The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-16
Now Read On

Kitty was shameless-and business
like
Have you asked your father for
No! Nol Kitty we couldn't do
that. Think of the 1s year old girl
you were ONCE! Think of my awful
blow-my blow to the father who
gave me life--,a boys fool idea Of
avenging something that's done-and
overi Kitty. we couldn't ask him for
money. I'D RATHER STARVEr
You've got a swell chance
Kitty decided that she was making
sad bungle on the job. The hard
| her voice She crossed over to where
the boy was sunk In despair and put
her hand gently on his shoulder
Ken. dear I'm sorry things are so
had, but you've got to get money.
Your mother hasn't answered your
last letter.
NO. can't understand it," ex-
claimed Ken. bitterly
4 cam She's woman. Your father
would come across. she won't--not for
me, not for the girl that is taking her
son from her. Say ken'-with an
abrupt change of nanner--"where do
you think all the mother in law
jokes come from? Your mother hasn't
/ answered your last letter. You see
Now, what are you going to DO?
She perched on the arm of his
| chair and put her little hand on his
shoulder. Then quickly her hands
! strayed over his collar, up to his face
In moment her cool fingers were
fluttering like little snow1akes across
his throbbing temples. But the boy
| was in no mood for loving ministra-
/ tions. Cool fingers on his brow could
not stop the jarring throbbing of his
J brain
Il don't know what / am going to
| do. | never realized before what q
miserable weakling I was, Ny father
spent $4,000 on my four years al
college, and I can't earn $40 a week
tried today to get place IN a life
insurance office. and ] was beaten out
by boy just out of high school
Beaten fairly. too He's done some
thing with his chances. I've wasted
| mine.'
They won't let you starve. Ken
/ They're toe proud of the familvr
Proud? or our family. What &
/ Joke, WHAT A JOKE. WHAT A
| ROTTEN JOKE THE WHOLE
WORLD IS" cried the boy with the
bitter cynicisms OF youth that ha.
eaten too soon and too fully of ths
rotten fruit OF the tree of knowledg.
! OF evil
"It's got the laugh on US, al
right" answered Kitty.
Perhaps Kenneth had really ex,
pected her to understand. With ar
added shade of WEAKNESS, he added
i've written to Tom Harding
Kitty. I'll win out yet If you jus1
stick TO me-
What else can do asked the
girl, still more wearfly
Kenneth walked over to where she
stood leaning nonchalantiy against
the sun dappled window frame. She
was all he had left now-all he had
| to lavish affection on--habit, the de-
sire to make reparation and the
charm of the siren still held the boy
to his weary bondage But even her
love would be Dead sea fruit-it
would leave In its wake a bitter
thirst of the spirit His loneliness
! spoke-his despair-his bitter awak-
ening to his own weakness coIored
| his voice.
It's made a difference in you just
the few days since my money has
been all gone. If You were to leave
me now, I'd give up. l WOULDN'T
| WANT TO LIVE, l COULDN'T,
WHAT I HAVE DONE DID BE-
CAUSE THOUGHT OUR LOVE WAS
BIG ENOUGH TO EXCUSE TT. If
IF ] HAVE BEEN WRONG ABOUT
| THAT. TOO-IF THAT is ROTTEN
AS SORDID, AS EVERYTHING ELSE
! AROUND US. TD-I'D JUST QUITr
| But the spirit of his words fell on
deaf ears as later events would
| prove.
Kitty answered with petulance
Haven't we lived respectable? Mo-
body can say anything different unless
| they lie! What's ssordid' about US
unless it's myrclothes? Oh, Ken, I've