San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-21
Nora Lee Is Pleased That
She Exerts Influence
Over Max Reed.
CHAPTER LVIII

MdAWell neeQ Qlun WISE
to marry. He was cynical
about welded unions. He
had no wish to give up his
exuberant bachelors free
dom and take unto himself
lifelong censor of pocket
book and morals.
A wife appeared to him in
this guise of affectionate
busybody-opinionated and meddle-
some, who insisted on laying down
the law for her man, whether the
law concerned the wearing of an
overcoat or the drinking of highballs.
Wives, SO he had found, had secret
belief that all men would lie wal
lowing in the gutter if they were not
at hand to warn: Stop! Put down
that glass!' .h.. \
They gined-these wives-that
the world would turn into bcdlam with
nude chorus girls dancing out of pies
even from the breakfast table--if they
the wives-werc all to so on vaca-
ton at the same time
He was astounded by this sublime,
unconscious egotism. And wondered
what made women so confident OF
their own spiritual strength and so
doubtful of the mans.
MODERN INSTANCES"
He surveyed with exultant disdain
his married friends: The Burnetts,
going their separate ways, the one con-
tinuing to love and to love with n
maddening, undying hunger; the other
cured completely Of the last yestise OF
tbs passion and so seeking elsewhere
his pleasures. The Grahams, mutually
shallow and tolerant, going from
caprice to caprice-a pair of pagan
thrill hunters.
The Bakers, prosily adorins each
other but each secretly chatting. Eric.
because he couldn't sneak so much as
a single night of freedom; Mildred, in
iured because, after three years she
hadn't yet completely weaned her hus-
band from the pernicious company oil
the boys" Two or three times
year Eric was the small kid playing
truant-coming home jauntily slit"
ard jauntily lying about it. Mildred
always discovered his fraud and suf.
fcred from severe hurt feelings the rest
of the week. Poor Eric went from
sclf.defensc TO whitening contempt OF
his wife's "srannying," as he called it,
No, Max didn't envy them. Not by
darn, He was as straight as he
intended to be, which wasn't half
crooked, as he rated it. He didn't
want any woman acting the Spiritual
Income Tax Expert to his conscience.
And yet, sitting before a great fire
this moody winters afternoon, watch
ing the fine color in Nora Lees
checks, the slumbering fire in her half.
closed eyes, he speculatcd danger
ously.
With Nora Lee it was just possible
a man could achieve that ideal union
that happy, satisfying companionship
that is the secret hope Of all who
marry-the only thing, in fact, that
keeps the hazardous gamble going.
LOVE EXALTED.
Nora Lee had an exalted, magniti'
cent idea of love. Perhaps she had
honor enough and humor enough and
craftsmanship enough to keep affec'
tion worthy.
He didn't want marriagc-he had
fled from it three times already.
Neither did he intend that this grow
ing bond of theirs should be severed
He slumpcd down in his chair until
his head rested on the back. Pres
emily he moved close and took hold OF
Nora Lees hands.
II was four months since their first
meeting in this house on the hill.
There was no longer any question OF
the right and wrong of it. 1t was
agreeable, adventurous, delightful
Danger? Oh, Pigment of her child
i,b Imagination! And she was rid
=, e - -. e.. ~, .bo had