San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-10
The Making Of
a Husband
a n n LiSle'S N EN-
Phase of jim and
Anne's Marital
Adventure
BY ANN Isle
BY ANN Isle
Chapter 81.

Copyright. 1925, King Feature Syn. Inc
jeanne tapped out the cigarette i
seemed as if she of all women never
should have lighted, and leaned to
ward me with an air that made tn
living room Of The Birches fairly
throb with emotion as she asked:
Has it never occurred to you that
the same-fire which impels Jim to dc
strange things, sent Phoebe to marry
Neil against my wishes? Think how
our shy little Phoebe who died for her
love, was able to take her stand and
defy me when her feelings swept heI
into action. Think of the hcadStrong
yet harmless things Jim has done
Well-Im their OWE sister,"
= And the most conservative person
/ know" / said quietly.
Conservative Jeanne repeated, as
if she were weighing the word.
Jeanie studied me shrewedly for a
moment. Then she said:
"A year ago I'd have felt that just
because / so enjoy the friendship of
a wonderful man and brilliant artist
/ ought to deny it to myself. Do you
think it is wrong for me to have
friends!'
"Not at ALL" / answered uneasily,
wondering to what Jeanie was trying
TO force me to commit myself.
Again she went off at what seemed
a new track. But | felt sure that
there was a continuity in her most un-
related sounding sentences. And it
began to occur To me that it wasn't
too difficult to figure out just how
she was trying 20 tie one event AMI
circumstance up with the next.
You know l never disapproved OF
your friendship with Ralph Lucy"
was her next remark. Il even en-
cOuraged it. l think I went so far
as to urge you to divorce Jim and
marry Ralph"
Wasn't that when you wanted to
get mere Lee out of the sacred Har-
rison fold on any prctextT j asked.
AT first it was that" said Jcanic
with definiteneSs that told me how
completely she was mistress of her
mental processes and of the mind that
had for so long been engulfed in dull.
ing melancholy. But later when
had grown very fond of you and had
begun to understand you, | urged that
course because ] felt you had right
to happiness. and that if Ralph could
give it to you. and Jim couldn't it was
all wrong for you to stay with JIM"
The marriage ceremony says for
better for worse Jesnie," reminded
her. care you forgetting that? Are
You coming to be n disciple of the So
called new freedom which selfish.
plcasure-loving folks have claimed
since the beginning of timer D.
Aren't you becoming awfully
solemn?' Jcanie asked
Lets be serious" I urged. Lets
stop fencing and making phrases, anil
say what's in our minds. Dare l be
brutally frankT
"You couldn't'-Jeanie began, but
taking this for permission, I swung
along on the tide of the certainty
that had come to me.
l felt that Jeanie was just begin
ming to realize her own strange poten-
tialities and that thcy frightened he-
little. I felt, to, that she longed to
discuss them with me and that the
kindest thing I could do was belp|
her drag to honest daylight what
might still be half concealed in her
subconscious mind. SO l came out
win brutal question
Are all these peculiar notions &C.
curing to you. Jcanic, since you know
and admire Nicholas Perry-and his
work."
"Why-yes" Jeanne acknowledged.
She sounded almost ms Disconnected
as ] felt at the simple and bald
frankness Of her own acquiescencc.
Then she went on with certain fer
witness which made me believe that
Jeanne had but waited a word Of en-
couragemcnt to persuade her to go on
and sneak her mind:
"I like Nicholas Perry. / enjoy his
friendship. He is a Dcrsonage-an i'm
rortant man-sociallv well placed and
If nm excellent family. It's an honor
IN know him. Women wouldn't mini
il their husbands showed interest now
and thcn in feminine characters like
his. They feel belittlcd when they arr
sighted for sccond-rato women. !
be iealous-I never was when
Pat showed how he admired you and |
oven made up his oN, name for yor
But it's-th6 other
Jeanie'S voice trailcd off and she |
looked at me pl,adingly.
There was n question on the tip
Of nv tongue:
What do you know of Brooke De
But I dared not ask IT, I sat wnit-
ing for Whit Jeanic would tell me.
fTn BE COntinued)