The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-12
THE REVOLT OF
VERA SANDERSON
VERA WANTS ONLY A HOME AND
A HUSBAND.
BY JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER eh.

I n hOoAokANOs
CHAPTER s5.
| Toward the last of October noticed
a certain depressed excitement in Mrs.
Aldrich's manner. ISlonged to ask her
If anything unusual had happened; yet
hesitated to question her-it was
something she never did, and altho
she never had remarked about il,
knew she disapproved of curiosity.
! But was soon destined to know.
/ Vera dear, have had another let
| ter from your husband" she said one
morning, giving me the letter to read.
in your place 1 should ask him to
| come here and talk things over once
more"
IF I should he might insist upon
my going back, and L never will!
| Neverl-Not while Margaret is there.
mean while he lives with her"
You are of age, dear child, and you
have a home with me- Not luxurious
one, by any means, but a pleasant one.
He will see that You are neither
friendless or alone even tho you are
away from all your own people. But
do as you think best. 1t is only sug-
gestion, made to perhaps bring you
happiness"
1 went at once to my little room to
read Keith's letter. Altho it was ad-
dressed to Mrs. Aldrich, rather her
| initials-her friend had enclosed it
| addressed wanted to be alone when
read it.
my Dear J. E. A.:
s'When I received your reply to
! my letter 1 made up my mind that
| Vera never would come back to me,
! because of my inability to do as she
| requested regarding our family ar
| rangements.
| at is foolish and unnecessary to
| go into my reasons. She is only too
| well aware of them; in fact knew
them shortly after we were married,
| and seemed perfectly satisfied that
| it waS-so.
| Thru you, who are evidently in
| her confidence, I make another at.
tempt to bring her to reason before
| it is too late.
eff she will return to me at once,
| before gossip has made the situation
| unbearable, I will do as much as I
can to make her happy. I will hire
| her a maid of her own to look after
| her and her apartment. I will al
| low her charge accounts up to a
! certain amount and she may choose
| her own clothes-this has been one
| OF her omplaints-that my sister,
| because of her greater experience
and better judgment. has helped her
| in her shopping. I am willing to
concede these things. She may
have her own car, all the things
| she has resented my sister having
| altho at her disposal.
81 am writing to you, a stranger,
instead of her personally, in the
! hope you may induce her to listen
| to reason. If you will send me her
address I will write her personally.
with many thanks for the serv-
ice 1 have asked,
| GiooaraI-r
Keith Sanderson." :
I sat long with this letter in my
| lap.
Thru you I make another attempt
to bring her to reason"
That sentence rang in my mind.
had been reasonable He was the I'M
| reasonable one. L smiled bitterly as I
read that might now have a maid of
| my own, buy my own clothes, even
have a car. Did Keith know me so
little as to think my happiness de-
pended upon the possession of such
| things? They had helped me to be
| more miserable, but were far from be-
| ing the cause of my unhappiness.
That went far deeper My rights as a
wife, home life of my own. his love
and attention-these were the things
| was fighting for; the reasons why I
could not endure my life longer.
How could he think me SO petty
AS | read his letter over and over,
| each time it seemed colder, less as if
he really cared personally whether /
| returned or not. He feared gossip, I
| wondered how he had explained my
absence up to now. 1 had been gone
nearly seven months Margaret had
probably coached him in some sort of
story to account for me. That 1 had
| gone home, was i'll, something of the
| sort.
| AS usual the thought of Margaret
steeled me against Keith. Had he
| told her what he had offered me
| Did she also think me SO petty as to
accept such a compromise?
/ 'Neveri''
| If he had my address he would
write me personally-what was there
| to say? He still refused to make a
home for me, altho 1 had offered in
/ the letter 1 left for him. to live in the
simplest, most inexpensive way, in
| spite of his being a rich man.
| cared nothing for the luxurious home
1 in which we had lived I wanted
him, his time, his love, and also I
longed to serve him. To cook his ia
vorite dishes as Erma did for Jim.
To keep his home and look after his
comfort.
Not a very high ambition imagine
| many might think-but it was the one
longing of my soul A husband, my
husband. A home, my home.
| 1t was in this frame of mind that I
went down to Mrs. /Aldrich.
| Tomorrow-The text-Love one an
| other.)