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Rh Dallas, it would have been very unwise for her to contest her husband's charges."

"Oh, did he make charges?"

"That's the usual proceeding, my dear."

"And what were they?"

"Well, he lives in New York. You know the New York laws, I suppose."

Shrugs. Soft laughter.

"And the child," Phyllis added, "was put immediately into the custody of her father."

"Oh, dear! You never can tell what a woman is at the core, can you?" deplored Rosamond. "Why, when we first knew Stella Dallas she didn't seem really bad, though she always was awfully ordinary, of course. Even after that time you saw her at Belcher's Beach, Myrtle, I couldn't believe she'd really fallen as low as that. I thought you must be mistaken."

"Tell Rosamond about New York, Myrtle," said Mrs. Kay Bird.

Myrtle placed her coffee-cup on the mantel; too, and extending a slender hand to a silver box near by, selected a cigarette.

"I saw Stella Dallas in New York, Rosamond," she announced impressively. "I saw her down near Washington Square. I was down that way seeing a friend of mine who has the most fascinating studio in an old stable. I saw Stella Dallas with the Munn man again! They seemed to be on quite familiar terms."

"Did you, really?"

"It was not a pretty sight, I assure you. The Munn man was intoxicated, I think. Anyway, she