Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-07
THE WIFE CHEATER
New Romance
BY HAZEL DEYO BATCHELOR

Joan Stockbridge marries Norman Wayne
in spite of many warnings from her friends
Norman is the kind Of man who has never
been known to care for one woman more
than few weeks at time, while Joan
is inclined to be too possessive in her atti-
tude toward marriage
CHAPTER w
Jealousy
WAS our first evening out among peo-
pie since our marriage, and Jim and
Margaret Hunter welcomed us vocifer-
ously. Norman and had taken two
week honeymoon, and had spent the rest
Of the time getting settled in our house,
and the neighbors had considerably kept
to themselves during that time.
Therefore, it didn't surprise me when
Ruth and Arthur FELTON, rose from the
darkness of the shadowy veranda to well
come u.s. Seeing all my old friends again
helped to dispel the shadow that had settled
over me during the early part Of the eve
ming. / had planned that night as a cele-
bration for the first month of our married
life, and Norman had hurt me by showing
that he preferred to spend it with other
people rather than alone with me. But
it was pleasant to see Ruth and Margaret,
and it was thoroughly delightful to be de-
ferred to as a bride. l was enjoying my
self thoroughly until Alice Wilson came up
the steps, and the moment | saw her a
strange sensation crept over me.
1t persisted when Alice put her arms
around me and kissed me tenderly, and
remember that l watched her as a cat
watches mouse when she turned to Nor
man, and they stood moment together.
Ruth and Margaret and Alice had always
been my closest friends but now L realized
that marriage had in a strange way erected
"a barrier between Alice and myself Ruth
and Margaret and l. we're allied. We, were
in a sense the same kind of women. Alice
was different. Marriage would not make
of her what it had made of us. For one
thing she would never settle down as we
three were content to do Was that what
Alice had meant when she had said that
would take marriage too seriously? Did
she mean that because of that ! would find
it difficult to hold Norman?
Alice looked very slender and virginia.
in the dim light of the porch, and as she
threw back her head and looked up into
Norman's face, / felt stab of pain in my
heart l was thoroughly ashamed of my
self for the feeling. Could I, a bride Of
four weeks, be jealous of any woman, let
alone Alice?
If Norman had wanted to marry her he
could have chosen her in preference to me,
and he hadn't. Nevertheless the feeling
was there in my heart and it remained
through the evening.
Later, when we all went inside and
turned on the photograph, looked happily
toward Norman certain that he would ask
|
when saw him already circling the room
with Alice. 1t took every bit of pride that
possessed to smile up into Jim Hunters
face as though nothing had happened and
to dance off with him. Over his shoulder
my eyes followed Alice's white dress, and
noted with fierce resentment the way she
threw back her head and smiled UP into
Norman'S eyes, He smiled back. He
seemed absolutely oblivious to the fact that
was in the room. He made no effort at
all to seek me out to throw me surrepti-
tious smile felt that I couldn't bear it
another minute, and yet even then fought
with, all my strength against this feeling
that was threatening to engulf me. 1t was
jealousy, plain and simple, and must con.
quer it now at the beginning OF my mar
ried life.
1t wasn't as though hadn't been warned.
1t wasn't as IL / hadn't know nall along
Of Normans reputation with women. had
been told what to expect and had married
Norman in spite Of everything; then L
must be brave enough to, face consequences.
I must be impervious to jealousy. Above
all, 1 must not let any one suspect how
I felt at this moment, for Margaret and
Ruth and Alice had been the first to tell
me that I was making a mistake.
In desperation I pulled the remnants OF
my pride about me. / reasoned that was
exaggerating Norman's attitude toward
Alice But at that moment recalled the
been something between Norman and Alice
would be great satisfaction to know. And
suddenly I made up my mind to ask Nor
man to tell me the truth.
(Thursday-The Mistake)