The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-04
The Story Of Julia Page By Kathleen Norris

Ia spoiled child who is almost sure of being denied, yet risks its little charms in one more entreaty. She
 and Paula, yes. and Mrs. Jerome, and little Julia-wasn't that so, Julia? ?-
 wanted to see a roadhouse. No no-no-not the~sort of place where nice women went, but a regular road houSe-oh, please, please, pleasei They had their wells to tie over their faces, and they would keep very un- 1 obtrusively in the background, and there was a man apiece and two men over to protect them.
 All the girls in town are doing iti'' argued Mrs. Vane, and they say it's perfectly killingI Dancing, you know, and singing. You have to keep your veil down, of course! Betty said they'd
 been three times!''
 Nothing doing'' Jim said good naturedly. shaking his head.
 "Oh. now. don't say that. Doctori" Mrs. Vane commanded animatedly; tits too mean! We'll. if you couldn't take us to the very worst. where could you take us-Hunter's?" 'Hunter's!" the three men echoed, laughing and exchanging glances. l Well, where then?" the lady pur- sued.
 Look here, Min." said her hus- band uneasily, there's nothing to it. And you girls might get insulted and | mixed into something "Oh, divineI" Mrs. Billings said: | "now I will go!"
 Whites, huh, Jim?'' Greg suggest ed tentatively.
 "White's?" Jim considered it, shook his head. Nothing doing there, anyway!' was his verdcit.
 Larry's, where the pretty window boxes are," suggested Mrs. Vane, hopeful eyes upon the judges. Come on! Oh, come onI You see such fIossy ladies getting out of motor cars in front of Larry'sr'
 There's this about Larry's," Mrs. Billings contributed; we could get one of those side places, and then, if things got too hot, just step out on to the porch. dye see. and get the girls away with no fuss at al1."
 That's so," Jim conceded; "but I'll be darned if know why they want
 However, you're all angels" sang Mrs Vane, and catching Julia about the waist, she began to waltz upon the pleasant meadow grass where they had just had their high tea. Come on everybody! We won't be at Fernand's until nearly night, then dinner, and then Larry's!"
 Mind now grow1ed one of the somewhat unwilling escort, you girls Il. front-page story tomorrowi"
 "Oh, we'll behaver' Mrs. Billings assured him. And slipping an affec- tionate arm about JuIia's waist, as they walked to the motor cars, she murmured: My dear, there isn't one decent woman in the place! Isn't this funls
 Julia did not answer. She got into the car and settled herself for the rf1r <of f6a would be pleasant. It was the close of a lovely summer afternoon, the long shadows of the trees lay ahead of them on the road, the sky was pa1est blue and palest pink, a flock of white baby clouds lay low against the eastern horizon. The warm air bore the clean good scent of willing grass and hot pine sap. The car roll ed along smoothly, it's motion stirring the still air into a breeze. MT. Bill ings, sitting next to Julia, began an interested disquisition upon the diff culties of breeding genuine, ba.t-eared French bulldogs. Julia scarcely heard him, but she nodded now and then, and now and then her blue eyes met his; once she gratified him with a dreamy smile. This quite satisfied Morgan Billings, to whom it never oc- | cured that Julia's thoughts might be | on the beauties of the rolling land | scape, and her smile for the first star that came prickling through the soft | twilight.
 And after a while some aching need | some of the wistfulness left her face | of her soul grew less urgent, and | She forgot the ideals that had come | with her into her married life, and | crushed the conviction that Jim, like | all men, liked his wife to slip into the | kitchen and concoct some little sweet | for his supper, even with an artist | like Foo Ting at his command. She | realized that when she declined old | Mrs. Chickering's luncheon invitation | for the mere pleasure of rushing 1 home to have lunch with Jim, her | only reward might be disapproving: | My Lord! Julia, I hope you didn't | offend Mrs. ChickeringI She's been so | decent to us."
 It was as if Julia, offering high in terest on her marriage bond, had at | last learned that one tenth of what | she would pay would satisfy Jim. Feeling as she did that no demonstra- ton on his part, no inclination to | ~her, would do more than satisfy her longing to be all in all to him, it was not an easy lesson. For a while she could not believe that he ter, and a dispassionate onlooker might have found infinitely pathetic | the experimental temerity with which | she told him that this invitation had | been accepted, this social ob1iga ton | incurred, this empty Sunday filled to | overflowing with engagemen
 (Continued Monday
 A GOOD REASON