Show kathleen norris says girls seldom win in off ice love altairi syndicate creature rea ture na 73 7 3 1 7 G I 1 I 1 6 OL L r SV rv V 2 t Is friend to me after a feno le w who is married a fine martin our office of ice manager I 1 confessed weeks of his cheerful kindness and many little acts a acts of consideration my Y miserable affair with tod by KATHLEEN NORRIS NORMS T EAR mrs norris dam writes olivette 1 I am 19 years old and find myself in a difficult pcs post ll 11 tion in which your adv advice ice would bevery be very much appreciated for the past year I 1 have been working in a large office my first farst sweetheart is a fellow worker who happens to be the nephew of one of the members of the firm this boy is one of the most attractive boys in every way that I 1 have met handsome rich and of course much noticed by all the girls 1 I confess that I 1 was carried away by hla his attentions and an dafter afier a few weeks ot of wonderful good times during which he came twice to our apartment and met my parents I 1 made the mistake of yielding to him what he called the proof of my confidence and love when tod was drafted a month later you may imagine my consternation ster nation in ten days I 1 lost eight pounds and looking back I 1 seem to have been in tears most of tho time before wo we parted I 1 spoke of marriage feeling that I 1 could better bear bad news in the future if I 1 had that security to go on but he told me that tt it would upset hs his mother terribly and said that she was already sad enough suffered a shock after he had gone he had said more than once that he hoped I 1 would some day meet his mother I 1 went to call upon her another girl was there staying with her and from what they said I 1 realized that tod was practically engaged to the other girl I 1 suppose many a girl has had to bear the shock I 1 then experienced and it Is not about abou t that I 1 am writing you it 1 Is about another man this man Is 42 married and has a daughter of 12 lie ila is the manager of our office a fine gentle considerate friend to me ile he asks noung nothing but my friendship and I 1 want nothing more than this sweethearts dancing young parties happiness are out of my life and I 1 feel sometimes that the years will go by without bringing them back Mart A lartin lu to cau call him that first won my interest by commenting upon my changed looks and manner when I 1 was first feeling tho the heartbreak of cods coldness for a time I 1 merely said thai matters at home were worrisome goodness knows they but after a few weeks of his cheerful kindness and a thousand little acts of consideration and sympathy I 1 broke down one afternoon when he and I 1 were alone finishing some late letters and confessed my whole miserable affair with tod but this friendship is being sever severely ply criticized here in the office and by outsiders as well now one ot of my aunts has mentioned it to my mother my aunt it seems knows martins wife but as there is absolutely gothing wrong in our friendship I 1 refuse to be intimidated by her martin makes me only the simplest presents he has given me handkerchiefs a bag and flowers to wear once or twice when he has taken me for a drive Ms ills saved her we ve talk books ideals or lust just the pleasant foolishness of two persons who like to laugh at the same things thing ills his greatest delight is to be und kind to people and his kindness has saved aved me m whan I 1 was wag sinking with shame name and loneliness could you write beor write my mother that it la Is possible in these days for a girl to have an innocent and stimulating companionship with an older man or are we back in the victorian era when a mans wife was absolutely the only fessale to whom he could address a word once they were married to give up our little notes messages dally daily encounters now would undo do all the help martin has given roe me I 1 will anxiously await your decision all right here it is olivette but you wont uke like ili it I 1 my aly decision Is 15 that you are playing a very silly and very usual office game and that you are going to le tha he inevitable loser if you go on martin in this case has nothing to risk he will go just as far as she will permit him in his affair with the pretty little office girl and when he chooses to stop or when his wife makes matters too uncomfortable he can gracefully withdraw not hurt at all by the experience after all martin can say to him himself self from the beginning olivette knew that I 1 was married and I 1 knew that she was a girl who already had had an unfortunate affair girls who indulge in office love a affairs dont often come out winners it does happen in rare cases ithac that the man actually gets a divorce but even then her path Is not one of roses she has to hold his affection against overwhelming odds society strongly disapproves and while the voices of his family and his old friends fall on deaf ears for a few ecstatic weeks of honeymoon after that he begins to hear them would face criticism his m mother other and sisters will meet olivette but that is all they will do they wont make a family break but they wont me like olivette they will feel martin has treated helen and dear little jean very badly martin Is more accustomed to the comfortable routine of his homo home than he knows with all her faults helen knows the way he likes hla his coffee in the morning that he hates lazz bands that he be likes a late PO poker ker game every week or two these details detail and a thousand others would have to be explained to olivette she he would dislike all his friends and he would hate to come homi home tired and find office pals of hers chatting in the living room besides that finances suddenly would become important while martin had only to buy her lunches and give her small presents he could well afford to appear regardless of money but when he would be paying his first wife a heavy alini alimony ony and paying hla his daughters expenses too his income would be heavily taxed Oll olivette vette could not enjoy such auch an establishment or such cuch luxuries as the first wife had bad |