The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-19
THE TWO GIRLS

THE TWO GIRLS
The door to the side corridor opened
With a little air of being perfectly at
home. Kitty May entered the room
AT sight of Mary she affected pretty
confusion.
"Hellom she began oh! r. she
trailed off.
Mary turned and looked at her,
Then, with a fxiendly little gesture.
she stepped forward.
This is Kitty?" she asked.
Kenneth hung his head in the most
genuine shame he had ever felt, at
thought of what he had done with his
life for love--if love ii could be called
-of Kitty May.
You'd better co. he said
why" asked Mary genuinely.
Kitty braced herself against the
table and spoke with hard little
show of bravado.
Because all his fine friends are too
proud to know me-
Mary smiled gently. Some of the
sweetness of that old fashioned
flower garden was waited to Ken
neth's Imagination again The two
girls faced each other. The boyhood
sweetheart-the girl he might have
loved except that the son or Mrs
Charles Nelson. leader of society,
could not marry his mothers social
secretary, was smiling with gentle
Kindness on Kitty Claire. And the
girl whose evil spell, like a fog from
the sea. had hidden shoals and rocks
from the eyes of that same boy, was
staring back at Mary with insolent
hardness Kenenth had queer little
vision of a thin alley cat, eyes afame,
back up. splitting and snarling and
scratching at the little child who was
STOPPING with friendly hand TO smooth
ruffied fur. He dashed his hand
across his eyes-what fool ne was
thought he-seeing gardens and fogs
ana cats and smiling children with
trusting eyes, This was just Mary
and Kitty Just Mary and KITTY
bur the good and the bad angels OF
his wife would war for him TO-DAY.
Mary and Kitty Which would win!
II am not a fine friend--I am his
nother's companion said Mary with
her sweet absence Of false pride 4
am very fond of Kenneth-and very
sure that the girl he has chosen TOT
his wife must be good woman.
Kitty answered in amazement. But
gracious she would not be-that is
task that a bad woman will not set
herself-to meet the kindness OF
good woman with graciousness. Per-
hans she hates too deeply the woman
wbo stands for all she might have
been,
.eYou are a new sort to me. | don't
know your kind. / won't wait Ken.
Her trained eye had visioned tnat
roll of bills on the table. Kitty
could almost scent the aroma OF
treasury bill!
.rll get that dress" said Miss May
easily.
Kenneth sternly.
Didn't Mr.. Harding
No
..rve got to get that dress" Kitty
was almost whining now.
| AFT is your money, Kenneth! Mary
came closer in her eagerness, and laid
her hand in gentle pleading on the
boys arm.
soh. so you brought 1t? That's
good of you--Tll''- Kitty attempted
an easy light manner OF suitable
Kenneth spoke with sharp stern
ness.
ePut that money back.' Mary
Rurk's savings should not--could not
be spent to make Kitty May fine for
lark with Dick lie Roy-this was
the thought in his strained and
harassed BRAIN
II will not. T." whined Kitty. in
voice that threatened to snarl Tne
alley cat was lighting for its free-
| dom now.
PUT 1T BACK-NOw."
! He turned to her so fiercely, so
a
! cess of a new pride in his bearing.
! that Kitty fairly leuped away from
| him in fear. She dropped the money
on the table and tried to cover the
| incident from the prying eyes OF
that girl" with a scornful smile.
Kenneth walked quickly to the table
and, selling the bills in strong
clasp fairly forced them into Mary's
hands. The breath from the rose
garden fairly tortured his senses
now. Mary seemed as far removed
from his sordid surroundings as II
she were In some fairy castle In
Spain-in some castle he might never
| reach or realize He looked at her,
and then closed his eyes for mo-
ment to still the poignant agony OF
| the beautiful might have been" The
| Blue Bird of Happiness had sung at
his own freside-and he had never
| marked the tune until 1t was too late!
GO, pleasei' he said to the girl to
whom his whole being was calling
out. Everything that has gone be-
| fore is only a bad dream. 1t has
| never been. Stay-Oh. stay, STAYv'
Go. please, Mary--you must co.
now. At once!'
.Kennethw cried Mary, in deep
| distress.
THE LAST CHANCE
GO, Mary. That is all dare trust
myself to say. We are all rotten
| here--nlI Of us. For Gods sake,
keep away! Don't come near us any
more. You are like : rose, Mary