The Washington herald., 1922-06-04
co~ti~ueS from Yesterday.
A Horrible week-End.


Jane moped about the nat until her
mother wished that anything would
happen to break the oninous lone
someness. the absolute desertion Of
the place.
i Traverse evidently meant to keep
4 his distanee-he was through!
In her heart. Mrs. Richards did
not blame him, knowing as she did.
James little eccentricities. The
rather old-young life she had led
as sole companion OF her widowed
mother had marked Jane in dispo-
sition very different from most
happy, care-free girls. In her con-
tact with men. she was not so d.
rect and generous as a girl who
| had brothers or father about the
thouse.
James experience in the business
world had made her. In many ways.
more masculine than feminine, al
though there were startling mo-
ments when the whole appeal to sex
came upon her. In such moments
she was strangely, disturbed.
She was not demonstrative. She
! had strange inhibitions. When she
hrst met Norman Traverse she had
thought. He Is the first man who
makes me realize that ] am just
woman-all woman, Nothing counts
but me-"
\ Jane had thrilled at the thought.
but she had not let him guess that
the discovery Of his love meant SO
+! much. rather there had been difficult
moments between them when Jane
had felt not bashful-but awkward.
At such times she had sought
safety in silence. In these moments
when she felt more than she could
express. or was willing to express.
Jane drew within herself. Norman
once referred to her mood as suilen
and this Jane did not like. Even
her mother had observed her reso-
Lutte control. and remarked with a
smile. II see. Jane, you know how
to keep a man guessing.
Jane did not want to keep Nor
man guessing. She was engaged 10
marry him, she loved him, and she
intended to give herself to him.
heart and soul-but always there
was something within her strug-
Cling against simple surrender.
One thing happened after another
and then there were those dreadfui
moments when jealousy ran rife'
struck the tinder of her dangerous
Inconsistencies and lit the primi-
tive passion that consumed itself In
wild and bitter words. These mo-
ments had scorched away her hap
piness-these tempers or spells
had finally discouraged Traverse,
until now he was gone-he didnt
want to marry her!
No one realized better than Jane
how much she was to blame. sne
was always ashamed after these
70
the Ball Des Artistes-the way she
had allowed Marchand to dance
with her! The day at the hospital
the way she had insulted the
nurse.
The nurse!
Jane suddenly famed into anoth-
! er Jealous thought. The nurse
might be to blame! She probably
had told Traverse there were other
girls-with sweeter dispositions
Perhaps she had even smiled more
sweetly herself to convince him OF
the beaming virtues a woman misn'
Ugh! why had he gotten into
that hght with Marchand? why
. did he have to go to the hospital!
II they had stayed away from that
awful Ball Des Artistes. she and
, Norman would have been safely
married-by this time, away or
their honeymoon!
Honeymoon! How Jane had
dreamed of it. What she would not
now give for just one kiss! But II
"Oh why, oh why were you such 2
, little foolr she cried within herself
Then she tried to be calm-to face
, the situation. But she couldn't
, She stormed about the house
banged upon the piano in spasms
, without ever finishing a piece. and
. finally pulled out all the bureau
! drawers to set about a nervous ad'
justment. She remembered a psy-
cho-analyst once said that when the
mind Isl disordered folks are apt to
begin Strengthening sticks and
stones-many women evidence this
by a washing and polishing craze.
But whatever queer complex Sc,
Jane to packing her clothes ano
shining her toilet silver. there was
, yet a possibility that she might be
preparing-in case Traverse should
return-should insist upon an i'm
mediate marriage and-the honey
moon.
They had planned to go to Yel-
. lOwStOne iONcu lhC w co.
lit was so clean and free.
She had polished her silver mir
ror three times over again.
What in the world is the matter
with me?" she thought irritably.
Then she began to shine off the
dresser mirror. There was no sense
to that, except, of course, she could
see only more plainly how gray and
ill she looked. Had worry put all
those horrid little lines about her
eyes? Tears.
"rm nervous" Jane admitted as
i she powdered her face and added
little too much rouge to try to de-
ceive even herself.
Nervous. Terribly, wretchedly
she dot What would become OF
her?
Jane did not know that the only
i cure for this neurotic teeter-totter-
ing of emotion was to give up the
thoughts Of juvenility and face her
life frankly-as a woman. Instead
and be horrified with life. the best
way is to live, 1t be consumed by 1t
fused into its purpose.
1t is known that frequently. after
marriage, these fits of jealousy and
temper cease. Jane had been very
near to realization-happin she
had known what 1t was to be kissed
Ito want TO be kissed! n
But 1t was all over now.
J She would be left alone all the
rest of her life. Through her owr
foolhardi ness she had lost the only
man she ever Ioved the only man