The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-30
The Woman
He Married
nv yANJE DIyEr DC
NAN PLANs a TIRE.
BY JANE PHELPS
Chapter los.


l had contracted for the decorating
of another large house, this time a
new one. It was an extremely remun-
erative job. L had at first refused it..
not because of lack of time but be-
cause of my depressed condition, my
uhhappiness in the discovery of Dick S
infatuation for Juanita. But when
they entreated me to do the work,
naming my own price, 1 consented.
1 should make enough to finish our
| own house and if Dick would consent,
put into effect a little plan of which
L had been thinking. After L finished
1 this work he and. 1 would go to- Los
Angeles, surprise Junior. then take a
"trip to San Francisco. His book
| would be in the publishers hands then
and the rest and change would do us
both good. 1t would also separate him
| from Juanita in a perfectly natural
way, 1 reasoned.
When 1 told Dick I had decided to
take the house after all, he only re-
| marked:
Don't try to do too much, Nan"
| It was what he always said.
| Perhaps Dicks seeming indifference
| to my work, even when it really had
amounted to something, had hurt me
almost as much as anything he could
have done except ceasing to love me.
At Lansing he had been SO interested,
asked so many questions, been SO
| Eolicitous. that his stereotyped ques-
! tons, his cold indifference now hurt
doubly in comparison.
I attributed all of this to Juanita's
| influence. He was SO interested in her
! that he had no interest in me, or any
thing 1 did, thought with bitterness.
| The book vas finished that week.
| All those last days Juanita was clos
eted with him from morning until
| night lille attended to my work,
| most of which had to be done away
from home. was always there at
| meal time, however, and invariably
was obliged to call them to their
kept (and could afford) had an
nounced they were ready.
They never know whether am in
| the house or not 1 said to myself
after Dick had made some remark
| which showed an utter failure to re-
| member 1 had told him I was doing
| Mr.. Bakers new house. And Juanita
| seemed to forget my very existence,
save occasionally when at lunch she
would remember was alive and say:
you must excuse us, Nan, but we
are so interested in our book We can
think of nothing else.v
How that "us," and i've" and our"
hurt me! But I comforted myself
with the thought-the book is almost
finished, she will have no excuse to
be here then. So 1 smiled, and told
them not to mind me, while inwardly
knew that I longed to be minded
very much indeed.
Saturday afternoon they went to the
postoffiee together and sent the manu-
script to a prominent New York pub
fisher. I met them as I was going
home from a hard afternoons work.
They were laughing and chatting un-
restrainedly until 1 Joined them.
They had not seen me, until 1 was
almost abreast of them.
Immediately they became quiet, at
loo
'T heard you laughing" 1 said. 81
expect you both feel immensely re-
lieved now that the manuscript is out
of the way"
TT may come right back. Dick
grumbled.
Don't even think that liter all your
work. We won't talk it backp' 1 said
lightly.
"wiiI you come in?" Dick asked
Juanita as we neared the house.
mo think not" If she was wait
ing for me to say anything she surely
must have been disappointed I would
begin at once to hold myself aloof.
Then I'll walk homie with you. The
walk will do, me good. I'll be back by
the time dinner is ready, Nan"
1 went into the house perfectly dis
couraged. 1 had hoped for SO much
when the book was finished. It was
finished. But it looked as if there was
to be no change in the intimacy it had
fostered to such dangerous degree.
would sound Dick as to my plan
when he returned. 1 waited until we
were drinking our coffee before I'M
folded it to him.
\ "You see, Dick, you have been work
ing terribly hard on your book. This
Job will give us enough money, and
we both need a change Then as he
did not answer, 1 added: "And Just,
think how pleased Junior would be to
see u.s.
ST don't know about going away
then Nan. If Bowman takes my book
may want to take a trip 1 haze been
thinking of for some time. Somers''-l
man whom we knew only slightly,
but a great friend of Juanita's--t'hasI
asked me to go on q yachting trip with
him. L haven't given him any answer
yet, but-wel1 I'll think about it.
There's no hurry--you can'tg go for a
month yet anyway / believe you said.'
mo, 1t will take { month longer for
me to finish up with the Bakers r
spoke coldly. I had been puzzled, then
burt by the hesitating way in which
Dick had received my suggestion for a
vacation together, and the calm way in
which he had left me out of his own
plans. But he did not appear to notice.
and we spent the evening reading-he
late magazine, I a book upon interior
decoration.
Not once lid he again mention his
book, neither did we talk of anything
of interest To It's both. w. ---H.A to-
gether. yet as far apart ss the poles.
(Tomorrow-ine ls'oi.I.se,i 4.vuse-
warminE.N