The Press., 1921-09-29
The "Wife" Back
 Home
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS
e 6y Mcclure Newspaper syndicafo.5


 luctantly, with many prOtestatiOns Papa Hall stayed just long enough tC get his family enscOnced in an exclu sive hotel and then hustled back, tC see to it that nobody made hay of his business in the sunshine of his ab sence; for 1t was his boast that he owed his success to strict personal attention to details. dTl
 Mr. Hall left an Imposing bank bal ance subject to his daughters sigma ture, and for two weeks Rose was sublimely happy. She was a bewitch- ing little blonde. With softly waving hair, to which a fashionable hair dresser did wondrOus things, and a petite figure that delighted the exclu- sive modistes. Innu' lerable OblOngs of pink paper bearing the imprint of a big metropolitan bank passed into will ing hands and in exchange Rose re- ceived masses of chifrOns and laces, satins and velvetS, brOcades and furS, which the fairy wand of commerce summons for my lady's adOrnment from the ends of the earth.
 For a year previous to the realiza- tiOn of her dream of spending winter in New York, Rose had studied religi- Ously the Sunday editions of the great city'S newspapers. The result was two sheets of letter paper covered with notes of places and things she intended to see. Theaters, famous and obscure :; restaurants, fashionable and merely queer; museums, art exhibits, foreign quarters, odd back waters that casual visitors usually missed everything even down to the menageries in the parks-ROse had vowed to see it all. And now she was ready to begin. But how was she to go unaccOmpanied?
 In Mrs. c. Slater Hall, Rose could find no solution of her problem. Mrs. Hall possessed two enormous interests, and two only. Her aches and pains and the movies. In her home town 1t kept her humping" as Rose ex- pressed 1t, to keep up with the changes in the programmes of three movie thea ters. In New York even unlimited leisure and endless taxiS could g, not bring success to her desperate efforts to see all the releases" Rose tried the cOmpaniOnship of Marie, her maid.
 Marie was blase, unappreciative- no fun at all. Besides, she uttered yelled threats of leaving. Rose turned in her extremity to a certain friendly middle-aged clerk of the hotel, who knew all things. -
 If you don't mind the cost" sug- gested he, you might engage some de- cent, presentable young man who knows his New York as sort of per manent, escort. Oh, it's quite often dOne" The clerk even knew of such person. until recently a guest of the hotel himself, but bit out of luck and having some difficulty finding a job. The clerk would make a point of get ting in touch with him if Rose wished.
 The idea was utterly novel to Rose but so was New York. She told the clerk to bring on his courier or escort or whatever he might be. And the very next day he did. The young man, who gave his name as Jerald Holmes, seemed all he was represented to be, so Rose engaged him. Then it was case of breaking the news to her
 
 to be little shocked at this caprice of her daughters, but in the end Rose had her own way, as always.
 Jerald Holmes proved to be a de lightfully sympathetic companion. AS the days went by Roses enjoyment of the things she had looked forward to was complete; for wasn't she seeing them properly dressed and properly escorted?
 Also she was glad-verv glad Rose succeeded in convincing herself-that Mr. Holmes was married. In their first interview he had mentioned a wife "back hOme," for whom he in- tended to send when he was settled permanently. Meanwhile, he assured Rose, acting as her escort was an exceedingly pleasant way of bridging over what would have been for him very awkward period.
 If their conversation ever verged on the personal, it was the man who always steered it away; so it was with never a hint to build on that Rose cOncOcted picture of Mrs. Jerald Holmes. Because her escort had the look of an outdoors man, she placed his wife as the tailOr-made type. She probably cOmbed her hair smoothly back and affected those mighty good looking sport suits and sailor hats that one saw in the shops. UncOnSciously Rose imagined Mrs. Holmes a direct contrast to herself.
 Yes, Rose assured herself. it was far better that her escort should be a married man-prOVided his wife did not object. and she had Mir. Holmes word for that. For otherwise he might attempt to make love to her in the many opportunities thrown in his way. and then. of course. she would he obliged to Snub him. Or he might be a fortune hunter This train of thought always landed Rose at the same tPrminal-that she was glad Jcrald HOlmeswas married-Of course!
 It was afternoon on one of those mild sunny days which occasionally lose their way in the calendar and stumble into the wrong month. Rose and her escort were strOlling in the park and amusing themselves bv fred Ing those little furry %raftrrS. tl.e squirrels. Rose had never seen Jr ald Holmes in such a happy mood It was contagious. hut at the sam. I,me she couldn't help wondering whaI had caused 1t. So she questioned very casually. Had some good newS?'
 "Ies," answered her companion "how did you guess it? Word came this morning that a position l was waiting for is open and I leave New York at the end of the week"
 So his position was out of town ~ Well. what difference did it make to her where it was? If he did not see tit to tell her more about it she would not ask. So, while she was murmuring congratulations, Rose shivered slightly ln the wind which seemed to have blown up of sudden. She wished