Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08

ness while he looked up train for
her in the railway timetable. or as
sumed thai. OF course, he must take
her out to dinner on Helga's weekly
day out
There was more than fun i'm it.
though. There was something so
sweet in Ross tenderness that ii
| twisted at Carols very heart. She
was not used to care and tenderness.
Sometimes when storm came up i'm
the night she would awake with the
alertness born OF years OF being the
one who must pfowl about in the
cold. closing windows and fastening
Mapping blinds. She would wake and
half start out Of her twin bed with
the familiar sense Of responsibility
only to see Ross big pa jana clad fig
ure coming back. having already
made the round OF the house. He al
ways tiptoed past her bed az he came
back. SO as not to wake her. Carol
never let him know that she was wide
awake Sometimes the dim sight of
that big figure tiptoeing aWkWardly
through the dark so that she need
not even be disturbed. would bring
sudden tears Of tenderness to her eyes
Ross seldom talked to her about his
business She knew, of course. that
Macklin & De Witt was a small ad
vertising agency that specialized in
textile advertising. Once in a while
Ross would try out on her some new
picture To be used for Hurley Silks,
their one big account. with Would
that catch "A woman's eve. hon.? or
a gay pOstery scene with, Would that
make YOU want to rush out and buy
cotton print for a dresS?' Aside,
however, from furnishing An occa-
sional feminine point of view. Carol
knew little more about the affairs of
Macklin 4 De Witt than did Marjorie
De Witt
She did realize more than Marjorie,
though or perhaps Harold De Witt
did not fee. the same about it-just
what being in business for himself
meant TO her husband Not that Ross
ever told her even that in so many
words. But one does not carry the
burden of family for eight years
without learning little shreWdness.
Carol had needed no more than Ross
occasional references to his old job
"a good job. but, some way | never
could get any kick out Of any job. not
compared with running your own
game, trying out your gown idea his
buoyant air by which she came to
recognize the times when he was after
a new account. his naive pride in the
III III W uItH HIS IllOSt dCtCi I a
lalness could not conceal, the way he
always came back from an occasional
evening conference with Harold en-
thusia site and exhilarated. oh, Carol
might be haZy about the definite de-
tails of her husbands business. but
of it's psychological value she was In
no doubt.
But If carol had slightly
greater knowledge of Macklin
De Witt than Marjorie DE Witt,
Marjorie had Naster faith in the
firm. She recognized no limit TO it's
putentialities. A porch glassed in for
Winter sun room. new dress, a
new car all desires we're alike in Mar
jorie's complacent confidence that
Macklin 4 De Witt would get them
for her.
Macklin 4 DE Witt stood man
fully up to it, too. Whatever Marjorie
wanted, Harold found a way to get
for her. And whatever Marjorie want
ed. Ross found way to get for Carol,
too. Many of the things, as a matter
of fact. Carol would never have known
she wanted If Marjorie had not pat
the idea into her head or Ross. She
liked them AL AS they came. of course
the bridge and nah jongg parties.
preceded by elaborate luncheons and
each table; the little sedan that Ross
gave her for their first Christmas; her
competent. If eXtravaga mt. Helga in
the kitchen: the pretty clothes she
bought and "charged'
once in a While. especially during
the first few weeks she had the feel
Ing that the girl Ross loved was not
the real Carol at all. the Carol who
used 10 rise Al the first Whirr of
the alarm clock and dashed in 10 get
her cold bath and breakfast started
before the rest of the family aWoke.
This pampered. luxurious woman, who
trailed down AT the last minute in 4
seagreen georgette negiisee, seemed
different person
But with each month that slipped
by she became more and more real.
The old busy. planning. responsible
carol faded little farther away each
week. More and more. Cloverdale
sta nda rds began to seem the natural
ones TO her. 1t cea sed 10 seem funny
for Ross to ba lance her checkboOk for
her She no longer smiled inWa rdly
10 hear Al these young wives com
plain Of their servants. and end help
tesslN, But what can YOU do After
all, even the excellent Helga had her
faults, but now when Carol consid
cred letting her go she would realize
that the next one would probably have
other faults quite as annoying. Carol
actually had found herself seriously
using the accepted CloVerdale phrase
After all. what could YOU dor
FARTHER and farther away slipped
the capa BILE carol with her blithe
confidence that sac could do anything
if she just made mp her mind to. She
had said half in lest. that she WIS GO
ing to he a clinging vine-meaning
really that She was going to pretend
To be one The result of the pretend
ing she had never considered. 1t had
never occurred to her that if she pre-
tended long enough she might really
in all seriounesS become one.
And Yet. that raw February after
noon when she and Marjorie piled
their days purchases on the back
seat of the De Wits sedan and Mar
iorie turned toward Cloverdale and
home. carol was quiet. preoccupied.
Through the heavy traffic Marjorie IS
own chatterlng WAS deSiiltory. but AZ
she swung the ear out onto the broad
concourse and the driving no longer
eLarosSed her she charged Carol with
being blue,
Have ! heen acting like a gloom
Carol asked. surprised. She had been
trying So hard To act as gay as usual.
Exactly. iou act to me like Il
Woman nursing Il secret sorrow"
Carol laughed.
Il guess I'm II little tired" she
apologized to her companion Then
n. FREQ, Oh