Evening star., 1925-11-22
CHAPTER VIII.
Joanna Makes a Decision.

ClHglDS gown ana sliNel 0'
legs. still the birth of a new sob
and stopped the Convulsive tremhie
of her bare. velvet soft shoulders. Her
ewes, as quick to dry as to dim with
moisture, which is the way of youth,
selected a spot on the parlor carpet,
lust beyond her toes, and fixed on 1t.
So. she sat very quiet, ana stared,
straightened out the jumble of her
bitter, very bitter, thoughts. She
realized that she couldn't think sensi-
bly,, for the things that had happened
during the hectic day were not sensi-
BILE thingS-any of them.
It was a trait OF hers to rebel when
things weren't right; she couldn't
analyze, or probe for reasons, or ask
herself if she were to blame. That Is.
she could ask If she We're to blame
when things got into q tumble, but
her invariable answer was NO.
Time was when the spirit of Joanna
was Submissive and amenable to dis
cipIine, and TO the learning of lessons
out of experience That was a long
time ago-before she had to make her
own way about and compete with
other girls-with the ones who were
on the square as we'll as those who
weren't. She gradually lost her sense
of submISsiVeneSs then. Whoever
criticized her, except herself, was
wrong. As her tongue grew smarter,
more and more accustomed to giving
more than 1t received; and her lips
grew redder and more provocative,
and her skirts became shorter, every
body!
Even John, The one thing she ad-
mittedly loved. Even he could never
understand 81 girl-a real, square and
aboyeboard girl who had to fight like
the devil to keep up with the other
girls of this day and age. John had
objected TO almost everything she did
or wore or said. He'd preach by the
hour. Once. in this same parlor-this
dingy. frayed. heaven-will- -protect-the-
working girl drawing room only"
John had brought her a lot of clippings
from newspaper. Some funny old
bishop had said young women ought
TO wear mother hubbards or something
like that, and somebody else so old
fashioned that he read bedtime stories
had told the newspapers that in his
day girls didn't take an occasional
drink out of their partners TASKS.
Good Lord, In his day. He and
Noah were so busy advertising flood
in their young days they couldn't
appreciate having to take a nip of
something else besides water just to
keep up Appearances And John
couldn't understand that neither she
nor any girl she knew really liked
the beastly stuff; nor cigarettes. Sim
ply had to go in for both or else go
into dead storage.
John was wrong. then. Tonight.
his insane suspicion of the money
that had been given her for a reason
she couldn't fathom simply proved
how wrong he had always been
about her. And he wasn't coming
back, as she was sure that he would
when he slammed the front door.
Always their quarrels had ended in
a kiss and a few minutes of wonder
full silence very close TO each other.
Tomorrow, of course. she could go to
him and straighten out his mind,
easily. She could even take him to
Mr.. Graydon, or to Eggleston, him
they would have their silence together,
and make their plans.
That was what she could do. But
this had been deep hurt. Being so
utterly unjust, the bitterness Of the
wound was just bit magnified by
Joanna's admission to herself that
other times she hadn't had near SO
much right TO fight back. He'd come
TO her, now, would John. Come with
out calling, and say I'm sorry
When she had definitely sealed this
bitter verdict in her rebellious mind,
Joanna was conscious of Mrs. Adams,
sitting on the sofa in corner of the
room. She had come in quietly and
had not disturbed the reflections of
the girl on the floor. Joanna smiled
up at her, wanly:
Funny. isn't it?" she said. Every
body thinks. 1t seems nobody can be.
lieve anything, these days, that's good
10 believe. About girls, mean. First
the chauffeur. He was earnest, too
because he thought he had a perfectly
ripe date with me, and deliberately
grabbed 1t. Then Cohen. who as much
as told me that furs for maids We're
symbols of darkness. Now John.
Funny. isn't it,"
The landlady. whose kindly old face
was a mirror of all her mental trans
formations, nodded her head.
Yes, Jo it's funny. but maybe it's
not SO funny, either. Sometimes |
don't sleep nights thinking about you
girls, YOU and George and the others
I've got and had. I'd try to be a
mother to all of you, if you'd let me,
but you never will. George told me
day before yesterday. or. maybe it
was the day before. that mothers were
TOO old-fashioned for up-to-date girls
to be bothered with. She said that
lnothers who were any good were like
flannel underwear. Wore well, l think
she said but didn't have class"
Yes, that's like George" Joanna
egreed, from her place on the floor.
But l don't think she's really in bad.
She's in with a crowd that travels
pretty fast, and she hasn't got enough
sense to know when she's skidding.
But you don't always have smash
when you skid. you know"
Mrs. Adams knew only vaguely
what Joanna was trying TO say. She'd
given up, long ago, her struggles
against the language Of her young
lady roomers. Are you really sure.
10" she asked, her words coming
slowly, ''that you haven't had, what
you call smash? All that money you
had In your pocketbook and you say
there's more besides. You know"
Before the steady gaze of the girl
on the floor, the landlady faltered.
The ewes that stared at her made her
uncomfortable - uneasy with her
doubts. You see, Jo." she argued.
plaintive in her self-justification, the
things a girl like you talks about, and
knows about, and the places you go,
Georgie wears her clothes too tight
and she says that's what girls are sup
posed to do nowadays. And you wear
dresses that you ought to never cross
vour knees in-you oughtn't to sit
hown at all; it's worried me lot. And
YOU smoke, 10, and I've heard you
swear, too. That's why John was
Iolf