The Topeka state journal., 1921-09-20
THE NEW
GENERATION
HORTENSE'S GOSSIP ANNOYs
By JANE PHELPS

HORTENSES GOSSIP ANNOYS
JOAN.
Chaper 20.
1t is no wonder that Margaret oc-
casionally had misgivings concerning
the wisdom of her plans for Joan, yet
On the whole it had worked out re-
once had she considered making any
significant change in them. That the
child's nature was pregnant with pos
sibilities because of her unbringing
Margaret fully realized; possibilities of
both right and wrong; of happiness
and unhappiness. Yet she had the
faith in ancestry, in blood, in the in
herent probity, descended thru gen
erations Of right-living forebears, to
believe that Joan would come thru
clean.
Joan also had something else.
Margaret herself was a constant in
fluence-thru her conversation, her
ideals, her reading-she proved
wholesome guide to right thinking
on the part of her child. She met
ali the problems connected with Joan
in such a spirit of fairness Cher influ-
ence was so ftactfully concealed) that
Joan felt it was she herself who de-
cided what was right and what was
had decided thru her mother.
The relations between Margaret
and Joan at this time were peculiar
to hemselves-perhaps in a way un-
like cutomary relationships existing
between mother and daughter.
Margaret loved Joan intensely. But
added to that mother love was the
feeling of responsibility for her unique
bringing up; the intense following of
Joan's mental processes; the teacher
like attitude-camuflage ged.
Joan too loved her mother devot-
ed1y. Yet she had adopted an air of
criticism, of superiority because of
her non-reined youth and a feeling
that her mother was too old too
much behind the times to understand
what was really suita for her; and
who often mistook her place in the
world.
MY mother doesn't butt in.' she
often said to the girls, yet she had
felt of late that Margaret desired to
butt in that she must be careful or
her "Mumsie" would do something
foolish, or that would look foolish in
one of Mumsie's age.
Soon after Craig Forester left
town. Hortense Thompson said to
Joan:
How did D.. you like Craig Forres-
"oh, I don't know! He is all right
he had been Mrs. Thompson's guest
she added: HHe seemed nice at
times"
He liked your mother pretty we'll"
Everyone likes Mums;e."
"Oh, don't mean like that--same
as everyone does"
/ What do you mean them
/ 'I heard him telling mother that
she was the most charming woman
| he had met in a long Tina
| "Of course she isl" joan returned
emphaticaf1y. There isn't anyone IN
| this old town like her, not even your
mother tho perhaps you think your
mother is all right Joan happened
to think, just as this instanr, of the
| conversation she and her mother bad
had a few days previous regarding
Hortense and her mother in which
Margaret had said:
| "Hortense probably loves h r
mother just as much as you do me-
| You are a dumbhead, Joan Hay
| den, for all you are so smart in some
| things"
dumb about what? If you've got
anything to say. spit it QUIT" Joan
herself never beat about the bush
in her talk. Often she was a bit
cruel, but she was always honest.
| why everyone in town knew he
was in love with her I expect you
will soon have a new father" AS
| she made the last remark, Hortense
edged away a bit as if she feared
| Joan's anger might lead her to per-
sonaI conflict
"How dare you Hortense Thomp-
SON. never shall speak to you
again! Never as long as 1 live. My
Mumsie would never do such thing.
Never treat me so badly. Anyway
she's too oldi" Joan finished as If in
spite of her brave words she needed
/ some reinsurance.
| "Humph, Lots of women. widows
older than she is, get married. And
you needn't get so nasty about it
| either because I heard mother and
| father talking only this very morning
at breakfast about it. Father said it
] would be "a good match, so there!'
| without a word Joan turned away
| from Hortense, and crossing the
| street, went on home alone, regard
| less of Hortense's call to come on
and walk home together" She felt
| she needed to be alone to think. Then
| too she didn't intend to be friends
with Hortense any more.
| (Tomorrow-Joan repeats Hortense'S
| remarks.)