Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-09-01
A Husbands Rights

r ONG after Edith had left me that
l. might, lay there in the darkness
going over in my mind everything that
she had told me.
I should have been happy, for Norman
had come back to me, put i was not
happy. because Edith with that un-
canny knowledge Of the world that she
seemed TO possess had made It impossible
for me to ever tell Norman how / really
felt.
had n longing to start afresh with
him. I wanted TO tell him how impos-
sible 1t would have been for me ever
10 have run away with Herbert. I did
not want him to believe that / had
ever really intended doing 1t. and 1t
seemed to me that would never be at
] told Edith how l felt, and she
shook her head quickly.
"Never!' she exclaimed vehemently.
"If you do that you'll have the whole
thing to go through with at some time
in the future
! drew in sharp breath. 20,
Edith" / gasped. do you realize
Joan, you want Norman's love,
don't you?" she asked quickly.
You know do.
Then be sensible, and face things as
they are You know as well as I that
Norman IS at heart a triher. He doesn t
mean to cheat you Of the things that are
yours by right, but he has done that
very thing and he'll do II again unless
you keep the upper hand. Norman feels
now that his rights as a husband have
been threatened. It's the one thing a
man can t stand, and It's the one thing
thnt will help you to hold him in the
future. take my word for 1t. Just SO
long Gs q man can feel that his wife
is his own and that she loves him too
much ever TO look at another man. just
50 long does he feel it safe to daily,
but the minute his rights Of possession
are threatened, he begins to wonder II
it's worth while taking the chance. Do
you see what ! mean?'
nodded. ! couldn't trust myself to
sneak for ! felt very near tears. 1t
seemed as though 7 were taking sides
with Edith against Norman. and I was
rebellous and sick at heart.
Edith tried to make mo promise be-
fore she left me that night that | would
follow her advice, but somehow !
couldn't ] said l would think it over,
Out after she had gone, realized that
| might just as we'll have given her my
word. In spite Of my resentment, l
recognized the common sense in her
argument, There was no need OF my
trying TO idealizc Norman. AS Edith
said, he was after all a trit1er at heart
and no matter how strong the impulse
to unburden myself to him. I knew
that I simply couldn't afford to take
| tho chance.
wondered how Edith knew so much
about these things. Was It because she
belonged 10 the new generation. and
DID the younger set look AT life with a
clearer vision than We did? Edith
wasn't so very much younger than |
was, but she seemed much more so
phistirnted, | knew that all the while
She was giving me advice on how to
hold my husband. her heart was really
busy with her own problem although
we had snid nothing about it. | knew
! that she loved Herbert Livingston, bu,
/ ] also knew that hopeless as her case
looked at present, Edith would even
tually have her way with Herbert. She
was the kind of woman who wouC
always have her way With men, whilc
women Ike me would always suffer anc
agontHe because uf too active con
science.
You re not the kind Of woman
| who can pay him back in his owl
coin. Alice Wilson had said, Well.
had paid him back in his own coin, an,
although ! was really not that kind o
woman, ! must keep up the subtcr
fuge and play the game. it was all il
the business of holding q husband.
Tomorrow--Joan Makes Her Plans