The Washington times., 1923-09-04
BY Ann Isle,
Whose Serials Of Married Life
Have Won . Big Popular
Downright, 1898. king Features
Syndicate. 1nc.)

<<T RMA, you must write that
letter to Tom. It's no
good unless you have the
cosirags and the real love to con-
cuer your pride and your doubt
and stand BY. II I wrote It
it wouldn't mean anything"
AZ I said these words In an
swer to Irma's plea that / write
to London and ten Tom Mason
that she was waiting, ] had .
strange sense Of speaking to my
self. as well as to her. Her sim
pie, wholesome, Old-faahioned
standards seemed almost the an
sw4r to the. question Betty Win
ston ana / had been discussing
earlier In the evening. They
made me realize that women can
triumph over the things which
are destroying the beauty and
harmony Of home-if they have
the stability and courage to fight
for the things that make life and
love beautiful ana satisfying.
For q moment Irrna didn't an
swef. Then she gasDed.
~ Couldn't Surely. you don't
want me to write and ten . man
who's never spolken-tl1at I
care-when maybe he doesn't
It wouldn't be modest"
ut would be fine" persisted.
'sYou know Tom cared. You know
he didn't feel-Wofthy to speak.
And now, IL you're brave enough
and big enough to write him that
you've come back to the city UNI
derstanding yourself and life bet
ter. and that you Wish he were
hsre-I know 1t win BE- encugh.
II you win-you win everything,
II you loss-what goes7 Only
your pride-only false belief in
his ability to measure up to the
devotion you need. II he can't
meet the summons Of that letter
you'll just have to build your life
without Tom Mason. Don't you
want the truth, Irma? The truth
at-Any cOst?,'
Irma's hand twitcaed under
mine. Then felt 1t stiffen and
steady. She got to her feet and
stood smiling at me.
I'm going home-before uncle
comes and misses me- she said.
I'm going home to see film
the woman you expect me to be.
You have done lot for me to-
night. Anne. I--love you. And I
think-I love Tom bAtter than
do-my pride"
A HARD REQUEST.
We didn't say much after that.
I realized I'd asked a tremendous
thing Of the shy little girl who'd
come to me in terror Of herself
and life. But I thought she'd
grown to her fun stature OF fine
womanhood when she found the
courage to speak to me about
what is in her heart and I felt
sure she'd find also the courage
to act.
I took Irma down to the taxi
she'd kept waiting all this while,
and then came upstairs and
faced my own problems. was
tempted to wait up for Jim and
tell him some Of the things I'd
come tonight to feel are basic.
But knew Jim wouldn't want
to come home and find himself
plunged into q discussion. So /
conquered myself and determined
to put my knowledge into action
even as I'd told Irmo to do-and
not to insist on talking about
what I ought to manage to ac-
complish through deeds.
For the next day or two I
struggled with myself and the
problem Of living. Each hour I
hoped for the telegram from
Ralph that would tell me he'd
found Neal. But as time passed
and no message came, I forced
myself to go about the work of
the day without discussing with
anyone the doubts and fears
which assailed me.
Jim met my quiet tenderness in
a skeptica1 mood. He seemed to
ArNWyEnHNUNNcSR