Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-16
HIS SECOND WIFE
By ERNEST POOLE
Author of "The Harbor," "His Family.
Copyright, 1870. BY Public Ledger Co.

HeNtt WHAT'S TO be dOneY .'
",,,, hate Sally Crothers,' she began,
put i may go to see her, nevertheless.
she asked me to. Didn't mean II, OF
course, she was plainly bored No,
won't do II! loathe the woman!
All right, my dear. but who else can
less at home---but there may be that de-
testable hat, tall rich and shiny. in her
hall. IL looked as though II owned her
soul No. thanks--not yet---not for me
Though she told me you soon
Well, how about going back to Ohio,
to the little history prof, and hating ali
ingly tempting 50. won't do Il. though
-becaus, II ! do. It means Tin beaten
baby Quiet, now. ' And
then there's Dwight. He will probably
call up soon and ask how sally and I
got on. | could go to him this very
night How perfectly disgusting
What right had he to believe iHS sVistes that Of
me NOW please keep cool. III
go to Dwight I become exactly like Mrs
Grewe--and Id have to. give up the
children.
No. It's back to Joe or my knees, to
III succeed know I will! But won't
be under Fannys thumb? And won't
asEs Saek scSrSd amys ,n fr1nds A Like good
their rich meals and chatter as they do
and dance and grow old-and push Joe
on to make more money-rnore and
more,,.so I,ta ~, & that ! can get FAT and soft
Again her face was duivering. But
with an effort controlling herself, she
went into the nursery. And on the floor
with her wee son; slowly. rolling a big
soon again she nad grown quiet, almost
like her natural self She took suppef
alone. and then read a novel. page after
page without comprehendng. An hour
listening to the town--to It's numberless
voices, distinct and confused, from win
dows close by and from the street, and
rom other streets by hundreds ard from
a million other homes. and from the two
rivers and the sea--voices blurred and
fused In one. And It's tone, TO Ethel's
ears, was one Of utter Indifference
good-humored enough but rather bored
with young things" weeping on it's
BE Mrs Grewe, II you like" it said.
go back home to your history prof. Each
one Of these things has been done before
body cares. You have no neighbors. DO
exactly as you like"
Thank you very much" she said. II
choose to be Sally Crothers first. And
II that fails--well. between Fanny Carr
r., r. - Az. .. .,I, ~. ,'e'e 10" "'uSh choiSe'
"oh, no." said the city. And Il
yawned. But Ethel lay there thinking
Excuse me-" she spoke presently
Sorry CyoS to sSG; snn9y you asalnout is there
None came the sleepy answer DO
as you like, tell you"
She opened her eyes and sat UP in
Now I've been getting morbid again
For goodness sake let's try to be healthy
and clear about this :"
And she tried to be. But for some
time she made little ,headway. II wao
easy to grimly shut her teeth and re.
talk to Joe and simply make him be-
lieve me-! But as soon as she came
to the details OF what she shoulu say
to her husband, his face as she had seen
kept rising up before her. Could she
convince him? IT'S my last chance"
IT. only she knew how to go about 1t
She wanted to be heroic and face this
crisis all alone--but she had been alone
SO much. Tonight 1t seemed to Ethel as
though she had struggled alone for
years Was 1t all worth while. she
asked herself She could feel her cour-
age ooze again; Her thinking grew
and more the picture rose OF the woman mar
friend she had counted on having
Sally Crothers, who was so clever, n
older woman who knew New York, knew
what to do in such tangles as this, knew
And it was exasperating "If ] could
only get at her! !" she thought.
Carefully. almost word by word she
went over in her mind her talk with
Mrs Crothers that day, In order to And
out her mistakes.
DO you know what I think?" she
said at the end. Il think in the fret
part, you did pretty well. You made
amused@but she rather H liked si' YOU You
nevertheless. At least you were a
novelty. But then you went and spoiled
1t all by making solemn fool remarks
about S,oou r. the ne world in general; And there;
right, next time I'll be different. won't
be solemn, nor afraid OF saying anything
incorrect. In fact I'll revel in It She
asked me to come and see her, In a
tone which added, Don't But I'll be
Incorrect right there. will go to see
her and what's. more. I'll go tomorrow
afternoon And won't call up first,
for she'd say she was out. I'll get into
her house and get her dowustairs--and
IN break right through all smooth
] we got to have a woman friend! I'll
give YOU the chance OF your life. Sally
Crothers. to throw out the lifeline
IF You don't I'll--just swim about
Tor while No use in thinking of that,
though"
And suddenly she fell asleep
Mrs Crothers lived In a small brick
house on side street close to Washing.
ton Square. AS Ethel looked out from her
automobile. how dear and homv 1t ap-
peared, with such quiet friendly face.
Now for the plunge" She went up
the low steps and rang the bell. Thank
Heaven, II was rainy day. for when
the maid came Ethel went right In,
and the rain made that seem natural.
At least no door had been shut In her
face. She wanted TO get inside this
house
CONTINUED TOMORROW