Show b- b L Kathleen Norris Says Marital Up Mix-Up Bell Syndicate Features I t rt A r 1 0 s r 11 1 j 1 1 1 R Y J Jr r t t U ulI b bJ J J 7 I met Harvey Instantly a great rush o of f surprise pleasure and affection went over me and in the old way icay I 1 was in his embrace in a second By KATHLEEN NORRIS THEN HEN I divorced my myA WHEN A husband four years ago writes Marylee Johnson from Sacramento we were both more or less undisciplined undisciplined undisciplined frivolous persons We I had been married 11 years I everything seemed suddenly to togo togo go dull and humdrum there really seemed no reason for our st staying ying together There was vas no quarrel we simply decided one morning at breakfast that we would be happier apart and Margot and I left for Reno two days later For a few v months the change and freedom w were re an immense relief to me I lived with a woman friend who had a daughter Margot's age and took a job When my friends friend's husband came home unexpectedly from overseas that arrangement naturally ended After some months of uncomfortable shifting about I married again somewhat hesitantly I felt much less sure of myself at 34 than at 21 and although Phil is everything that is kind generous intelligent industrious yet I know that I have never been truly in love with him He was 50 when we were married a captain in the regular service He has now been overseas for one year and sometimes like many other wartime brides I dare say I feel as if I hardly knew him Well here is my problem one that has cost me many days and nights of bitter worrying Four months ago walking downtown do with Margot who is now 12 I met Harvey Instantly a great rush of surprise pleasure and affection went over me and in the old way I was in his embrace in a second He seemed as happy as I and Margot Margot Margot Mar- Mar got perfectly remembered her adored father father father-as as a matter of fact she has visited for some weeks with him and his mother every year and we had a happy reunion Harvey now also in the service as a Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieu Lieu- tenant Commander took us to lunch one of the hours of my life It Was Vas Foolishness You can guess the rest We Ve were always friends we never disliked each other Our parting was all foolishness foolishness foolishness fool fool- and a mistake we three belong belong belong be be- long together and we know it now Harvey will be stationed here for some time he adores his daughter he makes himself cheerfully at home in my apartment and yesterday for forthe forthe forthe the first time he suggested that I get a divorce and that he and I be married Phil is 52 he has always been beena a shy and lonesome man he has has no no family That a woman like myself could love him always seemed to him a miracle His letters are devotion devotion devotion de de- de- de itself IY You ou are the one thing in life lile that I care for he says over and over You are the only person who belongs to me the only ne I can call mine I If If he were were not in the picture if rte c 1 k kL L fl r What shall shaU I do PAINFUL CHOICE After 11 II years o of f peaceful and comfortable married lif life things became too dull for Marylee Size Site and Harvey just decided to part no no quarrel divided them it merely seemed scented the best way out o of f a tiresome situation Marylee accordingly got a Reno divorce and took her little daughter to live with a friend One day Marylee and her daughter unexpectedly met Harvey Harvey Harvey Har Har- vey on the street There was a happy reunion and Marylee realized realized realized rea rea- that she had loved Harvey all the time Now Harvey is asking asking asking ask ask- ing her to divorce her present husband and remarry him Marylee Marylee Mary Mary- lee is in a quandary She Site wants Harvey back yet she feels a certain certain certain tain obligation to her second husband husband hus hus- band Phil who has been kind generous and affectionate I could be all Harveys Harvey's again I think I would never ask another favor favor favor fa fa- fa- fa vor of God But how can I desert Phil who stood by me when I was lonely and troubled What shall I Ido Ido Ido do What would be the best thing to todo todo todo do The answer Marylee is of course that you never should have di divorced divorced divorced di- di your husband in the first place Divorce ought to be so serious serious serious seri seri- ous so terrible an affair especially when there is a child to consider that it could not be considered except except except ex ex- ex- ex in a grave crisis Adequate reasons for divorce should necessarily necessarily necessarily be so fundamental that there could never be any question of returning returning returning re re- re- re turning to married life on the old terms Marylee after 11 years decided on a divorce simply because there didn't seem any good reason to stay married She has reached one of those points when married life drags on monotonously nothing exciting exciting ex ex- citing happens a woman has a good husband a lovely child food and clothes books and friends in the most prosperous and secure country in the world world but but that isn't enough She wants thrills changes travel relief from monotony So she breaks up her home tries office work gets bored marries a good quiet man who is longing for companionship and domesticity meets her first husband again and falls under the theold theold theold old spell and then naively asks advice advice advice ad ad- vice as to what is the right course to pursue There is no advice that will help anyone so unstable in character If 11 II years of marriage were not enough to establish Marylee in a strong decent useful manner of living living living liv liv- ing nothing will She will probably divorce Phil and remarry Harvey but that wont won't solve the problem When the war is over Harvey will present the same dull old problem and Marylee l will be no nearer a realization of the true secret of happy happy happy hap hap- py living than she is today |