The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-09-13
The Little Blue
Bowl
By LILY N



90 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
Iris felt that Doctor Bowen alone
understood that she had suffered men,
tally at her brothers home, that the
entire atmosphere was alien to her,
hat she did not fit in and last and
most of all that Kitty, Jim's wife, was
of a different social class. Kitty with
her expansive bosom, bad grammar,
loud voice and booming laugh, had
dragged Jim down to her level. The
whole neighborhood was akin to Kitty
and the house and children belonged
specifically to her. The green-and-red
rope portieres and lowered carpet
told that.
Even the warm spring sunshine
failed to penetrate that numb feeling
of despair that settled on Iris as she
lay, pale and weak, bundled up in an
old steamer chair in the back yard,
1t would be months before she would
be strong enough to go away and earn
her living again. many months, and
perhaps she would never be able to
fill her old position again. She had no
money, no home, except this of Kitty's.
Iris could not call 1t Jim's.
To have come for a weekend visit,
the very first since Jim had married,
to be taken violently i'll, to lie weeks
In Kitty's guest room with its pink
and-green wallpaper-that had been
her fate. She congratulated herself
that she had been able to keep Jim
from knowing, knowing how she
longed to get away, how everything,
most of all Kitty, had made her feel
out of place, desperately unhappy.
Doctor Bowen had understood. That
had been the one crumb of comfort,
an embarrassing crumb, that was de-
MED her now, for old Doctor Wells
was back again and his young assist
ami was released from the case.
Iris stirred restlessly under Jim's
old steamer rug that Kitty had tucked
around her. Why did Doctor Bowen's
not coming affect her so much? Was
it because he was the only link to the
other world, her world of socalled
nice people and refinement, that was
left her? Even In her position in the
city there had been a constant strug-
gle to keep above the surging mass
that seemed almost to sweep her Off
her feet and with them-a constant
practicing of ~self-control, not to enjoy
their company, rather to be lonely at
times than lose her footing In the
.~.4af~ a;,aI1 - x,b;ah har fa r,ilv had
always belonged. jim had stepped off
that rung in the social ladder when
he married Kitty and lazily enjoyed
the security and Importance of his
new position.
Kitty, red faced, came from the
kitchen with an immense basket Of
wet clothes and Iris hastily closed her
eyes to avoid talking. She shiyered
when Kitty's booming voice rent the
air in conversation with a neighbor,
crushed her fingers in the palms of her
hands when her name was mentioned,
her physical condition discussed.
"She's asleep over there" Kitty
called in a hoarse stage whisper,
'1ookin' mighty peaked. What she
needs Is cheerin' up, Sam, she's too
down-hearted, never talkin'. Wait till
l get this wash done. I'm going to
bake some lemon pies that'll make an
undertaken smile p And her loud
laugh made Iris cringe. What would
this discriminating Kitty tell Sam
Moore next, this mar who was ever
lastingly leaning over the fence talk
ing with Jim or Kitty?
Something made her open her eyes.
Doctor Bowen was coming across the
lawn. Her heart began to pound and
she was suddenly painfully conscious
of the wretched bathrobe Kitty had
enveloped her in, and of Jim's old
cap Kitty had pressed on her head.
She heard him explain to Kitty that
he had just dropped in unprofession-
ally to see how Miss Long was pro-
crossing and fairly writhed when Kit
tvs voice responded heartily. "Just
the thing; go cheer her up, doctor,
there's a camp chair, and make her
laugh, that's what she needs !"
He came over to the convalescent,
uItM lhC camp hotA Tvs ~
steamer chair.
"You are not getting well as fast
as you might" he vas saying in low
grave tones. Somewhere else, an
other environment more suited to
you,' he ventured and stopped.
at is impossible" she answered
quickly and then blushed, "you must
have realized that l am penniless-
that"
With a swift movement he caught
her hand, = cold trembling one. Iris,
I noticed everythingl l know how all
this"-he touched the old rug and
nodded toward the Tapping Clothes
ais r%epugnant to you, how that your
sister-in-law reacts on your nervous
system. Iris, didn't you feel that l
understood? That l knew you be-
longed in a different place among diff.
ferent people? Dear, it hurts me to
see you in that old cap just as it
makes me wretched to think of that