The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-09
The Woman
He Married
NAN HEARS UNPLEASANT THING,
BY JANE PHELPS


While waiting for a reply from the
publisher to whom Dick had sent his
story-he was writing a series of arti-
cles upon the habits, ct cetera, of the
native Indians-he wished some in
formation he imagined Juanita could
give him, and 1 offered to go over
and ask for it.
The door was open and I walked in.
Naturally intended to make my pres
| ence known at once, but my name,
then Dicks, in Juanita's husky voice
halted me. Then old Mary. Juanita's
| nurse, who had lived with her all her
life, also spoke of Dick.
Juanita had laughed at me, calling
me a simpleton, and had declared she
could take Dick from me any time
she wished. L thought with a shiver
| that eavesdroppers never are supposed
to hear anything good of themselves.
| Surely I had not.
went back to the door and raped
loudly. Juanita came to the door and
her surprise at seeing me so early in
| the morning gave me the opportunity
to recover my composure. I told her
my errand, but refused to wait until
| she could look up some data.
Dick will run over and talk it over
with you,'' said as hurried away.
well, what did you find out for
me?'' Dick asked.
Nothing. I only saw Juanita for a
| moment. She will look it up for you,
then you can go over and get the
result"
Ionged to tell him of the conversa-
| ton 1 had overheard, but did not know
lust how to make him understand that
| 1t was not jealousy, or anger at the
way she had spoken of me, that insti-
gated me. So, as usual, I told him
nothing.
In some way must make Juantia
| herself show him. Nothing else would
| convince him of her true character as
I now saw it. But I had no idea Of
sitting down calmly to wait. 1 would
| force her hand in some way. I,
| That Illuminating moment when I
| listened to Juanita and Mary had de-
stroyed the last remnants OF any reel
| ing that was doing wrong to try any
thing in my power to break the friend
ship between Dick and Juanita. L
now would feel no self-reproach, no
matter if 1 deceived them both. Be
I fore this I had rather hated myself at
| times for the part was playing, and
at times would have given up IN
! despair had it not been for thoughts
i of Junior-what it might mean to him,
his future.
I wanted so to be happy with Dick.
so wanted him to be happy with me-
those years in New York if now |
could make him contented. I longed
also for~his respect, that felt had
once lost, and only won again thru
heartbreak for us both.
Thru my unhappiness ran Just a
CLEAN of hope. Had Juanita not felt
THAT Dick was becoming colder would
she have spoken SO bitterly Of me, been
| so anxious to show Mary-herself-
that she could take him from me? The
more I thought over what had over
heard. the more comfort took, in the
| thought.
| Would he grieve when he found out
| the sort of woman Juanita was? Or
would the knowledge kill all affection
| for her?
wife suspected her husband of dis
| loyalty, she has spent her time weep
ing. railing at fate, or attempting to
get even or make him jealous by intro
ducing the other man. I did none of
these things, and am inclined to think
not many tactful or proud women do.
| Of course had my work which took
much of my time. 1 believe that 1
was much happier to have an interest
| in life aside from my housework than
I could possibly have been without it.
And many other women whom the war
had made economically independent
| felt as 1 did.
I loved Dick devotedly, perhaps
more than ever before. But realized
that weeping, or being disagreeable
would avail me little if anything.
ST must fight it out in my own
way" I said to myself. mo one can
help me-"
1t seemed such a monstrous thing
| that a woman with whom I had been
friendly should deliberately try to
wreck my life and Dicks. just to
prove her fascination. I had not rea-
| lized there were such women in the
| world--women not immoral, but wick
eddy immoral. Such a woman was
Juanita.
(To be continued.)