The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-28
THE NEW
GENERATION
Re- ZANE PHELPS
JOAN WRITES OF MARTHA
HARDY.
By JANE PHELPS

Margaret would have felt rather
lonely in spite of her pleasure i'll her
new home, and in her freedom, had it
not been for Janet Walters, whom she
laughingly called her safety valve
-Lanet had kept her promise and in
troduced Margaret to many charming
people in a series of dinners she gave
for her. Margaret reciprocated as
soon as social usage permitted, and at
the expiration of a month felt she
had become IN a sense one OF small
but-select coterie.
Her dinners were the delight and
despair of the women she entertained
Hannah's delicious cooking made
them envious, while Margaret's skill
as hostess was inclined to make them
jealous To offset this was their APP
prec-ation of the food. and their pleas
ure in their artistic surroundings.
Margaret was, as we have said.
finished musician, altho up to this
time her music had been kept up
mainly to encourage Joan. Now she
was thankful as she could often give
pleasure to her guests, as well as help
any hostess entertain.
Bridge she had learned to play ex-
pertly. And while rather indifferent
to cards, she never refused to take
hand, -Aut graciously joined any game
when asked. In other ways too she
endeavored to please-never hanging
back when any pleasuring was rro-
posed; but entering into everything
with zest which added immensely to
her popularity. For the world over it
is the man and woman who are ready,
who make no excuses, who are, popu
| lar.
In other ways too she did not hold
back as she used to do. Her calls
were returned promptly. Little amen
tiles of life that heretofore had e.
| capped her notice because of her NIB
| IN n
ceived attention. She soon was re-
| marked upon as an extremely
| thoughtful woman.
! In consequence of these attributes
she was much sought after, and Mrs.
Walters predicted a very gay winter
for her protegee, as she laughingly
| dubbed Margaret.
| One morning Margaret was reading
one of Joans forwarded letters, a let
! ter full of schoolgirl gossip, and Joan's
| quaint philosophy concerning people
| and things, when her telephone rang.
| Come over to tea this afternoon.
I have some people I want you to
meet coming i'm 1t was Mrs, Wal
| tiers who spoke, and, because it was
a usual thing for her to receive such
an invitation Margaret accepted, then
! gave it no further thought, returning
| to Joan's letter.
81 do so want you to know some
OF my new friends, Mumsie," she
wrote they are dears! You might
not approve of some of their ideas.
but that is because you have lived
the CONSTRUCTED life of the small
town. Were you in New York where
| people live every minute of the time.
you would better understand.
shall bring, at least, one of the girls
home with me for the Christmas
vacation, Martha Hardy. She is a
rampant socialist, but very clever
and charming. She makes such
girls as Hortense Thompson and
Gloria Freeman seem very young
and uninteresting. 1 am still fond
of Gloria and Hortense, but 1 often
chat after being with brainy girls
like Martha. Martha isn't pretty.
but she is very clever looking. OF
course she wears her hair bohbed.
You remember 1 had decided to let
mine grow long when j left home
but after meeting the girls and find
ing that most of the really clever
ones wear bobbed hair L decided L
would keep mine short. Martha
says long hair needs so much atten-
ton; it takes the time one had bet
ter devote to improving the mind,
and studying the economic condi-
lions of the world. You should hear
her talk about capital and labor,
how capital grinds labor into the
, | dust One forgetS she is just a girl,
and remembers only what she says.
| I only hope that sometime 1 may be
able to talk as cleverly on the same
subject. I am going to take up the
study of social conditions. the eieva-
ton of the iaborer. the equalizinG OF
| all.
st wonder il you forgot to send
the cookies last week. I missed
them dreadfully. so did Martha,
| with whom I share them. Tell Han
nah to make a double quantity this
| week to make up
Now goodbye. Mumsie, dear.
Don't forget to tell me all you do
and if you have any company.
"Fondly, Joan"
"a Socialist, and-CookiesH Mar
garet laid down the letter laughinG
. heartily What a mixture Joan was
n CTomorrow-A surprise is planned FOL
Margaret.)