Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-12
PLAIN TALK
Chapter 81


1t was always so much easier to
follow than to lead, or to go my own
way, that / did everything my aunt
told me.
She was supremacy happy now.
She ran me entirely. l literally ate,
slept and spent my whole time &C.
cording to her directions. She was
a woman of Astounding energy, with
not enough outlets for 1t. She had
tried to manage my father, who
quarreled, then married thinking he
would escape her, then fairly fed to
Europe to get away from her.
Though when she married 1t
changed things" he told me one
afternoon. "She had one person
always about to manage-her hus-
band rather liked it, I believe. He
was too busy to think about any
thing but his business, and was re-
lieved to have all the rest of his life
managed for him."
But you always have your way
when you want it." / observed.
TRUE" he answered. And of
course we never quarrel openly, that
sort of things rather vulgar-but
there's opposition running under
meath everything"
You seem to agree very well
apouL lOW " lildiid5C hlCp 1 cdad
%dolefully.
My father laughed.
"Well you see, in this case I bow
to my sister. 1 believe she knows
better how to bring you up than I
do. I've been neglectful as a. parent,
I'll admit. But 1 never felt like a
parent. l like you more because you
are a pretty woman than because
you are my daughter"
1 considered this, wondering
whether it was a compliment or not.
From my point of view, which was
the domestic one. it was not; from
his point of view it a
What do you think Aunt Harriet
has in mind about me?" 1 asked
~curiously.
My father stretched himself out
in his chair, his feet On a low foot
stool toward the fire.
Nothing in particular, except to
make you a great success I'm
aware that you're not interested
much in that, and I'm sorry. After
all, it's the only life you are fitted
for, the only one you were trained
for. You have everything in you to
make you a great social success, and
You know yourself that when you
tried to be quiet and domestic and
obscure, o We're miserable"
II know" I said, and my tone
must have sounded miserable.
$50 you see, there's nothing In
that. Better let Harriet manage
things for a time. She's very clever.
She's put you in the proper sort of
house for the season-small, but as
you are young and alone, you do not
need an elaborate establishment"
But. father, the rem of this place
and a cook and assistant and a
maid, and my car
True, but why have money If you
don't spend it?" Father always
looked so bored at the mention of
practical details that I did not pur-
NE this subject.
He held out his cigarette case.
Il know you don't like them, but
~ these, they're mild. I have them
made from a special tobacco grown
In Egypt, and put up there just for
me-"
I took and looked at fathers
monogram printed in gold on the
white paper. AS long as I was be-
Ing dragged into the game. I might
as well play it thoroughly. He held
p lighted match to the cigarette.
Meantime my aunt had staged a
magnificent dinner party, to which
~Gwendolyn brought the Ribbles. I
had to attend, though I begged not
to and, indeed, worried so over see
ing Gwendolyn again that I was i'll
for a day before.
But I went, and having made up
my mind about it, I took care to
look my best.
you must appear like a sweet
little ingenue of about seventeen"
Aunt Harriet remarked. "Ill have
q dress made for you, FeIicie knows