Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-05
Chapser XII


~ was the fact that Tony took
no trouble to hide his displeas-
ure when Charlotte made mis-
take of any kind, that shadoWed
the first few days of her married
life, days which should have been
ali sunshine. He criticized her a
great deal, but the minute they were
alone. he wanted her in his arms,
and Charlotte loved him too much
to bear a grudge. She snatched at
the moments when he was Wiling
to take her as she was. and Rugged
them jealousy to her heart. Away
from the eyes of the world, he was
hers, but when his mother was pres
ent. or anyone else, he was quite
another person. v.
1t wasn't that Charlotte made so
many mistakes; it was that they all
seemed to be waiting for her to make
break of some kind, and this con-
fused her and made her constantly
self-conscious. She knew that her
ways We're not theirs, and where
Tonys mother could have done
great deal for the girl in quoting
her fears and putting her at ease
she kept up her naughty aloot man
ner, never once unbending toward
her in the slightest degree.
1t did not take Charlotte long to
understand that Mrs. Hartman
would never forgive her for marry
ing Tony. She discovered this fact
for herself on the day after her ar
rival in the city when her mother-in-
law took her shopping.
Shopping for pretty clothes can be
the seventh heaven of delight for
any young girl, and shopping for
such clothes as she had never worn
before would have been thrilling in
the extreme to Charlotte II the eX-
petition had been undertaken with
t,,;% f1,n At
Mrs Hartman. Certainly there was
no expense spared to tit her out
properly. They went first to
lingerie shop where Mrs. Hartman
selected fine embroideries. and love-
ly things of lace and silk, the price
of which took .Charlotte's breath
away The outfit was complete
yellow so pale that it almost
matched exactly the ash blonde of
Charlotte's hair. Charlottes heart
leaped childishly as she thought of
wearing it, and she flushed and
trembled as the thought of the
coarse things she had brought from
the farm, nightgowns of white cam
brio made with high necks and
sleeves that came to the wrists, UNI
derwear of the same material made
with cotton lace that her mother
had crocheted by hand, sitting up
at night after one of her hard days,
SO that Charlotte might have her
ugly garments softened with some
form of trimming
She had been fitted with shoes
of softest suede, buckled and with
such high heels that she was afraid
at herself when she found it so easy.
She had had a ready-to-wear serge
dress whipped into shape so that she
could put it on and walk out of
the shop in it, and a little velvet hat
with two gold quilts had been
crushed over her yellow hair.
She caught a glimpse of herself IN
a long mirror as they were leaving
the place and was startled at the
girl reflected there. Her feet SEEM |
ed incredibly small in the high
heeled shoes, and gossamer stock |
ed somehow to have gained dignity
and height in the simple, ultra smart |
things she wore. 1t was revela- |
ton, and then as they emerged into |
the crisp fall out-of-doors. a daz- |
zling vision swept UP to them, ex-
claiming in sweet high pitched
voice,
"Why. Aunt Evelyn, how lovely to
meet you like this
Charlotte stood silent. entirely
out of the eager conversation that |
followed. She found herself exam
llllllg Inns girl III d CullouSly ueiioeI-
ate fashion. She was so entirely
perfect, as though every little detail |
of her costume had been chosen for
its own special effect. Charlotte |
was conscious of the gulf that
stretched between, herself and this
gay laughing creature, whose clothes
were worn with the carelessness of !
perfect grooming. She forgot the
new clothes that she wore and re-
membered only the fact that they
had been put on over her coarse I'M
derwear. 1t symbolized somehow
the veneer that her mother-in-law
had thrown over her. to hide what |
she really was from the world.
1t seemed an eternity before Mrs. |
Hartman turned. including Charlotte |
at last in the conversation.
80. Edith she said evenly, and |
a cold little note crept into her voice, !
This is Anthony's wife,