Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-30
The Tri-WeekIy Journals Ozem Serial
The Only Thing That Counts
A Mystery Romance of Modern Bohemia
By the Famous Novelist
Carolyn Beecher


some. Her father was a farmer on
a small scale, they had little none.
SO few pleasures for their children.
Her mother, an oVer-worked, over
tired woman, resented Adele'S dis
like to the drudgerY which had been
her life and the friction between
them increased as Adele grew older.
There were other children, 200, d
boy and two more girls, different in
every way from Adele, who always
had been the beauty of the family
and who was supposed to be talent
ed. At least she had always loved
to draw and, as she 81 ew older, she
bought cheap paints and PAINTED hid
eous flowers on scraps of velvet and
decorated plaques with grotesque
copies of magazine pictures.
"She has talent" summer visitor
to one of their neighborS said when
che day they stopped at the Foster
farm for fresh eGgs. The woman who
made the remark did it to please.
Adele was on the porch painting Il
green and yellow atrocity of some
sort and out of the kindness of her
heart the visitor had flattered.
1t was her remark that sowed the
iced of unbearable discomfort in
Adele Fosters heart and which later
sent her to New York.
She was seventeen then. She had
lived in New Yor three years when
Helen Westfield met her.
She had found no use for talent
such as she possessed, although she
had never given up the idea that
some day she would be an artist. But
position in q lingerie shop had pro-
vided her with the means to buy
paints and pay her way while eX-
perimcnting.
The shop where Adele reported dali
ly for work was a small, interesting
place, patroniZed by people of wealth.
Occasi, nally a man would wander in,
usually to purchase silk stockings
or fancy neckwea as a gift to wife
or sweetheart.
Adele had been quick to learn.
When such customers appeared she
spoke to them with a sort of gentle
intimacy behind which an understand
ing smile seemed to Turk One or two
acquaintances she had made in this
way with men who occasionally asked
her out to dinner and whom she in
'ariably Informed that she was a
good girl-Just liked a nice time with
a jolly companion once m a while.
Meaning one who bought her gooG
dinner and afterWard tC ok her to
a show or to dance on some roof gar
den.
Adele lad bobbed her hair. She
wore SmoCkS when in hAr little one
room apartment which she dubbed "a
studio" She smoked innumerable
cigarettes and talked of free love in
the most careless sort Of way. But
woe to the man who tried to take
advantage of her free manners or
speech. She possessed a sharp tongue
and, conscious of nCr own rect-+ude,
would brook no suspicion.
Helen WestfieId, with he~ keen iA-
sight, her experience, had understood
this from the first and had accepted
Adele at her own valuation. The girl
asked her no questions; never looked
beyond the moment. In way she
satisfied Helen's desire for compan
ionship, the cDmpanjCnship of some
one of her own sex.
She prated to Helen of the things
she would do when she had sold 2
picture. She woulG give up her job at
the lingerie shop anG devote all her
time to art-art with a capital "A.
Helen only smiled. Sne knew there
was no danger that picture would
be sold, so, unlike most women, she
didn't argue the fooliShneSS of CIV
ing up work that provided a living.
Once Adele remarked to Helen:
"Gf course a girl needn't work so
hard in New York if she doesn't want
10. But she's a fool. But there's one
thing a girl who works can't afford.
Not a good girl"
whats that, Adele?" Helen was al
ways quietly amused at Adele's phil
osophy.
upsetting friendships. They take too
much out of one. a goodnight kiss
yes, perhaps, if the fellow is aWfully
nice. But that's all. You see a girl
dasnt let herself get fond of the
kind of men she likes to go out with
occasionally. They wouldn't marry
her and then she'd be Unhappy"
why not go with the kind that
would marry you-what you call
your own kind'?' Helen asked, smil-
ing: ... >-o VOL,
does to girls. L guess all big cities
are alike. You see this other kind
You know they can't be anything to
you, yet they make your own kind
seem cheap and common. Anyway, L
dent want to get married I've seen
too many try it and get disappo1nt-
co."
zone would think you were a Me-
thuselah to hear you talk" Some
thing very like a look of pain had
crossed Helen's face ct Adele's care
less words, Adele had seen it, and
wonder ed.
1--WE lived in New York for cvei
three years. I know several girls
who have married. Most of them are
divorced now"
Did they marry in their own
CLASP"
mo. Do you suppose, Helen, they
would have been happier II they
had?"
(To Be Continued.)