
talk by slow degrees to that other plan
| of Joe's---the one with terrace gardens
Soon she had Nourse talking about IL
and seeing her husband grow morose she
grew cheerily interested.
W"Oh, I'm very dull, l suppose She
said at the end with a quizzical smile
''but I'm afraid | can't get 1t clear
Couldn't you draw TT" Nourse smiled
at this, for he saw what she was driv-
ing at.
mo I'm poor at that" he said.
Then. Joe. you sketch 1t out fo
me-"