The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1934-08-17
OBTUSE TRIANGLE By rnyrn S: wns'o~

had gone to near the top in the Ora
ham Advertising agency. The president
Of the company had been a bit lenient
in the first place about hiring an I'M
trained copy writer, but Lois copy was
good-fresh and clean and entertain
ing. She didn't write on the biggest
accounts even now, but she did give
an interesting "woman's angle" to the
accounts she worked for.
Lois was small and her eyes were
big and brown. She wore her brown
hair in a straight and sleek and child
ish bob and her head, slightly too large
as is the cas- with many small women,
accumulated her youth. She dressed
well, in clothes a little too young for
her and yet 50 well tailored and ap-
propriate that If you were a man you
were well pleased with the effect and If
you were a woman you were only
slightly irritated.
Roberta knew how attractive Lois
was and how her brave lttle-woman
act appealed to men. She knew, too,
that Lois was smarter than she was.
Roberta was plump and always plan
ming to start dieting ON Monday. Lois
preserved her slenderness by watching
her diet constantly. Lois was clever
about talking to people too. Roberta,
even when she tried hard, never quite
knew what to say to a man when she
was alone with him, unless he was very
old and only wanted some one to be
kind and friendly.
o~lo~k1 -,o % o~I ek1 1rvoa- chn
looked her age. Lois was perhaps five
years younger, though she limited at
being awfully young and, in most lights,
looked the age she pretended.
It isn't to face facts, even when you
know them. Roberta knew that her
husband was in love with a younger,
prettier, smarter, and more attractive
woman. And that was that!
Roberta knew what she ought to do.
She knew by all the laws of her mod
ern, Oxford Gardens set-"Oxford Gar
dens, the garden spot Of New York's
suburbs"-she ought to give George
McKessen a diverse. Gayly, carelessly,
nonchalantly. AS if it didn't mean
anything to her. Then George and
Lois could get married.
She knew what would happen if she
said she was going to get a divorce.
She'd watched other women. Her
friends would gather around her like
inquisitive singing bees. Each one
would have some bit of news to add,
advice to give. She would have to lis
ten to criticism Of George, to long
discussions of how George and Lois
were to blame. Here friends would en-
Joy the excitement. She wouldn't.
Then would come the divorce itself.
She had seen enough acquaintance go
through with that to know what hap
pened. If she went to Reno it would
mean a long and tiresome trip by her
self-she hated train trips anyhow
and weeks in q lonely boarding house
or in a small, drearily furnished apart
ment. Seeing lawyers. Then going to
court. She wouldn't have money
enough for gay times, ever if she were
feeling like having them.
If she got a divorce in New York it
would mean a hundred unpleasant de-
tails. And then the divorce itself!
George wasn't well known enough for
the newspapers to do much about it.
That was one good thing. But the
PaHNAo AASA40 NOtC4 ~, d4XyxkOW, 6h44O
Roberta shuddered away from that sort
Of publicity. She didn't mind seeing
her name mentioned In the neighbor-
hood weekly as attending a bridge party
or a luncheon but she had been brought
up ~conservatively by folks who thought
1t better II your name stayed out Of
the newspapers.
But that would be the smallest part
Of it. Afterwards would be worst Of
all.
Roberta knew that as George Nc
Kessen's wife she had a fairly easy
time Of it. A pleasant time. Better
than she deserved, more than likely.
What of it? Maybe, she vas selfish.
She enjoyed her home, her maid, the
things that meant comfort and, in a
way, luxury.
She had wanted children when she
first married. She had thought there
was going to be a baby. Then she had
been quite i'll and there hadn't been q
baby after all. That hadn't been her
fault, certainly. Now keeping George
from marrying Lois wasn't robbing
George of children. She knew that.
Lois said often enough she'd never
have any children for any man. And
George didn't want children. He al
ways said so and reiterated it last year
when she wanted to adopt a baby. So
keeping George married to her wasn't
depriving George Of anything he really
wanted. Except Lois.
The chief reason, besides the actual
losing Of George, that Roberta didn't
want a divorce was because she knew
what would happen to her. Even if she
did get alimony-and she hated the
thought of that-the amount would be
small. George was generous enough If
you belonged to him but Roberta knew
that once YOU were an outsider-as q
divorced wife would be-he'd care moth
ing about you at all. Imagine Lois and