If Judy Jones had not reappeared in Dexter's life on the night of the University Club dance, it is likely that he would have married Irene Scheerer and had the children he imagined hearing her call to in their future. Until Judy reappears, Dexter likely did not think about his engagement to Irene ending. She is "popular," "great," "sweet," and "honorable," and Dexter has a good relationship with her parents. Irene offers Dexter "a sense of solidity" that he accepts, knowing it would never rival the passion he feels for Judy Jones. Irene is destined to be his second choice, and because of Judy's unpredictability, Dexter was willing to settle for Irene.
Dexter never regrets discarding Irene for another interlude with Judy and ultimately feels unmoved by Irene's grief, but this does not suggest that he knew his engagement would not last. If Judy had not returned to his life, albeit briefly, Dexter would have done what everyone expected and married Irene.
A girl from a similar background, Irene, who possesses none of Judy’s beauty or vivacity, is far from Dexter’s ideal mate, as illustrated by the following excerpt: “Irene would be no more than a curtain spread behind him...a voice calling to children.’’ Being described only in piecemeal—a hand, a curtain, a voice—further dehumanizes Irene. Although the images connected with her evoke comfort and domesticity, they pale in comparison to the grand passion Dexter imagines he could have with Judy. One could argue that perhaps Irene was never fully human in Dexter’s eyes, but only a possession to be collected and then discarded at his earliest convenience.
Fitzgerald’s use of colors and seasons in his story further places Irene and Dexter in opposition. Irene, soft-spoken and easy going in nature, could be likened to Spring, while Dexter, cold and melancholic, is the embodiment of Winter.
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