The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1940-04-18
Bv KATHLEEN NORRIS


By NORRIS
w 7HEN the mother Of a 16 or
\N/ 18-year old girl advises her
w against doing something, or
warns her about it, she is usually
actuated by pure affection and 10y
atty to her daughter.
She knows that the years between
16 and Is are the years when a
woman who is indiscreet, reckless,
inexperienced, can throw away all
the happiness Of her later years.
Thousands of girls do, and live to
regret it for the rest Of their lives.
But somehow they eve will be-
lieve that their mothers T right.
Mother Old-Fashioned.'
MY mother hasn't the least idea
Of how things are today" they write
me. Mama is so old-fashioned
that it's perfectly maddening.
Mama thinks the most innocent
things are dangerous. Mother
doesn't want me to have any fun.
My mother is always afraid Of what
the neighbors will think"
Any explanation Of her anxieties
will do, except that she is your
mother, and loves you. and wants
you to grow safely to honorable and
happy womanhood, and not make
mistakes.
MY mother talked to me the
night before I was married." writes
a Pennsylvania woman. land if I'd
taken her advice seriously I might
have spared myself the misery I'm
in today. But I always thought Of
Mother as straightlaced and fussy.
and I didn't pay much attention.
She told me always to put Len first
in everything, and like all brides,
I did make a great fuss over him
at first. We had a dear little boy
and we're very happy for the first
few years.
Knew Billy as Girl.
"Then a man I will call Billy
turned up. I had known him as a
girl, and we had had a pretty ex-
citing love affair, Of which I had
told Len. Nothing wrong. but we
had been engaged, and l thought
Len ought to know.
Mother had never liked Billy,
partly because he is divorced. part
ly because he is quite a sport. But
he is very attractive to women, and
when he showed that he still ad'
mired me I didn't mind making Van
a little jealous. This worried Moth
er terribly, for she adores Van.
when Billy went away after a
short visit he asked me to CORE
spond with him. He sent me books
and articles, once a beautiful hand
kerchief, and once perfume. His
letters were amusing and admirine
and I answered them, saying a gooc
deal more than I really felt. Thi:
was about a year ago. We wrote
, each other about every 10 days, Sc
I suppose he has at least 30 OF my
letters.
!, Bills Lawyer Appears.
; yesterday a lawyer from Bill
E town called on me with a great dea
of discretion and secrecy that drov'
me nearly mad. He says that Bill
wife has gotten possession Of thes'
4 letters. Never having dreamed
that he was married at all, ! wa
shocked beyond words. I said tina
7 I had not known that Mr. D. wa
married, whereupon this horrible
man said, But you knew you were
didn't your She wants $500 TO
the letters or she will u for di
vorce, naming me Some of thes
letters / signed 'Your-little-wife
that-should- have-been,' and other
the pet names he had given me i
his letters. Our actual RELATIONSHIP,
y was always strictly within the bond
Of morality, Of course.
&. Il did not close my eyes las
night and l am half frantic today
(. At first this lawyer said he woul
IS be here until I decided what to DE-
(. but he telephoned this morning t
II a he is going back to Trenton
and will wait to hear from me. VIII
maddens me was that I have neve
al been in love with Bill. but onl
le enjoyed this correspondence as
a. sort of romance. My husband an
child are my very likelihood, and an
h thought of trouble at home break
h my heart. I do not even kno'
that Bill is married; it may be thu
he needs money and trusts he wi
is get it this way. For the sake Of
is home, a good husband and an inn'
to cent baby do. do help me find som
h. way out!"
in Thrills at an End.
Is Poor Joan, she has had a who
year Of fattery and excitement an