Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-29

Deoue -" NV AA ~sA ASs~
fashion.
That's different, Joan. It means
there's . way out. There has to be
q way out" He spoke in .. masterful
tone. II want to know everything,
dear. You've given me the right now"
"You would have had to know me
Mac, as I was then" Joans
forefnger was tracing nervous pat
tern in the sand. IT wasn't brought
up the way most girls are, I guess.
My father and mother were pretty
strict about beaus, you know.
I never had any. You'd hardly un-
derstand the shell I lived IN"
Eyes. I can. I discovered long ago
that you can be q sort Of clam"
There was no intended humor In
Deeds words. II can understand
what happened"
do you think you can? Gene was
here that Summer ;. we hadn't met
for some time. 1t was my fault as
much as his. I know it now. We
both lost our heads. Mac. We thought
We were wildly in love. I was happy
and scared all at the same time {.
trying to keep the folks from getting
any idea Of what was happening.
They would have put q stop to it
quickly enough. If only they had"
so Gene talked you into marrying
him?"
I'm afraid I didn't hold out very
hard, Mac. It seemed such a romantic
thing to do so exciting. He had
his first car. A little roadster. After
a lot of begging we got mothers con-
sent for Gene to take me up to vir-
ginia Beach. just for the day. We
started early and drove fast, crossed
over to Cape Charles and got into
Maryland"
Who would marry a couple Of kids
like you?"
I'VE lied to the clerk, got by with
it, unfortunately"
"But you go on"
I'VE were pretty late getting home.
That was the one thing I've been
thankful for since. I did get home
After that the whole thing was q
nightmare. I couldn't look Gene in
the face. I realized that I didn't
love him and 1t was too late. He
was kind. He went away. I never
saw him again until month
ago. If had known. But suppose
I might have"
Tell me the rest, Joan. Why didn't
you do something .. not 60 on this
way?"
There was nothing to do. I was
too much afraid. You don't know
my father. Mac. I never would have
been able to make him understand I
was not really Genes wife. Mother
wouldn't have been so dif1cult. It
was all those years of repression,
suppose. II had loved Gene it would
have been different
Didn't he offer to help you?" Deeds
inquired grimly.
Yes. He was willing to free me.
But I shrank from the publicity.
couldn't see any way to avoid it. So
I just drifted :. hoped for some
thing to happen. guess I never let
myself think what it could be-"
There must have been some other
reason" Deeds persisted.
eyes there was" Joan ad-
mitted. 1.-The idea of love and mar
riage sickened me. went to work to
earn living and tried to forget it
all. I never dreamed that I would
ever be interested :. in another man.
And I think there was some crazy
notion that had bound myself to
a contract that wasn't meant to be
broken. If I couldn't live up to it
=. it didn't change matters. And
there was the certainty, as time went
on. that Gene felt himself bound. I
may be mistaken. But it's true that he
never tried to free himself. Oh,
know it doesn't make sense just
drifted and drifted. And now"
You would do something's"
"It's all so confused =" Joan
answered thoughtfully. But you
can't know it helps to talk to some
one, even if don't know the answers.
Do you mind?"
Il want you to. We've got to get
to the bottom of all this
Then want to tell you about DR..
Elledge, DR.. John. He was with dad
on the porch when I came out. I'm
just a little afraid he might walk
down here"
This is once he won't stay" Deeds
interrupted. Go on"
well he's been unpleasantly
attentive. And he won't be snubbed.