The Democratic advocate., 1909-11-12


hat pushed back on his rumpled fair
hair. was still insisting that he leave
the Office for the rest Of the day.
"Confound you, Billy. heat or no
heat, August or December. fellow
that's going to get on in the law sim
ply must do some studying. Can't you
get 1t through your thick head when
say am not going that mean it?
Take the girls by yourself If they are
silly enough to like your company.
Can't see what anything bigger than a
child sees In vaudeville park any
how. Now. Billy, get out Of here, dol
Your everlasting grin gives me tenn
perature. and the heat is bad enough
this afternoon as 1t is."
Butler surveyed his friend with elab-
crate pity. Poor boyr' he commented
ruminatingly. "He hasn't been himself
since he won the big case last month.
Turns down his friends, fiocks by him
self. Must have overworked or else
he's in love. Must be love. Perhaps
the fair Alice win capitulate after all.
She ought to after you saved her for
tune from n greedy stepmother Go
after 1t. son. Well. by-by. Me to Grace
and Marietta and the despised park"
Alice Lawton, indeed. thought Worth
ing. Well. that idea was better IN But
ler's shallow pate than the real truth
namely, that Marietta's sudden fond
ness for his partner was eating his
heart out. II was always Marietta and
Billy Butler everywhere. and be used
to think 1t was Grace for whom Billy
longed. Worthing had known no inner
peace since Marietta had come last
winter to live with, her cousin, Grace
Hunter. From the first meeting the
girls dark. little. serious face, sweet
eyes. gay laughter. had not left his
consciousness And she had certainly
seemed to like him. even 10 prefer
him, to let him monopollze her some
what and even to be demurely glad
when they were left alone together.
Gloomily rejecting, he began to won
der what had changed her. June had
been n Joy time. II he had spoken
then all might have been well. but that
Lawton inheritance case came to him.
He recognized the professional oppor.
tunity, worked on II like a slave day
and night all through July and won.
feeling that he had now a little better
basis for offering his heart to the girl
he loved. lie was also delighted be.
cause he had done q service to Alice,
his lifelong friend. But what had
changed MarIettal
Finding himself unable TO study.
Worthing phOned for his car and clos
ed the office. He would go for Alice
and take her for . spin and have din.
ner at the golf club and then ride
again till the moon came up. Perhaps
they might go through the park them.
selves. and-no. he would let Marietta
alone! He recognized that he longed 10
see her.
But Alice was not At home, and. bit
terly lonely he motorcd out into the
country As the sun set and the cool
OF evening cnme on his troubled heart
grew more calm. He would reason
with himself, try 10 see what he Ind
done or left undone. why Marietta
when he went back 20 her, flushed and
joyous with his victory. had received
him with the frozen sweetness OF a
dish OF ice cream and thereafter man
nged never TO be with him alone for a
single moment The first time he had
noticed 1t was once when, with Alice
whom he was taking 10 his Office, he
met her on the street just Ia front OF
the building. Her greeting had been
very cool.
Worthing drew up beneath a great
tree and, taking q little photo OF the
gfrl from his pocket, looked at II with
loving inquiry. He recalled that an.
other time that she had been cool TO
him was when he vas telling her how
much 1t meant to Alice to get her legal
rights and how glad he was 10 have
been able to help her That was at
the golf club dance, and after that ahe
had been unable 60 and q dance for
him. He sat thinhfAx.
Suddenly 1t cane 10 him-ths ridicu.
lous little key to the solution. He
started the machine. headed again for
the city, driving like one In q sort OF
happy insanity. He would 90 straight
to the park. find her aud see her long
enough to ask her if he was right n
he had to toss Billy into the lake to be
rid Of him. OF course fellow couldn't
ask girl directly what he intended to
know. but he was lawyer enough to
extract from her Indirectly all he de-
sired. He could not wait to see ber-it
was all so foolishly simple.
1t was nearly dusk when. with hope
and fear minglIng in bis heart, he
reached the park and, impatiently obe-
dient to the rules and the watchfuI
police. crawled slowly along the drives
looking for group In which he might
distinguish Marietta's slim little figure
and crown of dark hair. Where in the
world could they be7 He stopped on a
wrong clew several times and at last
went slowly to remote corner where
there was great old fashioned swing
1t would be like thds idiot Butler to
take her off to chatter to her unhinder.
ed and perhaps to swing her, for she
loved to risk her little life. and Worth
ing had always had a deadly fear that
the chains or something might break
He had seen one such accident Now
he began to be swre Butler was not d
to look after her.
His surnise had heen right He saw
Grace, tall and big and blond, stand
ing watching that consummate idiot
Billy, as he pushed Marietta--hIs Mari
etta-high and yet higher into the afr
He jumped from his car, motioninI
Butler. who did nok see him. to atnr