The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-17

"The American Beauty" passed a group of young men in hotel lobby pr. George Milton, a distinguished physician. overheard them say that she wns the cause of the Glendening divorce suit. He Is intensely inter- ested, as the case affects him per- sonaIly. At his club Dr. Milton meets two close friends, John Davis, attor- ney for Mrs. GIendening. and James Ciavering, attorney for Harry Glen dening. The conversation drifted 'o the divorce case. The two lawyers W ere surprised to learn that Dr. Mill ton knew anything about the Glen dening case. Davis shrewdly guessed that the doctor knew the real woman in the case. He was convinced the "American Beauty" was e blind. He proposed that he tell Mrs. Glenden- ing's side and C1averinB her hus- bands story, hoping this would bring from the doctor the name of the real woman in the case. Clavering Ia reading a story GIendening has wrIt- ten of his life. He tells how he and his wife drifted apart. He then grew interested In a fine woman nained Margaret Earle. She reciprocated his love. He proposed that they elOpe. Margaret suggested he go away and see if, at the end of two weeks, he shall love her.
 THE AMERICAN BEAUTY
 q dropped into one of the hotels to meet my wife and friend one day at tea" continued Glendening's let ter. T was bored to death at the thought of having to do this, for l hate tea and I hate to dance with my own wife-especially in the after noon.
 when & man does his duty by dancing with his wife. 1t Is quite as savorIess as a dinner without salt, and 1t Is just the same with married kisses. You swoop down toward your wife's upturned face and touch the corner of her mouth or the cor ner of her ear--as the case may be, and, with a feeling of relief you shout, Good bye. darling, I'll be home early tonight and rush away-only to come home late as usual
 "The only pleasure in either kiss ing or dancing is that you want to do it with that particular woman more than anything else in the world.
 My wife had. however. insisted tEat I should dance attendance upon her that afternoon. She had friend staying with her-one of the two or three women in the world for whom she cared-and as I had decided in my own mind that this was one of the few remaining times that should have to dance attendance, would meet her at the hotel and avoid a scene.
 However. I hardly dreamed that out of clear sky, that day, would come something which would change my whole life.
 As usual I was late and had to listen to the usual nagging com ments upon my lack of promptness And as usual, I said nothing. But after listening to the vapid conver- sGtion of my wife and her friend for some moments. I felt a little cold shudder run down my backbone grave quoted my wife's friend lightly. as she noted my involuntary shiver.
 q turned little in my chair and looked squarely into the eyes of a woman who affected me as no othcr woman has ever done.
 Tt was like an electric shock.
 "She was a glowing beauty, with skin of rose-leaf texture and tint eyes brilliant and very hark, hai- that curled softly about her face, and a smile which disclosed dazzling white teeth.
 My wife's friend, noting the direc- ton of my eyes. said Oh, there's Claire Adams. I remember that she married and came north, but I did not know that she lived here. Don't