San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-07
LISTEN, WORLD! H'' ;, :! !'' ss. As,s,'''

Ida told me about this conversation
which she had with Amelia Stratton.
Ida fatty says that Amelia is crazy.
I'm going to give you the conversation
just as it occurred and let you form
your own opinion.
Ida was calling on Amelia when the
box of flowers arrived which Henry
had bought for the Other Woman.
Probably Henry had taken oil his
usual precautions with addresses, but
there was new clerk and instead of
sending them to the De Luxe Apart
ments he forwarded them straight to
Henry's home. And there was Henry's
wife opening the lid on gorgeous red
roses and crying:
The dear old. Surprising me like
this when"
She stopped. She had slipped the
lard from the envelope. Her face
'lidn't change-it merely stiffened.
she started to put the card back, hesi-
ated, glanced at Ida, then handed 1t
jver.
Guess you know all about it. any
"ay," she smiled. 80 you might as
ell see what he says"
Ida marvclcd at that smile. Every
re in our Ut does know about Hen
ration and his never-ending success
IN Of brushes, but we didn't know
It Amelia knew about them, too.
ID no one had dreamed that she'd
.lc il she did know. With one eye
that curious. understanding smile,
ida read the note.
Naughty Baby Betty" it ran.
Here is a coal of fire to make you
sorry you laughed at your Henry boy. ,
Just like that-short and sweet and
full of bubbles!
The old idiot! "Baby Betty's' IS
IL she's a day-an overstuffed. bril-
liantly pcroxidcd blonde with all the
coy cuteness of a gattling gun. And
here was his own wife, as sweet as
an old-fashioned flower garden. with
brave smile probably covering a
breaking heart.
However. at second glance. Amedia's
heart didn't seem TO be breaking as
rapidly as it should. She was actual
" tying up the box again and 'phoning
for boy to come and get them:
For heavens sake, Amelia! = Ida
gasped. you're not going to send
those roses to that woman. You must
be crazy
Not on your life. I'm not" grinned
Amelia. with a giggle that never
sprouted in any old-fashion flower
garden. I'm the wiscst thing you
know"
But aren't you going to do any
thing. now that you know"
what do you mean. now that
know I've always known. You
can't live with man for fourteen
wears without getting on to his Baby
Betty complex. Why / knew tha
about Hen even before we were mar
ried."
"And vet you married him."
"Of course | married him. VIII!
should / let little thing like that kecl
us apart"
AZ little thingl Well. that's tn
first time I ever heard unfaithfulnes
called a little thing" snorted Ida
with a sharp edge of personal resent
ment to her voice. Ida divorced he
| first husband because she found
book full of she-phole numbers in hi
pocket.
Pooh! Don't get dramatic, Ida
Hens little excursions aren't any NOR
'unfaithfulness' than going fishing o
duck hunting is. They're just his ad
venture instinct working out. They adj
| IL nf ha RI
daily grind that Hen needs to krel
him in good FORM"
That's a most convenient way 10
you to look at it, What a pity othe
wives aren't as accommodating sal
Ida with elaborate sarcasm.
But the sarcasm was wasted Of
Amelia.
"Yes isn't it," she answered. "Wha
lot of marriages would be save,
from going on the rocks. didn't al
ways see it that way myself, though
When | was first engaged j had tn
usual proprietary ideas and ] woul'
grow frantic with jealousy wheneve
Hen looked at another girl. We had I
miserable time. Then. just before
was married, my grandmother gave M
talking TO. She was an old darling
shrewd and witty and worldly WIS.,
She said to me: Amelia. if you're go
ing to marry man you must TAX
him for what he Is and not for wha
you and your notions con make on
of him. Henry is nice boy, but h
has his little ways, like all other men
They aren't bad ways; they are simpl!
male ways. They arc as much a par
of man as his whiskers. If you viii
understand them and allow for then
you'll be perfectly happy. But il 20;
insist on making moral issues of then
and try to reform him you'll eithe
make a dish rag or sneak out o
him. as sure as Co. made little ap
ples.'"
What queer old woman! Did sh,
actually convince you that men SHOULD
be allowed to be unfaithful?'
No. that wasn't what she meant a