The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-18
The Woman
He Married
TWO MATRIMONIAL VENTURES.
BY JANE PHELPS


Mrs. Baker had told me a good
deal about Juanita. She had been
married twice, each time to a clever
man. But temperamental herself to
a degree seldom seen, she could not
endure the sameness. the boredom of
married life.
she is older now, perhaps she
would be less capricious,'' Mrs Baker
said. But while one can't help being
fascinated by her, her absolute I'M
likeness to anyone else, she is really
liked by very few. At one time she
thought she was destined fer the sis
| terhood, and declared she would go
into a conve1t for life. But like all
her moods it soon passed. She flirted
| desperately then with an artist who
came here for the winter, evidently
trying to make up for lost time. Then
! her husband, using an unfortunate
episode of her filtration as a basis,
divorced her.
| Mrs. Bakers recital intrigued me
! immensely and L asked many ques-
tions.
What happened to her first hus-
band %
HE killed himself. He was crazy
over her, and she absolutely ignored
a husband expects 1t was when she
| first came here, so not much was
known about him. He was an ordi-
nary fellow, clerk or something.
L imagine she was very young when
she married him. She said once that
her own people didn't understand her,
| that they were strict disciplinarians,
and that she couldn't live at home.H
Does anyone understand herr" I
queried
'She would claim that few did. Per-
haps your husband-or some man
she is trying to bedevil into plying her
because of her loneliness It is the
stock IN trade of some women, you
knoW-this lack of being understood,
just as it is with men when they want
to wander into forbidden places. But
we are gossiping horribIy-and about
an interesting womani Mr.. Baker once
said that if a man or woman was in
interesting, much could be forgiven
them. l am inclined to agree with
him, unless the interesting woman
threatens the happiness of another
woman. Then I prefer she should be
. stupid
1 knew that all this talk of Juanita
was meant as warning to me. Mrs.
Baker has said all she felt free to say
When twice she had warned me-. This
time she had shown me something of
, Juanita's life with, I was sure, the
same object in view.
y me newspapers had taken I'D with
aVldlty the story of the suicide of her
} first husband and the scandal attached
TO her divorce from her second, but
little she cared. so Mrs. Baker told ME
thlnk she rather gloried in the
publicity it gave her. You know they
say that no one is more charming
Inan widow unless it is a divorcee'
She gave her side to the papers also
II was very cleverly put. for publicity
| purposeS-She should have been ar
| cd es11n =
help it if 1nen fell in love with her
even if they killed themselves for her
sake.
I shuddered every time Mrs Baker
mentioned that first husband Hadn't
my Dick almost accomplished the
same thing? And I never had ever
looked at another man with any UNI
! Wifely thought in my heart. Perhaps
they, the people, were mistaken
about Juanita's first husband. Per
haps he, too, had heavier burd er
than he could bear financially
Juanita was horribly extravagant ir
her ideas, her dress. I asked Mrs
Baker:
'FWhere did she get her money
You say her first husband was g
poor clerk, and her second divorced
her, not she him.
Just about the time the CLERK
; killed himself an uncle Of hers died
and left her a fortune. He was al
irasclDie ola telioW they say, and left
her his money because she was diff
, ferent. She surely is different from
anyone I ever have known. The ole
man said in his will that he hated
her for the things she did, but ad-
mired her for daring to do them. Il
| seems she was the only one of all the
relatives he had who never had ask &c
him for help l guess that was tht
[ reason he left his money to her"
But, Mrs. Baker, hasn't she any
: conscience? Not many women prac-
= tise their wiles upon a man, and al
3 the same time remain friendly with
I his wife. 1t simply isn't done by de.
] cent women
mo. Mrs. Williams. Juanita has ne