The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-26
Revelations
Ofn Wife
BY ADELE GARRISON.

Ill BY ADELE GARRISON.
CHAPTER XIII.
What Madge Feared.
I cannot do this for Dicky. I can
not meet these people and pretend
icordiality for them, when all the time
disapproved Of them so strongly.
cannot. cannot"
Face downward upon the bed in my
room, where had thrown myself when
/ fled from Dicky's revelations of Eliz-
abeth Marsden's domestic problem. ]
repeated these words over and over to
myself like the patter of a prayer.
Theoretically 1 have always believed
in larger freedom, greater opportuni-
ties for women. My mother was a
suffragist in the days when the fight
for suffrage meant something. But of
the other issues which women have
been facing these strange latter days
I had no conception.
When was years old, however, an
other woman, my mothers most init
mate friend, had run away with my
father. l have never seen my father
|since. I do not know, nor do I care,
whether he be living or dead. But to
me the very name of a woman who
could claim as her lover the father of
another woman's child has always
been anathema.
Yet here one Of my husbands
friends, who was to be my own guest,
was such a woman. thought Of Lii
liam Gale, with her sensational divorce
record, and her constant assumption Of
being Dicky's best friend. And these
two women Dicky evidently meant to
be my associates in my new lifei 1t
was unbearable! 1 told myself as I
lay fighting out'my battle.
But unbearable or not, I did not see
any way out. They were to be my
guests in a few hours. The laws Of
hospitality forbade my being anything
but cordial to them in my own home.
I made a sudden, swift compromise
with my own soul, and hurried out
before my courage should leave to
lay it before Dicky.
I found him still assiduously Smelling
the almonds, but his face looked
troubled. laid my hand on his Shout
der, and at the touch he drew me
down to the arm Of his chair.
'Dicky," 1 suppose my voice trem-
bled for the grasp of his arm tight
ened around me as if to give me cour-
age. " am going to be very frank
with you. 1 cannot pretend to you
that I am pleased with the thought Of
having Mrs. Underwood and Miss
Marsden, especially Miss Marsden, as
guests. But 1 can promise you that
when I am with you, either at our
home or wherever your crowd meets,
I will treat them with every courtesy.
They shall never know my feelings.
On the other hand, please do not ask
me to make intimates of them, to have
them meet my friends or do the thou
sand and one little, chubby things that
women friends usually do"
Dicky threw back his head and
laughed uproariously. To me it was
no laughing matter that we were dis
cussing 1 tried to get away from the
encircling grasp of Dicky's arm, but it
was too strong for me.
Don't be angry at me for laugh
ing, sweetheart" he said, but the idea
Of Lii or Bess wanting to meet your
friends, or to do any of the ordinary
social stunts women do is the funni-
est think I have struck yet. Lii and
Bess! I can see 'em at some feminine
function. Yes, the maid left yesterday.
Isn't it awful theStrouble it is to get
servants nowadays? No, the baby is
named after his aunt on the fathers
side. Is it true they are going to wear
hoops again. Wow!" and Dicky
doubled over in enjoyment Of his own
imitation.
If I had not been so angry / would
have laughed also, for Dicky has trick
at mimicry, but 1 was bitterly Offend
ed. wrenched myself free and stood
up.
will you kindly tell me why you
should expect me to show any courtesy
to your friends when you sheer at mine
in such brutal fashion,"
What do you mean?" Dicky sprang
to his feet in amaZement. Then a
flush spread over his face. "Oh! II
say, Madge, I didn't mean that as any
reflection on your friends"
you said you had to laugh at the
idea of those women wanting to meet
my friends"
Dicky grinned again. "Madge, If you
could hear the venom drip from the
words, those women you would agree
that I had cause for thinking you
were insulting my friends instead OF
the shoe being one the other foot"
First, 1 apologize for everything 1
said, or didn't say, for what / meant
or didn't mean, for living, in fact"
began Dicky playfully. but as he saw
my face he quickly changed his tone.
please, sweetheart, don't persist in
being angry, L know I'm in bad, but
I'm going to crawl out some way, and
I'm eating humble pie by the painful.
ct didn't mean anything particular
about their meeting your friends, that
just slipped in. The idea is this.
They are both very busy women, each
is at the top of the heap in her par
ticular line you know, and neither of
them does much playing around. I've
heard both of them complain that they
never could keep up with the plays
they wanted to see, or the books they
wanted to read. When Bess has a
big piece of work on hand, she makes a |