Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-30

the refreshment pavilion.
Mrs Plessey drew in her ecanty skir
| and made room for Martin beside her
ITS a long time since we have had
chat" she remarked pleasantly.
Not since the morning after your hus
bands death" he observed.
"Oh, see," she said tartly, lool<lni
away from him with an air Of resigna
tlon. You came down here to remin'
me Of all that"
mot necessarily. IT'S possible I MAJ
have to remind you OF stlll more un
| pleasant things. 1 want to know why
Maud has thrown me over"
"Ah. | thought she would"
You thought she would-I dare say
| Probably you told her tor
Mrs. Plessey shrugged her shoulders
clasped her knee, pulled down the corners
OF her lips, and endeavored by all sorts
OF contortlons Of the facial muscles to
convey at once pain and patient endur-
ance OF mans unreasone bleness
II quite expected that-I was sure II
was comingl Blame everything on TO
poor little mel I influence Maud That
great big hulking girl She could lift me
up with one hand and put me out of
the room"
Il dare say she could" he interrupted
brusquely. but she wouldn't be likely to
we last saw each other she was as much
in love with me as 1 am with her. Then
not having seen each other in the in
terval-1 get letter from her telling me
that l must not see her again. And she
frankly tells me In a previous letter that
there are all sorts of complications at
home. No. no, don't interrupt; I've not
finished yet You are under some obliga-
tions to me. you know. l risked my neck
to save your reputation"
For goodness sake, don't shoutP' ex-
claimed Mrs. Plessey, looking round ner-
vousy.
mo one can hear us with the wind in
this direction. don't want to revive un-
pleasant memories, but I've stood about
as much on your behalf as any man
could, and I think you might help me
now you have the chance" He was plead
Ing rather than threatening now. I'm
tremendously keen on Maud. 1 can't
stand the idea of parting from her."
"Ah." sighed Mrs. P1essey. She made
a pretty moue. you felt like that about
mo once"
Rubbish he said ungallantly 'L
never did and never pretended to. You
that wretched boy who was here just
now And think had more sense than
he. But that doesn't alter the fact that
ruined my life"
"oh, thought you would throw all that
in my teethl' cried Mrs. Plessey hotly-
Men are such cads! AS II you did more
than any gentleman would have DONE
well, hang It ALL" expostulated the
man, Il risked-'
In point of fact, you knew perfectly we'll
that should never have let you be con-
victed. I knew there was no evidence
against you, SO I had the sense to hold
my tongue. I had that card up my
sleeve ready to play at the right mo-
ment."
He looked at her. then smiled curiously
I'm learning lot about women" he re-
marked. "a man once told me that yod
could never get a woman to admit
claim on her gratitude because she would
always maintain that whatever you had
done for her had been done with a selfish |
motive. So the risk 1 ran and the |
silence that I have kept all these years
are to count for nothing with your"
II don't know what all this has got to |
do with it!'' exclaimed Mrs. Plessey with |
an injured afr you could have lived |
quite comfortably in England all these |
years If you had chosen to do SO. |
didn't want you to run away to Morocco. |
was astonished to hear that you had |
left the country. Every false step a |
man makes he blames on to some poor
wretched woman"
We'll, don't let's deal in generallties
any longer. 1 want to know If you're |
going to help me to win back Maud?
II don't see how can. I have no in
nuence with her."
why has she thrown mo over?"
DO you really want to lSnow?'
Yes" He looked her in the eyes and
she met his gaze firmly and frankly.
For the best of all reasons. Because
she is in love with another man."
Arrol bit his lip TO restrain an exclama-
ton. II don't believe It," he said.
"Ah,' she said more softly. ''I wonder
4 you will believe something else which
should like to tell your"