The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-05
CHATTER OJ

ANYWHERE did you learn to play
 w so good gameT Manville
 asked, after June and Alfred left.
 "Oh, I have played with them quite often and l do so like the game" would not tell him yet that I had been taking lessons.
 Well, after you have played little more you can feel all the confidence you need to play with those more expert. The Cabots play only fair game, you know not really an extra one"
 I was delighted with Manville's praise and there sprung up in my heart the hope that after a while he might possibly arrange for me to play at the club with him, that club of which l had been so jealous because 1 knew Ruth Markham was always there. would not propose it, not for long, long time. But 1 would play so good game it would be noticed and perhaps some of the members would suggest it. You see. was trying to be tactful, even in my card playing.
 The line of action had laid out for myself was not an easy one to fol- low. In reality, many times in the first few weeks I wondered if I should be able to carry out what had determined to do, so discouraged did I become. When Manville would speak harshly, commanding instead of requesting, as had always been his way, l often felt the tears coming, but would choke them back. l would not win my place by tears or by complaining. l would win it because it belonged to me as my right and because I tactfully made my husband realize it.
 Then too, 1 wanted desperately that Manville should love me. Yet I had none of the shallow woman's coquetry which is a substitute for passion, the semblance of love she cannot give to. l had realized after the accident, when Lawson Mckee had again spoken of love, that there was but one man to whom l could willing ly give myself-my husband.
 I had too much pride to deliberately try to make Manville care more for me by using the cheap arts so many women use to influence their husbands. He did care for me in a way, l knew. But I was not satisfied; I wanted more of his affection. It wasn't any phase of moral question which kept me from trying to compel Manville's love, I simply couldn't abase by pride, my self to play upon a mans emotions to win even the love 1 crayed. l had thought this very thing out often in the long nights when he was sleeping quietly so near me. l had thought and suffered. There was much to make lne think, much to make me suffer. Even now 1 knew he often went to Ruth Markham's. Mrs. Clayton still gossiped and often dropped in with the latest bit of what she imagined scan- dal
 Sometimes came the thought that dit. not know how to either make man love me as I wished or how to hold his love once it would be mine. Manville had married me, but he was still in way devoted to Ruth Markham. Never had 1 been able to put her from his life-no, not from the very beginning. Now that things with me promised to be so different, that fact loomed large before me. What use my independence, all I had fought so desperately to win, if in the end I could not take him from her? But I was back in my own home. Suddenly all the half-formed feelings and thoughts which had been in my consciousness for months crystalized. knew what would have it some time,