Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-14
HIS SECOND WIFE
BY ERNEST POOLE
Author of "The Harbor," "Hfs Fnn,ilu,
Copyright, 1870. By Public Ledoer 90.

4
I'm just a business mani Ant
you've made me feel your contempt foi
all that And he's a musician he's diff
terent-he has exactly what you want
80 you went to his studio twice a week.
ror inonths ana months--without lettinl
me know-although he was a friend o
mine And you went to the Ritz ant
the opera And then / brought hin
here to dine How you two mus
have smiled at each other-when
wasn't looking !"
Joe Joe p
You lied to me, didn't you. when h,
came? You say you'll explain It in ,
waiting! !"
There isn't any" Her face wa
now !" she cried. He looked at her
She could see he was trembling. and sh,
nearly changed her mind. But her angei
came again Il WON'T she thought
Not tonight!'
Then you and are through, yor
sn9 Rn9w,m ne said very huskily. He turned
later the outer door closed. Ethel sa,
down and stared blankly.
| II acted like an idotr'
AS she sat there she grew furious with
herself for having bungled SO. why
hsaa9nt ha9nt she explained to him? why
giving. him back his friends? p All al al
once she could hear herself saving what
she should have said to Joe:
Il may have been wrong about II
Joe. but thought the best way to bring
you back to all the things you used to
doing it. So let you and Dwight come
together alone. l kept in the back.
ground; as did about getting you into
sha sha1 cIuo or yours ! was afraid. to
to him. oh, how simple and convincing,
strong, and sensible and true.
Why. didn't you say It, you little
fool? You acted like scared young
girl found out in doing something
checked herself. AT least e don't n.y. be oG, u
baby now; What are you to do aboui II
IT." She bit her lip. Now it was loo
late; late She had made It worse-a hun.
Srsan Srea times ne vail AZ at 6S once she rose and
thought, impatiently. You're not to give i've
up. when everything else in your whole
life was going so perfectly splenddly
Why. of course. That's it. TN
| call up Nourse, and have him come and
explain to Joe how went to him at the
very start"
With a. swift feeling of relief Ethel
went to the telephone
Mr.. Nourse is out of town"
% oh. yes. Thank you, I'd forgotten
When do you expect, him back?"
wv tlt Ine week,
AS Ethel hung up the receiver she
felt little faint and queer. When Joe
came back this evening she would have
TO face him alone In vain she angriiy
told herself that 1t only needed common
sense. The picture Of his tired face
nerves all on edge, rose in her mind
The way his jealousy had fared up! No.
i would not be easy! She might even
fail with him d! At the thought, foolish
auired. 80. She he heard ists susetts sIS Begin. ie
ming her supper, and she went in and
sat with the child. And at first that
worked out. very well. Soon she was
smiling and listening, to the ceaseless
Ethel exclaimed to herself.
She Jumped up in a frightened way
ana went INTO her bedroom She threw
minutes regained control with an effort
and lay there motionless
The very best she could hope was to
make Joe half believe her she thought
And that would mean she would have to
those people he knew. She would live
with Joe so suspicious that she would
be under his friend. Fanny Carr. She'll
be my friend, and bring me in touch
And I'll live her life. Amy's life" She
looked at the large photograph over on
Joes .chiffonier. Perhaps after all
SIldll De ike HeF. HOW 90 L know what
she was at my age? AS I grow older,
all hemmed in, why not stop caring for
anything else?
"oh. now do let's be sensible" with
an impatient movement of her 1.-THE
beautiful figure Ethel was up off the
bed and walking the room with grim
resolution in her brown eyes. Soon she
was much quieter. She felt the warm
youth within, her rise. There must be
ment she tried to think what way. again
at once she was off her ground What
could she do or say to Joe2 Her failure
to manage him that afternoon had
shaken her confidence in herself. Ethel
was only twenty-five, and now she felt
even younger than that. All at once in
n sickening way her courage oozed she
felt herself ignorant. and alone. Why
did not Joe come back, she asked. Was
IL he did, what would 1t mean? She re-
membered what he had said when ne
left: Then you and l are through you
know" All right, then what was he 60
man goes about it, If he wants to get a
divorce" And panic seized her as be-
fore.
''I cant do this all by myself! can't
talk to him as I've got to talk-not till
I know just what to say! I bungled it
so! need, sound advice! oh, for
somebody to help me-" She thought OF
Dwight, but she would not go near him
Sne loathed the very sight or him now
Why had not he told her of those other
affairs of his that could rise in this way
against herself? why had he allowed
her to do those few little daring things,
which looked 80 cheap and disgusting
in the detectives typed report? And be-
sides, II she did want to see him, could
she, without being watched by some
wretched detective? For the whole town
seemed brlstling with detectives and po-
lice. And tho city Of New York felt
cold. AS she lay on her bed, a sudden
gay laugh from a neighboring window
recalled to her mind that night long
ago. her first in New York, when sho
had listened excltedly and thought OF all
the stories here. both sad and comic