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Show KATHLEEN NORRIS The Piper Will Demand Payment THE PROSPECT of a love affair, under the protection of marriage, mar-riage, is a very tempting thing to both men and women. A man can feel, "She knows I'm married," when he wants to cool off, and a woman has a corresponding privilege priv-ilege of retreat when she is either scared or tired of the situation. This is, of course, an unfortunate thing for the honor of all concerned. con-cerned. But it is a situation for which there is no cure except the cure of fidelity and self-control. And the first things -a love affair sweeps away are fidelity and self-control. self-control. There is no moment more thrilling in the life of a bored, restless rest-less wife than that in which she realizes that the attractive man from Boston, at Harriet's cocktail party, certainly was impressed. And when, the following day, she receives the inevitable note, .with "the book we spoke of," or "a few of the roses you liked," her humdrum hum-drum life takes on a new, iridescent irides-cent color. But in the background of these delicious forbidden affairs there lurks a piper, and in my long life I never knew one of them that did not end in a painful experience before be-fore he was paid. Love Changed Life Take the case of one Madeleine Firkin, who lives in a Long Island city. Madeleine is 37. Some six years ago, restless and dissatisfied, she met the director of a church activity, a sort of guidance group games in the evenings and all go to church together on Sundays,. I see him much less often, and when he does come he takes great notice of my girls and keeps them in the group. "HEART BROKEN . . ." "Mrs. Norris, I was a heartbroken, heart-broken, disillusioned woman when I met Philip, I have given him six years of devotion. My heart will break if this is to be the end. Can you suggest to me an argument argu-ment that will convince him that the honorable thing to do is to make me his wife? Surely for a man of high principle there is no other course." Madeleine, this is only a slight variation on the familiar theme of a burned-out love affair. They all end this way. Philip is done with love as far you are concerned, or no domestic comfort would keep him from offering you marriage. He is not the first man who has gratefully escaped. Don't deceive yourself that those girls of yours are not entirely aware of what has been going on. They well may be one of the reasons rea-sons why Philip doesn't want to follow up the affair. They could not possibly respect a stepfather who has been for years so flagrantly flag-rantly a whited sepulcher, and any fatherly advice or care he ever attempted at-tempted to give them would ring very false in their ears. No, you've had your fun, Madeleine, Made-leine, and that quiet figure standing stand-ing in the back is your humiliated and angry and frustrated soul. The only advice I can give in this whole murky business is to other women, younger women, who are just beginning to play the fascinating game of extra-marital flirtations. To these I would say; look around at your own home. Think what you have, in husband, children, chil-dren, home, friends, love and self-respect. self-respect. Don't lose them all for the sake of a man who will be just like other men when the glamour of the love affair is worn away. He will seek escape .like the others. "... the inevitable note . . ' for boys. After some months of work together, she and this man became lovers. In her letter she says that this love entirely changed her life, she grew kinder and more understanding with her husband and daughters, she experienced full happiness for the first time. Philip, the man, was burdened with an invalid wife, who lived until a year ago; Madeleine's husband hus-band died four years ago, without, she says, ever suspecting her of anything irregular. She and Philip now being free, there is no bar to marriage between these lovers. No bar, that is, except Philip's change of attitude. "Please believe," says Madeleine's Made-leine's letter, "that this deep, true love of ours never has harmed anyone. We both were reluctant to enter into it; it was not the result of an impulsive youthful rush, but irresistable mutual devotion. My daughters, now 12 and 14, have never suspected it, and although Philip's son has been aware of the situation for some time, he has always been kind and friendly to me. It is this son's wife who has taken it upon herself to interfere. "Her mother lives with them; they are devout church people, and very conventional. Once or twice in the year since his wife's death I have suggested marriage to Philip, but he always has said that he is pleased enough with things as they are; that someday we'll slip off and get married without with-out any planning. "Now, however, he seems to be slipping into a very comfortable life with his son, the son's wife, I and her mother. They nla? card |