The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-18
THE NEW
GENERATION
Ri ZANE PHET Pc
JOAN RELATES AN\EXPERIENCE
WITH A MARRIED MAN.
By JANE PHELPS


81 am a bit worried about you,
JOAN" Margaret said one day when
she had gone unexpectedly to the
studio, and encountered a medley of
young people, nondescript artists, wri-
ters and others.
Joan planted a. kiss on the end of
her mQther's nose, and said:
LAS for example" she demanded in
a tone full of explisite i4npudence.
"Oh, 1 can't feel it is so very seri-
GUS" Margaret was a bit fiustered at
the impudent tone and manner, but 1
do wish you knew more young people
like Hortense Thompson, and dear lit
tie Gloria Freeman. They were such
wholesome youngsters
They don't grow in New York. It's
too hectic for their sort" calmly re-
piled Joan.
And boys like Malcolm Frost and
Lonnie Carpenter" purposely Mar
garet omitted Ted Walters.
They would be so awfullly young in
New York that one would need to buy
a cradle for Them
You aren't ESQ very old yourself.
JOAN
Tn a Methuselah compared with
the boys and girls up home" Joan
never failed to call Wollcott home"
when talking to her mother. THE
boys especially. Why lit would make
Lonnie sick to smoke, I am sure. And
designations of New York boys"
aren't you ever shocked, Joan?"
Mel mercy no! I delight in dis
sipated people, they areI sure to be
interesting"
InWardIy Margaret shrank. This
was worse than the gambling of Joan's
childhood; the lovemaking of her
frankly express her delight in dissi-
pated persons was almost beyond
belief.
rs Dean Tenant dissipated?" Mar
garet asked when she recovered from
her surprise.
"Of course. All the girls I know
are just crazy over him. He's so
interesting"
Margaret regarded Joan critically.
She was the very pink of girlish neat
ness and perfection. Her clear wen
cared for skin, her sparkling eyes, the
spotlessness of the white collar and
cuffs she affected on her simple after
noon gowns, all gave the idea of well
groomed healthy girlhood. That she
could be intrigued with a fellow like
Dean Tenant was ridiculous.
Il suppose if you care for his SORT,
Malcolm and boys of his type are
pigeonholed for all time?"
Naturally! I can't endure to be
bored" Joan declared with all the
self-assuranee of middle age, her II
year-old forehead puckered into a
frown. I'm perfectly impartial in
NV likes and dislikes unless 1 am
bored. That IS unless the man IN
trigues me because of being different
I know one man, mother, she went
on after a slight hesitation. IF he
wasn't married I'd fall for him He 8
got the most gorgeous eyes, and he's
Unhappy at home; his wife doesn't
understand him."
'HThey all say that when they try to
impress a young girl,% Margaret sue
cessfully hid her amazement, and her
anxiety.
said I filled the aching void in his
life. I read somewhere the married
men said that sort of thing. and quot
ed it to him. He seemed to feel aW-
fully bad; almost insulted. He said it
was so unkind in me, because he was
not to blame that other men said fool
ish, untrue things. He's masterful,
too. sort of commands you instead of
asking
81 shouldn't think that would in
trigue you, Joan. You never to my
knowledge cared about being COM
manded to do things"
But he does it differently, as if he
couldn't help it because it is you.
guess I don't explain it very well But
once, about two months ago, 1 almost
fell in love with him. Then he said
something, I've forgotten what 1t was,
that made me so sorry for his wife.
and I told him I shouldn't see him
any more"
what did he say to that?" Marga-
ret was curious over this amazing
daughter of hers.
THAT I had spoiled his life. that he
loved me as he never had or would
love any one again. But I saw him
about a week afterward in the Ritz
with a girl making love to her to beat
the band. He didn't see me, and
when I went out I passed his table
purposely and told him soto Voce
that didn't see he had decayed If 1
had spoiled his life"
Margaret screamed with laughter,
while she said to herself:
She'll come out all right I al
ways knew she would"
fTomorrow-Margar is disturbed
omorrow-MargaFet is disturbed
because OF Dean Teanant.)