Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-29

wouldn't be in your carriage confessing to
you this blessed minute when it'd be SO
much easier not to. Surely-surely, in your
experience you must have met girls that go
wrong-and then go right for ever and ever.
Amen. Aud I'm very right now. But-but
it has been hard for at times And at
those times-ah. you must know how sin
cerely 1 mean it-at those times 1 used to
try to recall the sound of your voice when
you said you'd like to take me home with
you and keep me If had been your daugh-
ter you'd have had heart full of loving
care for me. And yet, if l had been. and
had known that benevolent fatherhood, l
should need it less-so much less than did
the day begged prayer from you
Butts all right now. You don't know-do
you?-I'm Nance Olden.''
That made him sit up and stare. 4 tell
you. Even the bishop had heard of Nancy
Olden. But suddenly unaccountably. there
came queer, sad look over his face, and
his eyes wouldn't meet mine.
looked at him puzzled.
Tell me what it is" said.
You evidently forget that you have al
ready told me you are the wife of MINI.
Ober-"
"Obermuller. Oh. that's all right"
laughed aloud. l was so relieved "Of course
L am. and he's my manager. and my play
wright. and my secretary. and-my-my
dear, dear boy THERE 1 wasn't laughing
at the end of 1t. l never can laugh when I
But-funny?-that won him.
There. there!" he said. patting me on the
shoulder Forgive me, my dear. am in
deed glad to know that you are living hap
PLY. l have often thought of YOU
"Oh. have your"
"Yes-1 have even told Mrs Van Wagenen
about you and how l was attracted to you
and believed-ahem.
"Oh-oh. have you" l gave a wriggle as
1 remembered that Maltese lace Maria
wanted and that I-ugh,
But. luckily. he didn't notice He had
taken my hand and was looking at me over
his spectacles in his dear fatherly old way
Tell me now. my dear is there anything
that an old clergyman can do for you? l
have an engagement near here and we may
not meet again. L can't hope to find you in
my carriage many more times. You are
happy-you are living worthily child? Par
don me, but the stage
Oh, the gentle courtesy Of his manner,
loved his solicitude. Father-hungry girls
IKE us, Maggie. know how to value a thing
| like that.
| You know" 1 said slowly, ''the thing
that keeps woman straight and a man
| faithful is not matter of bricks and nor
tar nor ways of thinking nor habits Of liv-
ing. It's something finer and stronger than
these It's the magic taboo of her love
Tor MIN and his for her that makes them
sacred. With that to guard them-why-"
Yes yes" he patted nv hand SOFTLY
sun the old see the dangers of an euyi-
ronment that young and impulsive
woman IKE you my dear, might be blind
to. Your associates
My associates? Oh. you've heard about
Beryl Blackburn. Well-she's-she's lust
Ter Heryi, you ,I know: She wasn't made to
a an9 any snms o' dr,n Some people steal
and some Well, BervI BELONGS
to the last class. She doesn't pretend 70
be better than she Is. And. just be-
tween you and me; bishop. I've more re-
spect for a girl of that kind than for Grace
Weston. whose husband is my leading man
you know. Why. she pulls the wool over bis
eyes and makes him the laughing stock of
the company. l can't stand her any more
than can Marie Avon. who's never with
out two strings"
All at once 1 stopped. But wasn't it like
me 10 spoil 1t all by bubbIing over? 1 tell
digest 1t. 'io" ~
l was afraid that I'd lost him. for he
spoke SPOKE win stately little primness as the
been SO interested talking that I hadn't
noticed where We We're driving
An, here we are!" he said 81 must asl,
you TO excuse me. NISSAN. Mrs.-that is
theres public meeting of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children this
then" 's''
oh. are you bound for the Cruelty. too?"
that's the Cruelty!"
The Cruelty stands just where it did Mag
when you and first it; most things do
IN fhllaaeiphia you know There's the
same prim, official straight up-and-down-
ness about the brick front. The steps don't
look SO steep now and the buildings
not so nigh, perhaps because of a sky-
s 81 OF Two thatve gone up since. But
1t chllls your blood. Maggie darlin', lust as
1t always did, to think what 1t stands for
NOT mans inhumanty to man, but women's
cruelty to children! Maggie. think of 1t. If
you can. as though this were the first time
you'd heard of SUrh
believe it?
1 walked from that to find myself march
ing up the stairs behind the bishops rigid
little back Oh 1t was stiff and uncom
promising. Beryl Blackburn did that for
me. Poor. pretty. pagan Beryl!
My coming with the bishop-we seemed
TO come together anyway-made the peo-
pie think he'd brought me- so / must he
just all right. 1 had the man bring In the
toys I'd got out in the carriage and hand
ed them over to the matron. ssa yfng:
They're for the children. ID wantsthem
to have them all and now, please 10 do
whatever they want with them. : There'u
always be Others. I'm going TO sendsthem
right along. If you'll let me, so that those
who leave can take something of their. very
own with them-something that never be-
longed to anybody else but Just themselves
you understand. It's terrible don't you know.
to be a deserted child or a tortured child
or crippled child and have nothing to do
but sit UP In that bare, clean little room
upstairs with lot of other strangelings-
and Just think on the cruelty that's brought
you here and the cruelty you may get into
when you leave here. II I'd had a doIl-if
Mag had only had a set of dishes or a little
tin kitchen-if the boy with the gouged eye
could have had set of tools-oh, can't you
understand"
+ became conscious then that the matron
"a new one, Mag, ours is gone-was staring
at me, and that the people stood around
listening as though I'd gone mad.
Who came to my rescue? Why, the |
bishop like the manly little fellow he is |
He forgave me even Beryl in that moment. |
ITS Nance Olden ladies'. he said. with |
a dignified little wave of his hand that
served for an introduction. "She begins. her |
Philadelphia engagement tonight in And |
the Greatest OF These
Oh, I'm used to 1t now, Maggie, but do |
like it. All the lady -swels buzzed about |
me. and there Nance stood preening herself |
and Growing softly till-tiil from among the |
bunch of millinery one of them stepped |
up to me. She had a big smooth |
face with plenty of chns. Her hair was |
white and her nose was curved and she |
rustled in silk and
1t was Mrs. Dowager Diamonds, alias
Henrietta, alias Mrs. Edward Ramsay!
Clever, My, how cleyer." she exclaimed, |
as though the sob in my voice that I |
couldn't control had been q bit of acting.
She was feeling for her glasses. When