Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-21

-- VELYN HARTMAN was fore
l. ed to realize two things. One
T. was that she had no longer
49, any power to patronize her
she no longer had any influence over
Tony. The new menage seemed 10
run very smoothly, people were be-
ginning to take Charlotte 1r: she
was gaining no small amount or pop
ularity and Mrs. Hartman was al
ways received courteously whenever
she called. But there was no init
macy between the two women, not
even friendship Charlotte was po-
lite but carefully walled about win
an impenetrable reserve which only
Clayton Hartman seemed aole 10
pierce with any success. Cnarl9IIe
liked him more and more each DAY.
He was always easy-go1ng and nat
ural, and so devoted to Junior that
it was almost pathetic
Since their frank talk Tony mad
said very little to his wife ABOUT
their relations. He knew thet for the
present he would have to be content
with what she had to give him. some
day he hoped to prove to her nn+r that
looked forward to an acid test OF
some kind that would prove TO. her
his real repentance, but sometlmes
he despaired of ever reaching her
heart again.
Charlotte asked her mother to
come and visit them, and she was
almost gay in, preparing the guest
room and getting everything ready.
She was grateful to Tony for the IN.
terest he took in the coming OF
Mrs. Graves. A year ago he would
have been fearful of the speech of
people, and Charlotte would never
have dared to ask either OF her par
10 - Nauy York
Mrs. Graves arrived, scrupulous in
her dark gray suit which was re-
served for Sunday best. Before she
had been there week Charlotte had
bought her some lovely clothes, a
toque of violets and soft gown OF
wistaria crepe which changed her
mother from a little gray mouse OF
woman to a rather DISTINGUISHED
looking individual.
The first night Of her arrival Char
lotte had crept into her mothers
room for a bedtime talk. Wrapped
in lemon-colored negligee with her
ash blonde hair over her shoulders
Charlotte was lovely, but Mrs. Graves
exclaimed at the lack of warmth the
garment possessed, and when she
discovered that her daughter slept
ir thin silk slip she was scandaliz-
ed. She herself wore a fiannelette
nightgown of faded pink, immacu.
lately clean but decidedly ugly.
Warm wooden bedsocks were drawn
over her feet, while Charlotte's own
were clad in satin mules which left
her pink heels bare and unprotected.
"You look like an Eskimo" Char
lotte laughed. you won't need all
these warm things here, mother; we
have heat in the rooms, and it is
never so cold as it is on the farm,
even in the midst of winter, and it's
March"
But Mrs. Graves shook her head
and remained unpersuaded.
Charlotte gave tea for her moth
err and asked Edith Comstock to
pour. Edith came, eager to see Char
lottes' mother, but Mrs. Graves was
so quietly dignified, so DESTROYS of
keeping quiet if she was not sure of
how to proceed, that there was abso-
lutely nothing to criticize.
Mrs. Hartman came and as usual
stole into the small nursery that had
been fitted up for Junior. AS it hap
pened Mrs. Graves had slipped away
for the same purpose and the tive
the crib where Junior slept in de-
llcious pink and white Indifference.
isn't he a darling" breathed Mrs.
Hartman, forgetting in the ecstasy
of the moment the fact that this was
Charlottes mother and nobody, and
not even seeing Mrs. Graves work
stained hands beneath the ruff1es of
the wistaria gown.
Mrs. Graves smiled and for a mo-
ment the two women were only
grandmothers, with fond, tender
eyes bent upon the sleeping face of
their first grandchild