The Topeka state journal., 1921-12-31
THE NEW
GENERATION
JOAN PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
By JANE PHELPS

JOAN PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
Chapter 1os.
The day after Margaret's return
from New Haven Joan had dinner
with her. They had a very gay meal,
Margaret relating all she had done
while away, telling of Ted's popularity
with the girls and so on. After din
ner they went into Margarets room
to continue their chat. 1t was rain
ing hard and>she had persuaded Joan
to remain all night.
The telephone tangled. Margaret
| answered, and as she talked her eyes
met Joan's. The girl knew from the
conversation that it was Craig For
| rester talking, and her eyes took on
the sombre look they always did when
| she thought of her mothers friend
! ship for him.
Margaret talked but a few moments,
yet the evening was spoiled-or so Joan
| thought. as her mood changed. Mar
garet realized it, and flushed. Then
! feeling the dart of the girls quick
| disapprobation, she stepped before
| the mirror pretending to rearrange
her hair.
! Joan laughed a bit harshly.
Cant let you alone, can he,
nother?" she asked, then arose and
| gathered her handbag. her cigaret
case, and her gloves together. She
put on her hat and arranged it and
her hair with quick definite gestures
Il suppose I'm rotter about For
! rester, but 1 can't help it! I've tried,
too, altho I can't expect you to be-
lieve it"
'Of course I believe it if you say it
is so. What 1 cannot understand,
dear, is why you dislike him So"
/ 10 -afer faf1 IL
cigaret case from Joan and laid them
on the dressing table.
II don't dislike him, anyway 1
| don't now, not like I did before he
| brought me home that night 1 was so
frightened in the park. But 1 do dis
like the thought that he wants to
marry you. He knows you have been
married once"
| Nowadays women and men also
often marry more than once. I am
surprised that a girl as broad-minded
as you are in most things. should feel
! as you do on that subject. I might,
were 1 divorced, but under the circum-
stances 1 don't see your viewpoint at
all.''
You would II you were me, and I
you. 1t isn't decent, really it isn't! I
know what you mean about people
| marrying several times-on with a
| new husband before the old has had
time to get clear of the doorstep, and
1 expect l am sort of a crank on the
subject. But 1 think it is better for a
| woman to live with a man she really
loves, and stick to him thru every
thing, than to be married to three
| or FOUR
81 have told Craig Forester would
not marry him. have also promised
you I would not so long as you are
unwilling, Why do We discuss it?''
| Because 1 feel such a rotter to
| stand in VOI1T- vyav If v0I1-1ara E4nnaet
1 do, Mumsey! Yet I can't give in
Margaret put a loving hand on
Joan's arm.
''I understand in a way how you
feel, dear, but not entirely. 1t could
never make any difference as far as
you were concerned-'
That's just it, 1t would make all
the difference in the world. Now you
are my mother. Then you would be
his wife Mrs. Craig Forester"
Margaret laughed gayly. Then
changing the subject, she urged Joan
to talk of her work, the last article
she had written and the one she had
in mind. Later Hannah brought in d
big plate of cookies and glass pitcher
of lemonade with cleaning red cher
ries, and slices of lemon cut paper
thin, as Joan loved it, floating among
| the ice.
Joan was still a child in many
I
about her was so intense. She sal
| crosslegged on the big divan and
| munched cookies, drank lemonade
and fished for the cherries with heI
hatpin, for all the world as if she were
| 8 years old instead of 19. Joan's abso-
lutte refusal to grow up in many ways
was one of her greatest attractions
and one of the most appealing to hel
mother.
What a child she is" Margaret
said to herself, as Joan held out 6
cherry to her on the point of the
hat-pin.
"Um-um-but these cookies are
good-I've eaten about a dozen!" Joar
said as she laid the empty plate or
the table and rang for Hannah. 'Ii
I ever should be so silly as to marry
Mumsie, not only will you have tc
come and live with me, but Hannah
will have to come, too. I should wan'
my children to have her cookies"
Margaret laughed merrily, and a.
Hannah looked curiously at her she
explained:
Joan says she wants her children
to eat your cookies, Hannah"
"Of course they will. I amt never
had no doubt that Miss Joan would
| marry some time
(To be continued.)