The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1937-09-10
BEAUTYS DAUGHTER
CHAPTER X-Continued

mo, didn't say that there were
women who could do it," Magda OBJ
served mildly, in the pause, as
Vicky sat back defiantly and slipped
her tea, bridling, breathing hard,
family shaking her head. 81 just
said that if woman could do it she
always won out"
'Won the other woman's leavings,
you meant"
''Well, in a way, l suppose. And
as say, Vicky, it may go on for
years. Three years, four years
but then the break comes. Her
husband-and he's just as good, or
as kind, or whatever he was, as
ever-comes back. Unless she's said
something he can't forget, or done
something radical, he comes back.
Then it's the other woman's turn
to worry-the wife is holding thir-
teen trumps. She's got his chill
dren, his home, she's gentle and
kind and respectable, just as she
always was"
''I'd never respect myself again
if ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that
sort of thing!" Vicky exclaimed.
"Ugh!"
"Oh, men don't care whether you
encourage them or not, so long as
you don't cry and FUSS" Magda
observed, with her irritating power
of making a point while not try
ing to do anything of the sort. ''The
minute man leaves you, what you
think doesn't matter to him any
more. They can walk right out on
things, Vic. Women can't, quite. II
you make all this easy for Quen-
tin, he'll think you're a good little
sport, but he won't care whether
you do it by divorce or by just being
decent"
Stupefied by this philosophy, and
by the darkness and darkness of
her thoughts, Victoria was still star
ing at her mother DULY, her brow
knitted, when Anna came in to an
nounce caller. Magda had time
only for one more word:
Give always thought-and I've
been thinking it especially lately,
Vic-that of all the girls I ever
knew you were the one to try the
long way-I mean stick to your
guns, and not let what anyone does
make you anything but what you
are. But mind you, I'm not advis-
ing you. You were smarter when
you were born than I'll ever be-"
Vicky dragged her eyes, eyes into
whose mutinous light new look
suddenly had come, from her moth
er's face to the maids face. But
her thoughts were still upon what
Magda had said, and she had to
have the message repeated.
"Did you say someone was here?"
"Mrs. Morrison, madam. She
says she just wants to say Merry
Christmas
Vicky's color, under the glow of
the fire, faded little. She turned
toward her mother. Magda
shrugged.
''Say you're not at home," Magda
said, in an undertone.
But an odd determined light had
come into Vicky's eyes, and after
hesitant moment she told Anna
simply to ask Mrs. Morrison to
come upstairs. A few seconds later
Serena came in.
II had to come up and say 'Mer-
ry Christmas" Serena said. She
was rosy from a cold walk, belted
into long tweed coat with sables
loose about her shoulders and
brimmed tweed hat drawn down
over her sea-blue eyes. "Gita was
with me, but she went up to the
children. You're not sick?"
Lazy" Vicky said. GIVE been
doing everything at once today, and
about an hour ago I simply gave
out"
81 can imagine" said Serena.
with SO many stockings to fill.
Gita was quite envious about it,
but I don't think it would be much
fun for one child to hang a stocking.
I never did it,
Flawlessly lovely. Blonde and
fresh, her hair a crisp pale gold
against the rough texture of the
hat, her skin of the smooth deep
sickness of the magnolia petal, her
eyes blue-blue-blue; Vicky, study
ing her, once again thought of the
phrase, exquisite womanhood.
Victoria, watching her, felt an inner
trembling that was almost a verti-
60. How dared she! How dared
she! Or was this all a troubled
dream, one of those dreams that
came when she was too tired or
lying in some uncomfortable atti-
tude that twisted body as well as
mind?