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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1931)
“THREE WIVES” By RALPH MATTHEWS A S U P E R - S E R I A L OF B AL T I MOR E S OCI E TY 1,4‘Hlir K a v n r, a V o i i i i " B u ltiiu o m in , I )is;i|i |»|H>inlr<l in L o w , lla * Him A h ; h to INrn Y ork lo Forgot th<* Pant I tisilliisionim nt llaH Made Him a Cynic. 11 is Pal. AI F re em a n , a Pr»M|H*clive B rid eg ro o m , Disagrees with llis A rjiiim ents Against M arriage. n p n N u i y m g lit ll* K a y n c a * att«jw 1 1ixii lita c lo sin g w ith a ou t. e h ? " q u eried L n - . r u n a w a y w ith m r w h en hrr people A l P tr fD ia n b r a t ttir o b je cted to th r m a tc h . I w aited III o v erc o a t w ith 111, lia t. I U n ion S ta tio n (ruin 1 u n til It o'clock b an « Hie d oor o f th e I w u a fr a id to le a v e fo r fe a r sh e day. and I'll bet you will be m arried before 1 am and I am already e n gaged." " I promised m yself th a t night th a t I wculd not practice law nor m arry the best woman on earth , and I in tend to keep both." We ll see." said Al. as he left the apartm ent and started out Into the blustery night. A girl clad only lo a very short top coat a ttra cte d his atten tio n as he reached the landing. Sh e was sca n ning Intently the nam es on the reg ister in the vestibule. "S tra n g e place for you. young lady, thought Al as he recalled th a t all of th e apartm ents la th a t building were occupied by m en. He would not have given her a second glance had he not noticed th at her finger became stationary a t the nam e of Leslie Kayne. There was a wedding band on th a t hand. He tarried on the steps until he saw her sta rt slowly up th e stairs. Sh e had a hacking cough and was thinly clad for such a night. 'T h a t Jolly ol Joker." mused Al as he dashed toward th e sub, woman h a te r? "U g h !" L 'slle had Just laid his faultlessly creased trousers over t h : back ol the chair, slipped into his pajam as and was tightening his bathrobe prepara tory to m aking his final rounds of Inspection for the n ig h t. He scanned his figure In his dresser m irror as he passed with a pleased expression. New York had aoi been so cruel to him . He was livu.g in fine style, had t lit tle money In the bank, and above all, he was alone. No one to pry Into his affairs, th a t's why he preferred an apartm ent to a boarding house. T h e numbers had turned up for him occasionally, and th is very week a new revue was using two of his a r rangem ents a l t h : L a fa y ette. He looked at a souvenir postal card th at was stuck In the corner of the m irror. It showed a scene In B altim ore, one of the m onum ents. He shrugged his shoulders. "W ell old burg. I don’t know when I I I see you a g a in ." He liked the whir of the big city, the heterogeneity of Harlem, the hullabaloo of th e taxis, the rattle of the subway; It was all music to his ears. He had no little reputa tion around th e night clubs as a tickler of the ivories. He was sud denly started from his soliloquy by a gentle tap on the door of his den. He opened th e door wonderlngly. A girl was standing In the hallway, hef face was drawn and haggard, her gloveless hands were gray from cold, her h a t alm ost covered her eyes. S h e walked, almost staggered into th e room. A bridge light was poor and It was not until Leslie sw itched on the big light In the cen ter of th e room Uiat he could m ake out her features. "G w endolyn!" lie cried, “what brings you here on a night like th is?" Sh e opened her m outh to speak. "L eslie,” she said — she swayed, then sank to th e floor. Leslie sprang to her side. S h e had fain ted . (To be continued) might runic during my absence. Pi lutinei » baclirlor apartm ent. You aald a m outhful." replied Al n*U|f 1 went bark up on Uie hill H ie rh eeiily . ' I got all . of . tin» In a abort •'“ 1 »«.mw wa» »aran t. but up at the . . . 1 »a.at,. #1... ■ » ■ f m ■ .1 a f .. a # l l.. M a . , a d istance fiom th r l U lh S tre e t aub m ain duim I found a few of th r gang who lived a good way off. and were way here, hardly a block " lint pulling out until th e neat day." le a lle K a y n e » flngera stopped In ' Have you heard the new»?" they the ml.Idle ..I .1 liar ..I a J.*.-.- muni» i Hr relit Ida cig arette which had gone cried, a» 1 entered th e room wheie out unnoticed, and clAwd the piano they had g a th e r e d .| I r o n f e æ d my Ignorance and In ' Hang your thtnK> In tlie c k a tl there. Al, and tell me what rould have quired what had hapiwned ' Why. about Itupert Clifford flop diagged you out on a night like th is? " __ I log to A lrta n d ila with « w e n May ■ Al waa visibly egrlted about some " ... „ . . ___ . He . . I__a,..i i... watch a . 1 , 1 . nerv- i**™ ? «'»ed thing looked a . . t hta " I waa »hocked I runted and oualy "1 am p u t coining from lak -toim ed Could 1 have laid my hand» Ing « r a r e home and I th a t la —ahe mi him then. I would have killed him. haa prom is'd to m a n y tne." Hul th at'» over now Y et I »hall a l • Well you aurely have my aym- ways h ale m a n age and hate women palhy old m an," grunted Leslie, dl»- one iii p aitlru tar ’ playlng little em otion, m uch to the "Have you ever seen her sin ce?" diaapiKiintmcnt to hta friend "Hut at I .exile hesitated. "Y es, I aaw her th a t," he added, a wor»r thing th an Ja y before yesterday, at leaat I think th at rould have happened to you. I did. right hrre In New York I was though I ca n 't Imagine w hat." I rating In '1 abbs on Lenox Avenue. • Ju st like you with your sarcasm whru I looked up suddenly to are a about m arriage.’* growled Al, ' I girl's fare pressed against the frozen ahonld have known better th a n to pane It looked like Owen 1 paid my have lold you flrat -o f all peopl» 1 ■ heck and n id ird out, but she had 1 searched the ad jo in Why m an m atrim ony la the ran»! disappeared ing shops, and walked as far up as heavenly sta te a m an rould e n ter * HOtli ht I e e l. but ahe had gone T h at ■ And sometime the moat hellish, re plied I<r»lir, proffering Al a bracer was the flrat tim e In four years — lie had concocted from hta well stork - since th at night "Y o u r story Interests me Kaytie. rd cabinet. "T h ere m ust be some cause for your and I suppose your experience h a , antipathy »gainst m arrlugr; y ois,h ave‘ made you like other men who have kept your aeeret long enough, and been disappointed; you are perhaps ‘ Gwendolyn,’’ said Kayne, “what brings you here and on darn you. Les, you've got lo tell nie j cynical enough to say th at you don't night like this?” I believe In true love anym ore,'' laugh to night ' " I will Al. on one condition. If you rd Al "T hey should be made as easy to crate him . but Ood will hold him Just Well, yes and no. Any sensible promise not to Interrupt me with In consequential questions. Here's the prison would concede th at there Is obtain as possible. You pay two dol as accountable as he would any other lars for a m arriage license before you m urderer." decanter If my yarn gets boreaome somr sort of attractio n th at one sex "K a y n e !" cried Freem an, leaping to has for th r oth er, but I do not b e are sure you really want each other, take a drink, but don't stop me " "1 promise,” assured Al. settling In lieve th at any particular selection Is then why should you have to pay live his feet, “you are a damned hypo arranged by destiny, but wholly by or i l l hundred to separate when you crite and are trying to turn me his M orris clialr "1 was a student a t Howard I * w conditions, economic or otherwise, in know darn well you don’t? I t Isn't against love when you know blamed School when I m et Clwendolyn," he! which you are Just likely to get the (air. Why should two people be well th at It Is love for th a t woman began almost listlessly "H er nam e was one Intended for you as not. If you forced to live together a fter th at th a t makes you say what you do. Love Maynard then, but It's Clifford now mean, do 1 believe th at any one worn m agnetism , eith er spiritual or phy alone Is responsible for your disbe K uprrt Clifford was my class-m ate, an Is put on earth to be th r m ate of sical. which drew them together ce ss lief." and If I ever hated s m an whole any one m an, I almost em phatically es to ex ist?" •'Not love, Al. bul my hate for her. heartedly II was he Not because he do not " "Hut l e s . I know th a t O race and Lovers believe In everything, even "llu t your m other and fath er lived I shall never tire of each other. won «w e n . I disliked him before he S a n ta Claus. B u t when you hate— ever met her. He was Just a cad. and together tor tw enty-live years, wasn't "Y our argum ent Is as foolish and as hate like I do. you don't believe In h r held no more love lor me th an I th at tru e ?” light ns some of the songs you write anything, not even Ood." "Not necessarily. M arriage Is a old for him T ilg t'* why lie m arried " I see now," said Al, struggling In I wouldn't be surprised If you favoicd "h e r not th at he loved Clwen; a man thing In which two |iroplr unlit led Illicit love nffnlrs." to his coat, "why you are so death like th a t couldn’t love any woman He tor ra rh other, but do not realise It on m irriag e. but you'll change : ime "T h a t's Jusl w hat I am talking was Indulged by Ills folks, who got until It n too late, are Joined I.i.;. 1 1 1 about now. 1 contend th a t the only theirs, 1 understand, when oil was d is er. and a fter they get acquainted they covered on their laud . omewhero near stick It out to avoid th e scan dal of Illicit love n lfalr Is when th e parties T y lsa, O klahom a, and his cu|iers divorce. T hey lieconie merely m ar- concerned are not In spiritual accord m ound W ashington weio the talk of lyrs lo convent Ions. O f course, 1 with each other. Our modern m ar th e town. I, m yself, w nt to iaw could not expect you, n prospective riage Is the m ost prevalent form of Illicit Urn- th at I know. W hen a man school because m other Hunted. K olli bridegroom lo agree with m e." er had built mi qulle a reputation "N o !" replied Al, wistfully. "Because and woman are fed up on each other, mum I I tall Ine ne ns i I I ligh t, mul ' I know (in tro and I were Intended for when quarrels ensue, when they w ran t was destined to follow Ills footstep., each other Don't you believe m ntef.- gle and light in spite of the fact th a t they nr.- legally m arried, they arc but I despised It 1 lud' I tlie pro-! es lire made III heaven?'' Iissln n ; I haled lluw u t. but « u r n Not any more Ilian 1 bd levc a living In adultery." “True love, Leslie, never dies Why j was In W ashington, m il I to !ern tet! business partnership or u s j i i . j and It to I n 1 near h r I div* wanted diincn lea arc conceived there. It's I know m en who have killed their to be a bong-writ or■. lo wrt1 ■. lo write ¡Ju st a clipnrt' com bination that may j wives a fte r *3 years of m arried life tuneful inel'KlIes, Jusl l l - f v is d ng be a success or may not. It y o u r, when they proved u n faith fu l.” whi n you cum ■ ln I h I pi.limed It I In in y Is true and « o il Is J i m , pro- "T h a t wasn't love. Al. th a t was all out. I was lo V.'i le . v (led yon believe In such being, | pride. P ride alone kills, you cannot why couldn't my pic »lined m ate br kill n thing you love I! Is th a t Idea was to »Ing Hi hi .' lie velim.i voice. We weio a Chinese or an Indian or n [ ol possession th a t m arriage gives a way to Ilroarlwav Inu for Hint white woman as iv II us a black m an over a woman, body and soul, d am n itl U upcitl lie lii l a ra r he woman? No, prejudice m il oilier llm t lends to murder P erhap s she is wore line ofollli I. • li nl a smooth worldly conditions play a greater only answ ering a natural call of her tongue and above all lie hail a (leslrc part in the selection ol n wife than true m ate. Our unw ritten law gives lo do me a ilirly turn. l l ” met heaven docs." a m an liven e to kill with Immunity « W ill, courted her. «wept Inn nil her "W h at a rc your view on divorce?" the m an who invades the sauetity of feet. Ills car his m oney—his lies Inquired Al. lighting ano ther cig a r Ills home when he him self, by his a c T h e home ol Mrs W illie Mason a t 87 Polk S tre e t, Lynchburg. Virginia. won her I II was roiiinirn cem rn l (Iny ette and crouching fu rther down i i i tions townrd his wife, lias opened the . . . . . . . . , which was in the path ot th e hurricane th a t struck th a t city last week lu '23. T h a t night « w e n promised to Ills chair. tL>or and invited him in Men exon- Many teams and much shattered glass can be seen at the left of th e photo Hurricane Takes Another Roof