Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-04-13
= By -
Irving Bacnell
ILLUSTRATIONS BY IRWIN rYERS |

- D1 levin rhfAiS. lttB/|MM
after his return 20 the homely realities
80 Bingville. The shrewd munitions
~ Mrs. Bing alarmed her. So Phyllis
and John were packed OF 10 private
schools 20 that the good woman would
he free TO look after the lmperiled
welfare Of the lamb OF her fOck-the
great ]. Patterson. She was really
worried about him. After that. she al
ways went with him 10 the city. She
was pleased and delighted with the
luxury OF the great hotels. the cos
tunes. the dinner parties, the thea
tiers. the suppers. the cabaret shows
The latter shocked her a little nj first.
They went out 10 a great country
house. near the city. 20 spend a week
end. There was a dinner party on
Saturday night. One Of the ladies got
very tipsy and was taken upstairs.
The others repaired 10 the music room
10 drink their coffee and smoke. Mrs.
Bling tried a cigarette and got along
with IL very well. Then there was an
hour Of heart 20 heart. central Euro
pean dancing while the older men sat
down for a night Of bridge in the H.
hrary. Sunday morning. the young
people rode TO hounds across country
while the bridge party continued its
session In the library. IL was not ex-
actly n restful weekend. j. Patterson
and his wife went 10 bed as soon as
their grips were unpacked on their re-
turn 20 the city and spent the day
there with aching heads.
While they were eating dinner that
night. the cocktail remarked with the
lips 81 Mrs. Bling: "rm getting tired OF
BIngville."
"Oh. Of course. it's a picayune
place" said J. Patterson.
"It's 50 provinciall" the lady ex-
claimed.
Soon. the oysters and the entree
having Suhdued the cocktail. she ven
tured: "But II does seem 20 me that
New York Is an awfully wicked
place"
"what do YOU meant" he asked.
Goddess" she answered. "The drink
ing and gambling and those dances"
That's because you've been brought
un in sevcn-hy-nlne Puritan village"
J. Patterson growied very decisiyely.
~why shouldn't people enjoy them
selvesF we have trouble enough at
best. God gave US bodies 20 get what
enjoyment we could out 81 them. It's
about the only thing we're sure Of
anyhow"
II was a principle OF Mrs. Blng TO
agree with J. Patterson. And why notf
lie was a great man. She knew IL as
well as he did and that was knowing
II very well indeed. His judgment
had been right--triumphantly and
Overwhelmingly right. Besides, Il was
the only comfortable thing DIDO. She
had D. zen the type OF woman who reads
those weird articles written by grass
widows on "How TO KEEP the Love of
a Husband"
So IL happened that the Bings be-
gan 10 construct a little god 10 suit
their own tastes and Maidstone
about rs tractable as a toy dog. They
withdrew from the congregational
church aud had house parties for sun
dry visitors from New York and Ha-
zelmead every weekend.
Phyllis returned from school in May
with spirit quite In harmony with
that OF her parents. She had spent
the holidays at the home OF friend
in New York and had learned 10 love
the new dances and 20 smoke. although
that was n matter TO be mentioned
only In n whisper and not In the pres
ence OF her parents. she was a tall.
handsome girl with blue eyes. blonde
hair. perfect teeth and complexion,
and almost n perfect figure. Here
she was. at last. brought up 10 the
point OF a coming-out party.
II had been a curious and rather
unfortunate bringing up that the girl
had suffered. She had been the pride
of asmother's heart and the occupier
of that position Is apt TO achieve great
success In supplying a mothers friends
with topics OF conversation PHYLLIS
had been fiattered and INDUCED. Mrs.
Bling was entitled TO much credit. hav-
ing been born OF poor and illiterate
parents In a small village on the Hud-
son a little south OF the capital. She
was pretty and grew up with longing
FOR better things. ]. Patterson got
her az a bargain In an Albany depart
ment store where she stood all day
behind the notion counter. AT bar
gain" IL must be said, because. on
the whole. there were higher values
In her personality than In his. She
had acquired that common Bertha
Clay habit OF associating with noble
lords who lived in cheap romances
and had a taste for poor but honest
girls. The practical J. Patterson hated
that kind % thing. But his wife kept
A supply Of these highly favored nov
els hidden in the little fat and spent
her leisure reading them.