Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-08
.THE, DAlLy N0VELETTE
TIE YOUNGER SER
Bv lane Osborn

| oot "a - 70 - &3- .&Srr YSS1s@ ~
...Oh, I sunpAss so.' said tie ysnaG
wife, now cGrsfully brushing tlSscols
Tor OF Tcms evening coat aS7E ~
are nothing to compare with what !
have to, undergo fer that younger, set.'
promis1f Aperon them; Grace
y M bS back for the night. Your
6thtr, ! suppose, will be there and
he'll .wGnt the other spare room. I
tS,SSsssst tl,'s I, onss we'd pull of match
Il Them. Achssd Tom sneerlnsly.
c:Tkey'rS j6st like the rest Of the
touager set. Crazy for excitement
they'll never settle down and have real
are different nowadays." Tom was all
/ Of five yearss. older than his brother
James, and Mrs. Gleason was two
years older than Grace Hayes, yet these
two felt the advantage Of many, many
years. - sT"
| so the Gleasons, clad in their best,
1 went 10 the dance at the country club.
leaving the slpmbering twins In the
custodlanship Of tho maid Of all work,
who also sslumbered In her room on the
third floor. a. y ~ (.
An. hour later Jim Gleason tried the
front door Of the Gleason. suburban
home,i found Il locked and made an un.
cerenonious entrance through a partly
open front window. He took of his
hat and coat and then his shoes, rum,
mayed for. and found.a pair Of slippers
and smoking jacket Of his brothers
In downstairs hall closet. A foras:.
ing expedition in the Kitchen resulted
| n urrs1o pr,,l1n~a hln al a. In Il ,so
baking and some apples. These he laid
on the table beside the easy chair IN
front'of the fireplace. He filled his pipe
with his brothers. tobacco, pokedN the
embers, threw on fresh log and sat
down, to enjoy all the comforts Of q
home that was not his own. 80,
This comfort he enjoyed alone for an
hour: At 10 80 he heard a knock at
the front door and opened it., to, see
| Grace Hayes, in day clothes with an
overnight bag in her hand. !,
II thought you'd be at the dance"
she said with some hauteur. and some
mo" ,drawled James. ASSISTING
Grace of with her wraps and seating
her in second easy chair beside the
fire. II can't stand the pace. said
| might come, but 1t was only for an
excuse to spend the night here. How
these married people want to gad about
as they do. can't see: With homo
like this-have cruller and an ap-
outlay on tho table. Gee, If I had a
little house like this and a wife, be-.
lieve me I'd. stay at home! But then
we're different. Since the war fellows
have known how to appreciate home.
But that older married set-all they
think Of Is excitement, toddling and
jazz and all that sort of thing"
Grace looked wistfully into the fire.
II know" she said. "Girls are dif-
ferent now. They are more serious"
There was long and rather painful
pause. Then james Gleason bent to.
ward Grace, who was sitting up
straight in her chair. '"Grace, won't
| you marry meT'.f .'...
"No," Grace said, still very wistful,
and she nodded her, head slowly and
looked into tho fire. II, think / would
marry you II I married any ono, Jim.
my, but I'm afraid of marriage. It
seems to change people 80. I'm afraid
that once / was married I'd be- like
your sister.in law. And you might
change about and be as mad about
dancing and excitement as Tom. I'd
|
than to have a home of my own and
not appreciate It,"
1t was James turn to look wistfully
in the fire and shake his head sadly.
He had been pleasantly surprised to
hear Grace say that she would marry
him If she married any one. That was
something of a comfort. -.
II get your point Of view, Grace, "
he said. ut would be frightful to find
yourself in home like this, for in.
stance. and not appreciate 1t. or to be
married to the girl you loved and find
her unwilling to stay home for a quiet
evening. I'd he sorry for Tom, only l
think he is as far gone as Mabel" An.
other pause ensued. Couldn't we get
engaged and see how that affected usT,
| Grace looked little shocked. mo.
Jimmy, l never intend to be engaged
except to the man marry. When :!
do get engaged I want to, be married
very. very soon. You know, ] take
those things 80 seriously; | think oil
The girls in our set do. They ere so
different from the older girls like
Mabel" .,
The matter seemed settled. For a
few minutes they sat and exchanged
a few remarks about the weather and
plays they had or hadn SEEN. lheli
one or two of the twins walled out
from the floor above, and Grace, with
Tom in her wake. fled to the nursery.
They we're busy executing requests for
drinks Of water when Tom and Mabel
let themselves in the front door below.
The twins again tucked quietly IN
their adjoining cribs. Jim and Grace
proned their way in the dark upstairs
EoIi toward tho stairs. Jim held Grace q
arm very close to his side. 40 that she
would not stumble. They heard the
voices of Tom and Mabel below, and
they hesitatcd to listen.
"Well, we're back again to home,
sweet home,' said Tom. He was sit
ting in the chair just vacated by james
and Mabel was III Grace's chair. james
and Grace went noiselcssly down to the
landing where they could see them;
Thcn Tom leaned toward Mabel and
took her hand in his. "Thcre's nothing
Iil" ike it, is there, little wife?' he said.
"Niore than ever cam understand tnc
nc;nt. Of view of the younger set.
There's my brother, Jim, could marry
any day he wanted to. Earns more
"And there's Grace continued
Mabel. shes independent herself. she
wouldn't hive to wait for g man 70
make enough to support her. ~,
1T guess they are different. They
=, - .Lo ,nooninO of home. Here