Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-09
THREE DAUGHTERS OF MARTIN DUKE
By Fannie Hurst the W@U5 Hghea-Fnd N1zw Short Sols

VERY ONE agreed that Martin Duke
was unlucky in love. His wife died
one year after the birth OF Olga.
Fate had apparently attempted to
atone by way of the unanimous love-
illness Of body, mind and spirit OF ms three
daughter.
of reckless beauty that had distinguished their
father in his youth, but each and every one
of them endowed with the SATELLITES, as love OF
home and desire for family, which at first blush
seemed paradoxical to their brilliant kind OF
youth. r,o,
FIRST, when she was 10. Olga, the youngest,
went next And finally Jeanne, who had ex-
erted her prerogative Of eldest daughter by
assuming sort of maternaltsm over her tather.
Jeannes marriage to an important surgeon
in q nelghboring town. Marians to promising
engineer who was engaged on q piece OF tn-
portant bridge building near the capital city OF
an adjoining State, and Olga's to a New York
stock broker left Martin Duke to the somewhat
vast solitude of the old stone house to which
Is years ago he had brought famous beauty
for a wife and in which the three equally
beautiful offsprings had been born.
or COURSE, the obvious happened. 1t was
unthinkable that Martin should continue to
live imprisoned with his memories in the huge
and silent house. He was slender. active
man. gray but by no means elderly father
to his daughters; and while his problems were
not exactly those of an old man retired from
his business and bereft Of interests, nevertheless
rheumatism was upon him, and you had to
reckon in terms of man wen past his prime.
The difnculty here was that Martin protested
almost too loudly of his youth. Crippled with
cruel form of Inflammation which knOtted
his knuckleS he nevertheless persisted In such
activities as golf in damp weather, ShoVeling
snow on the stoop and walking, regardless of
rain, down to the Chess Club in the center of
the town, where he was known as q crack
player.
Three girls did not marry out Of such home
and away from such father without carrying
with them q deep sense Of the responsibility
of adjusting the life they had left behind. At
least the three Duke girls did not. 1t was all
very well and good for father to protest loudly
that he was still ION the carpet" as he put it.
OF course, he was. That was not the point.
The point was that it looked bad before the
community, and doubtless was bad, for q man
well along in his COS to be living alone In
vast old house while each and every one OF
his daughters was well able to provide him an
ample and luxurious home in her own.
It was the argument of public opinion that
won. Probably his giIlS were right. Did not
look well for him to remain on his own. Heaven
kk4UWS ~ was not True Cn3I ms 0aA&nteFS were
negligent Of himl On the contrary, they were
all too solicltOus. but just the same, Wags
would Wag.
tOTHERE Is a new-fangled old-age, just the
same as there Is q neW-fangled youth" he
kept protesting however "Men and women
don't grow old rs they used to. You can force
me to break up the home. but don't think you
are going to succeed in thrusting me into car
pet slippers"
who wants to cast you into carpet slippersl
OfscOurse not. father. You can accompany Ed
Wall street or 60 with Stacey to watch the
bridge construction"
Haven't the slightest intention of doing any
OF those things DON'T need to tag onto any
body;s interests. Have plenty Of my own"
Isn't he pricelesSl" exclaimed the girls
among themselves uneonsciously drenching him
in the enormous patronage Of youth. why it
is all Ed, or Leonard or Stacey can do. TO keep
up with him. Just as perk about his appear
ance as a 20-year-Old. Too cunning for words"
Don't speak OF me as II were small boy
or small IDIOT he commended once, against
these references TO himself. You refer to me
in. the diminutiye. You may think you are up
to date, but you are much more old-faShioned
In your attitude to old age than am"
Isn't he priceless" squealed the three
daughters Of Martin Duke.
Just the same he made the rounds, pampered
in the home of his eldest pampered in the
home OF his second, pampered in the home Of
his youngest. Sun rooms were made over into
his bedrooms Sun is q good thing, but If
am expected to sit in it all day, you can throw
the room back into q den for Ed"
Nothing Of the sort father, just thought you
would like the southern exposure for mornings
when you don't feel like going out"
"DOnt-feel-like-g going out my aunt! why
shouldn't feel like going Out?"
your Observation-Disclosures! Eds q doctor.
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