The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-05
JUST A GIRL
By JANE PHELPS
A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

L almost mated all our society con-
ventions before 1 went home that
night. Mother always sent her maid
after me in the car. Just as the party
was breaking up, Kenneth Lawrence
said:
MAY take you home. or have you
other arrangements? ?"
Thank you, but mothers maid will
cali for me- had felt little out OF
things all the evening. OF course
Kenneth could not sit out all the
dances with me, and after talking to
him the boys like Jack Pryor and
Gregory Stuart seemed awfully pale
and unin.ere sting.
Your mother is very wise lady,"
he said with a smile. Then, more
seriously, she is right, too. In place
like New York one needs to be care
full"
How I wished mother weren't quite
so careful when 1 saw him leave with
Edith Wren. Not that her mother
wasn't careful, too, but she was SO
intimate with Claudia, / suppose her
mother thought they would attend to
her getting home. AfterWard 1 heard
she had intended to remain all night,
but that when Kenneth offered to
take her home in Claudia's new car,
she couldn't resist going.
Dad occasionally talked to me about
my "beaux," as he called the young
men in my set, not as mother talked
suitability as husbands-but of the
men themselves, what they were.
Then he would tell me his idea of
what a true man was. He cautioned
me to look beneath the superficial
outside, to learn to discriminate be-
tween real value and veneer.
Take time, daughter, to know a
man. Don't make the fatal mistake
of marrying someone of whom you
know nothing. I'm in no hurry to be
rid of my little girl
IT heard mother and Mrs. Wren
talking one day. 1t was a long time
ago. They were speaking of some
girl who had been out two seasons.
and was still single. They spoke as il
it were some sort of a disgrace, as If
that girl were a failure"
Perhaps you did not quite under
stand your mother, dear. But sup
pose Mrs. Grundy does say such
things, and people idly repeat them,
Old Dame Grundy hasn't any con-
science. you know. She loves mis-
NOTED people-they give her some
thing to gossip about"
knew father hated to have mother
try to get me married. But he never
allowed me to criticise her, and he
were both persons of strong opinions.
I never heard them quarrel or say
an unkind word to each other.
On my 10Th birthday mother gave
me a wonderful party. Kenneth was
still in New York; had fingered on for
nearly a month, and of course, 1 in
vited him.
I'VE shall have to-" mother said.
since he is Claudia's guest"
I had an idea she would have been
glad if he hadn't been. then she
wouldn't have asked him. had seen
quite a good deal of him-at the
homes of the girls, where he was in
{D 10 NJ
the opera. and several times in the
street.
had taken several long walks with
him, but had not told mother. What
was the use of making her uncom-
Portable? 1 was careful now to wear
flat heels every time went out, rather
clumsy walking boots I had worn in
school. One never knew when one
might meet another who loved a long
tramp, I didn't think it wrong not to
tell mother. I WIS very careful never
to again sit on a bench in the park. or
to stay around where any of her
friends would see us.
Kenneth was going home. back to
California, the day after my birthday
I told him that night how sorry 1 was
to have him go, and he made me the
queerest answers
ut is time l went. might say
things I have no right to say to a girl
like you"
1 wondered what he meant, but I
was SO busy playing hostess that Of
course 1 couldn't neglect my other
guests to find out. Dad talked to him
quite little. ] noticed. I'd get him to
tell me what they had talked about.
Dad gave me a lovely pearl neck
lace, small pearls, but SO well matched;
and mother gave me a lovely wrist
watch. set in tiny diamonds and
platinum. The favors were perfectly
lovely and everyone said they had had
wonderful time when they left at 2
o'clock. That was dads limit for me,
o'clock, and even then I had to re-
main in bed until noon the next day.
Kenneth came in to say goodbye to
me- think 1 rather disgraced myself
L know mother. was shocked.
(To be co1tinued.)