The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-23
THE NEW
GENERATION
n. TAEE puEfDC
MARGARET MAKES A TRIP TO
BOSTON.
BIZ JANE PHELPS

Chapter Is.
Hortenses careless insinuation, her
repetition of her fathers thoughtless
remark, had leftthought, disturbing
to both Joan and Margaret. To Joan
| for the first time had come the posi-
hility of anyone st.ve herself mean
| ing anything to Margaret; to Mar
garet they had emphasized Craig For
resterS attentions, kept him in her
mind, and also opened up a new vista
for the coming years.
If Joan, after the manner of young
| things. seemed to forget after a few
days. she nevertheless had been made
aware of a menace to her happiness
which would spring into life at the
least disturbing word.
But Margaret could not forget, try
as Sc would. 1t seemed a bit strange
| to her that never before had the
| thought of a second marriage oe-
Cured to her. Of course she / ew
that many widows fa~ older than she
married again, and were very happy.
| But to her marriage had meant SO
| little. Simply a continuance of her
mothers regime. Had it not been for
Joan, she never would have felt she
| had been married at all. Often she
would forget incidents that had hap
pened in the short year she lived with
| him-and her motl-er. What she re-
| called was the long evenings spent in
the library where her husband and
mother discussed things of not the
| slightest interest to her; or played
chess, until seeing her yawn, they
would send her off to bed while they
continued the game.
Now she took to analysing the
married life of the people she knew:
k-upfwoudlhe eta etaoin -
Mr.. and Mrs. Thompson, Hortense's
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Freeman,
father and mother of Gloria. The
! FFnSfc WhnSn Malcolm Gh 10
liked so well now that she knew him.
| These and others she watched close
| ly. Everyone of the women were a
bit older than she, yet how young
and gay they were at home in their
families. All but Mrs. Thompson
| seemed to enjoy her husbands nom
| sense.
They aren't any younger or any
| better looking than 1 am she apos-
trophied to her reflection in the mir
ror. mo. they aren't as cookbook
| ing, when l dress as l wish 1 dared
| Dress
| That word expressed Margaret's at
titude. She did not darel and because
of Joan. Not only did she not dare to
dress and comb her hair as she
pleased, but she did not dare let Joan
feel that she would entertain a thought
of changing her life in any way. The
| look on the child's face when she came
home after listening to Hortense' S
gossip was constantly before her. The
threat to jump into the river, or take
poison if ever anything should come
to live with them, had been made with
such intensity that Margaret shud-
dered every time she thought of it.
! mo, never should dare!" she said
positively.
She had had no more trouble with
Mrs. Corey, yet she was often shocked
at Joan's ideas, so naively expressed,
and wondered if she voiced them at
school, to her mates.
There was not a trace of self-con-
seriousness in Joan. Her naturalness,
her perfect frankness and her honesty
were her greatest attractions. She
could not endure affeetation in anyone,
even her dearest girl friends, any more
than she could stand for ''snarty"
boy-her especial detestation.
She very naturally looked for the
same frankness, the same honesty as
she gave-especially from her mother
Margaret realized this and felt some
what guilty when she thought of the
mental reservations she frequently
ade of late; so different from her
usual procedure in the years past when
Joan had been her only thought;
Joan's happiness her only wish; Joan's
future her only anxiety.
Now her own future often occupied
her. When Joan married, or If Joan
marries what shall I do? were ques-
lions she asked herself over and over
again, only to feel she was going about
in a circle, invariably coming back to
the starting point.
Occasionally she tried little expert
ments. One day she went into Bos-
ton and returned with a large box of
toilet accessories. She timed herself
| SO that her return was after Joan
had ro+irad then hid the toilet articles
and other things where she would not
| find them.
She'll only laugh at me If she
knowsHsay am old" Margaret said
to herself, in apology. 81 won't use
| them-much. I just want to see how
| I would look and feel if did as other
women my age do"
Tomorrow-Margaret awakens to
realization of her youtii.)