Judge — July 14, 1923 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Waiter’s Son—Thank you, pa! “How many times have I here and tell me about it. If I only had a telephone you could telephone me and we might get married to-day. I’m so glad you've got a telephone in your house, it’s one of the conveniences I’ve longed for, for years.” “I'm glad I’m able to give you some- thing you really want,” Joe stammered gratefully as he flew out of the studio. And all the time he was gone Valerie pictured the happiness of possessing a telephone. told you never to say that!” They were married the next day. Joe suggested going to Atlantic City for a week-end honeymoon but Valerie de- clared that if she couldn’t have a honey moon in Italy, the land of artistie in- spiration, she wouldn't have a hone moon at all. Her next marriage, she told Joe, she would have more time to think about and plan. “Your next marriage?” inquired Joe, “but you and I are going to be married Motorist—Say, is this the way to Bridgeport? Native—Aw, haw! 14 “Nonsense!” Valerie corrected. “This is merely a beginning. No doubt my future biography will mention my marri- age to you, to show how obscure and unimportant my beginning w Where- upon she set to work to unpack her trunk and boxes and mix with Joe’s furniture her studio equipment until Joe’s rooms were just a background for Valerie's “tweenky bits” as she called them. Ss* MONTHS passed _ slowly. end of which Joe had even the background in V He was now thin air that Valerie could look at and not see. Already Valerie was planning to leave him. She had discovered that for the sake of her future she needed more liberty. Marriage had not given her the freedom she had ex- pected. Her sensitive soul felt _his ce too keenly, Valerie told Joe. shaving every morning intruded on ative thought. The sight of his and clothes reminded her of him all ay, and to write the kind of poetry that she wanted to write, she needed perfect quiet and repose and freedom. One Sunday they talked it out. The baby that was coming was of course entirely hers. Joe agreed that she had the most claim to it. Having settled that important fact, Valerie continued: “Baby and I will go abroad and live very cheaply and you will provide for us until I earn enough money to support baby and myself, or perhaps really fall in love with some one. I've never been in love with you, Joc, as you know, and then you can get a divorce and that will make you entirely free again, too. Then we both will be happier.” Joe rarely disagreed with Valerie. She never gave him time to. Valerie talked constantly to her friends of the time when she would again have Quit yer kiddin’! Any darn fool knows th’ way to Bridgeport! comicbooks.com