The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-05-21
What Happens
When : Young
Wife Suddenly
Drops In on
1er Lawyer
Hush and !?

TsfE elevator door Changed open and
Il Jane Lytell darted out into the cor
ridor, caromed swiftly from q leisureiy
messenger and apologized SO sweetly
he forgot to be angry.
Where's the fre. haby?. he querted
good -naturedly.
False alarm" she parried brightly
II bet you amt" His young eyes
wordlessly admired her. Which wasn't
al all extraordinary. for masculine
glances generally did pay silent tribute
to Jane Lytell, who was small and lovely
with little golden lights aeeking her
short. glossy hair and dancing In the
depths Of her glowing eyes.
BY the time the elevator well yawned
and swallowed the messenger. Jane was
several feet away. She stopped pres
entity before door which bore the m
scription in neat. precise lettering:
eJerald B. LyteI. Attorney at Law. II
gave her a pleasant sense Of Importance
seeing Jerry's name there with its dig
nlfled legal appendage; made her tenn
porarily forget that being the wife OF
a struggling young bafrister was du-
bious honor at best.
She entered the anteroon. a mur-
mur of voices came to her through the
partially closed door that led into Jerry's
private office The chair behind Miss
kathleen Moores desk was vacant,
which she knew meant that Jerry was
debating TO his distFactingly beautiful
secretary
Jane sat down to wait until he was
free. she glanced at her watch IN
sudden anxiety and hoped he wouldn't
be long. In less than an hour Sonny
would be home from Kindergarten, inn
patient at her absence. and possibly
little frightened, too.
And then she caught fragment Of
conversation issuing from the inner
room Instantly the WARN glow died
in her heart ard the smile faded from
her lips. she leaned forward to listen
Now, listen, Kathleen the man
In the adjoining office was saying his
voice low and apologize, II didn't mean
to make you cry, honey, honest. 4 didn't
The roaring in James ears drowned
the other girls answer. But after q
little she began to again grasp the glst
of what was being said
Love does funny things 10 people.
Rathleer-'' Jerry's voice had risen.
II came clearly to the listeners ears
now. j admit. it can even make a
man forget his wife, especially il the
other woman is as beautiful as you are
But when there's d child In the CASE
He stopped short. as though emotion had
abruptly cut off his speech
Jane sprang to her feet. She wanted
to go in there and accost Them scourge
them with bitter, accusing words. But
behind her like an army Of restraint
stood years Of rigid self-discipline.
CHE turned and went quietly from the
: room. As she walked along the corrt-
dor. she had the nncanny feeling that
she had left the real Jane Lytell back
there III the little Office This strange,
lifeless being which moved with the
precision Of a mechanical figure and
which now stopped to signal down
elevator was just the shadow Of the
substance.
She pressed shaking hand over her
eyes. Drew II away dry The healing
tears had congealed inside of her be-
fore they could reach her eyelids.
Taxi, lady2" Into the strange still.
ness Of her frozen grief the common.
place question penetrated like the an
sWer to an unspoken prayer.
She did not remember having giver
the taximan her street number. Bu
presently the car stopped in front o.
her house She got out, paid the driver
then glanced about her questioningl,
as though she unexpectedly found her
self IN an unfamiliar neighborhood
Everything was as usual. but somehow
looked different. The neat houses whicl
bordered each side OF the tree-shade,
street. and which until today had al
ways appeared SO cheerful and friendl,
now seemed to lean across the interven
Ing space and whisper slyly to eacl
other. She could almost imagine tila
she heard them chuckling among them
selves; making sport Of her misery.
She had the uncomfortable feeling
too. that curious eyes were peering G
her from behind the cllrtained window
just as though the story of what ha
happened in Jerry's Office that mornin
had preceded her here. and was no
shared by all Of her neighbors.
Her own small house looked make
and ugly In the revealing sunlight. 4
II it were no longer home. but just
building in which man, woman ar
little child ate and slept.
She fitted her key in the frnnt-do,
lock. opened 1t and went inside. h,
hands busy with her hat as she move
about Then habit sent her hurTyir