The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-04-04
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Nv Mrs. Harry Pueh Smith ~

Janet Phillips was beginning
to find life a problem. AS long
as she was in high school she
could pick and choose her friends
where she wanted too, and she
had plenty of them. But now she
Is beginning to find that money
and so-called social position
make difference with some peo-
pie
She sat bordering over her I'M
happiness, thinking about her
high school sweetheart Gordon
Key whom Priscilla Leigh was
. attempting to connect, about what
> her brother Jim had said des-
cribing Helen Sanders, Priscilla's
New York guest. Jim could not
figure out whether Priscilla's
brother, Howard Leigh was in
love with the New York heiress
or not.
"Oh WELL" Janet said to her
self, IF I had money and had
gone away to school instead of
studying here at the Normal it
might have been different"
After surveying the situation
and having nothing else better
to do she decided to call on her
married sister Berenice who
lived in a fashionable apartment.
When she arrived, Berenice, as
usual, was at the bridge table
with other women, who soon de-
parted.
The moment the door closed
|, behind her friends, Berenice be-
gan emptying ash trays and dis
posing of highball glass s.
"Would you mind carrying these
ginger ale bottles out to the
trash barrel in the hall, Janet?"
81 don't dare leave them lying
around the apartment. Bills a
regular Sherlock Holmes at spot
ting evidence"
Janet felt a little sick Don't
you think it's awfully cheap to
do things behind Bills back?"
she asked when she returned.
eff Bill weren't so unreasonable
I wouldn't have to-" muttered
Berenice, hastily putting the per-
colator on.
She was a small, curved per-
son with a dimple in her left
cheek and skin like a gardenia.
Her eyes were red-brown too and
she had extravagant black lash
es and lovely little feet and
hands. To Janet, who was taller
and whose black hair did not
curl, Berenice had always SEEM
ed absurdly childish, in spite of
the three years difference in
their ages.
Bill is sweet when we are
alone together" admitted Bere-
nice and sighed. "No one could
be sweeter, but he's so dreadful
ly narrow"
Janet's voice was unsteady.
"You aren't very striking adj
vertisement for love in a cottage.
I mean you were so in love with
Bill I used to envy you. Now all
the icing seems to have come off
the wedding cake, or has it?"
She did not know exactly why,
but she needed desperately to be
treasured about many things
which until recently it had never
occurred to her to doubt. But
there was nothing reassuring in
the bitterness which hardened
Berenice's piquant face so that
all at once she looked years old
er.
Loves lot of phooey, Janet"
she said in a curt, disillusioned
voice. cts the honey with which
nature bats the trap. For heav-
ems sake, take me for an ex-
ample, or Mother, so far as that
goes, and don't be the kind of
saps we've been!"
II don't believe Mother regrets
having married a poor man "
cried Janet breathlessly, because
even to think such thing was
as if a fist had landed on her
heart.
Listen, Janet" said Berenice,
looking intense, 'you don't have
to tell me that Mothers swell at
making the best of a bad bargain,
but don't kid yourself. don't
care how much you love a man,
after you've been married to him
a year or so you wonder where
YOU ever got the idea that love
makes up for everything"
"Hullo," said Bill gruffy, toss
ing his hat over on the overstuf-
fed couch and scowling when it
landed on a pile of gayly color
ed magazines and slid to the
floor.
scHe1lo," said Berenice, putting