| Show k It laef ea r rl ro q 4 r n nI nr I r 11 1 IdA ls art r l la tey teya a a 1 b r rl I H raves sad sad I Ib the If shire it is so o ho born o or ii NU By KATHLEEN NORRIS NORMS I T AM 16 writes Floretta I IAM I Howe from Oregon Six J years y ars ago my mother had an affair with a married man man man-I I will will vill call him Harry- Harry Harryw which w ich rich caused talk that even as a little girl I understood only too well wen A little later both were divorced and my mother married Harry My MT father devoted to me wa was without relatives and had to travel a lot in to connection with war sup sup- supplies plies and consequently I have lived since with mother and Harry Ham They The have twin girls of ot whom I am em very fond fond Patricia and Shirley Dad ha has al married ma again gain and lives in to Alaska my m stepmother 1 ts for for- eign bom Intensely nervous and Jealous and there are for tor toran all an three of 01 u us UI when I live Uve with them Mother and Harry Barry have relied continually y almost from the first drat he 1 U a tempered hot man man and can never be crossed even In the slightest particular without making a scene There are scenes at break break- breakfast fast and at dinner and an U day Sun day da If a door is open or Of if It 1 la II shut If the twin make any stoles Holse or If mother m th r send seada lenda them c upstairs prevent noise it is all aU one to Harry Harl he raves rave and shouts shouts end and In the eve eve- evenings evenings drinks until there is no home spirit or peace at all aU If If any woman comes in for a afew afew few minutes to see mother he Is le like a child interrupting and an I Idis dis dis- dis distracting her and is always angry antrY afterward He is stingy with money mone but wants a good table and to have her and the children looking well weD all the time I am dependent upon him and although I do work hard as 18 nurse maker bed cook dishwasher I and end all aU the rest of It he reminds me 1 of ot my obligation to him almost ev ev- ev every I Iery ery day mother desperate a afew afew My was so aI I few months ago that she told me of her plan to divorce him We said laid we would open a boarding house bouse a school anything rather than go Co on this way But a severe even cold col last winter combined of course Urte C with fa fa- fa fatigue tigue and nervous pressure result result- resulted resulted ed in rheumatism which has made her ber almost helpless She does what she the can from her ber chair I do all aU I Ican Ican can and the rest simply doesn't get done so that Harry is in to a state of fury most of the time A Marriage Offer Meanwhile a college friend of my father 48 well fixed and always like a kindly uncle to me has bas lost his wife has a boy of 10 and wants me to marry him His devotion is unquestioned and I do love little Pete Barney has bas two good servants servants ants In his house as well as a cousin his age who is ie his once office nurse nurse and Pete has hal lunch at school school so 0 that my duties would not be hard bard I have received my fathers father's willing consent to my marriage and while on my m side it would not be a girls girl's ideal of young love yet I do want security peace the pride of being wanted and filling a place in to some some- someone's someone's ones one's home bome and heart that I think I could promise that Barney never would be sorry Barney has haa been Uncle Barn and his bis cousin Aunt Phyllis ever since my m babyhood they want me and end God knows I want to go 0 to them But there Is mother and the three- three year old twins twine Will you advise an almost distracted girl as 81 to to what wha t Is fa right I will wi be 17 in September I dont don't dare even broach the plan to mother much less lell pack my m myk k I Ii I i oral Y f 1 see m I 6 Il T A tf WAY Ou Sometimes a tn lg r offers the Ih bets belt way war our out of of an almost intolerable i toss Mist Norris believes bi when there b it Is security sad and peace eM to 10 be b gained g eJ She Sh is it ad J ad- a year old 16 year old girl J who writes Ihu is almost dif trotted ted Floretta Howe How of Oregon Ogo lives with her bet h mother mo ber and step sl step step- stepfather father whom she calls Hany t This max man bat a violent ff temper tamper P and anda a determination to 10 have bane bis bb own way wa Besides this beis be h is stingy slig t demanding and anda a heavy drinker life with wilb him hi is miserable Floretta com com- eo complains plains has bill a chance to 10 warty marry a friend of o f her b fathers father's f a kind ii well off man who lives alas near Ii by b This friend is it a widower proposal ro of marriage Ig Miss Mill NOT Nor Norris ru ris advises ff seI her h to 10 take Ik this Ibi step II and gain g what security ruNt fill and happiness ba Mess she h can at III once once things and kiss her and anI th girls good good-by Barney Barneys Bame house hOllS cc lovely old fashioned place in to a gar tar den den is fa only a block away He sees lee me every day day but mother suspects nothing and I am afraid it would break her heart She i is gentle and lovely and end only oni wants want everyone to tobe tobe be happy This Thi s letter is signed tearfully Floretta And to Floretta FIoretta I say la In answer that I have given her problem lem some thought and my definite detinUe advice is for her to marry many Barney stay on en in to her ber mothers mother's mother house boose for a week or two then break the news and move to her new home Happy Dappy Possibilities Po I tell you this Floretta far for several reasons The main one 1 Is that no no- nobody body bod i ii doing particularly well as things are arl now With a lovely home only a few minutes minutes walk waft away awa you Ou can see your our mother daily dally Youcan You can ean come in to with flowers r a bowl of berries a new book You can carry off oft the small sisters half for far long afternoons afternoon of play at Barneys Barney's house You can ean do infinitely more good to these thee three than you can as the drudge and dependent of an un disciplined tyrant of a man Harry meanwhile will win have to find some sort of servant for your moth moth- mother er He will growl and criticize her less than he did you He wont won't dare antagonize and anger her You will be the dignified and I believe truly and completely happy I little wife wile of a wiser and kinderman kinder kinderman man in to whom both your parents patents parent trust From the outside you can do doa doa a thousand helpful things for your mother that you OU cannot do donow donow now There 1 Is another consideration Your mother took a lover when you were small and sensitive and could be deeply hurt by it it She separated you OU from your our father and nd broke up your home That you have bave re re- re remained sweet and considerate cOl un der the circumstances Is far more to your our credit than hers hen She SheI I wrecked your our life uti without much concern con con- concern cern for your Our comfort This sate safe sane marriage gives you ou a protector tor a home affectionate companion companion- companionship ship and may easily lead leaa to a deep true married love My best wishes are with you |
