Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-16
A TALE on LOVE MYSTERY AND LNTRIGUE

that there was anything unusual in their
relations. AS soon as they arrived at the
station, he pointed to the ladies' waiting
room.
'If you will go In and arrange your hair
there" he said, II will go and order
breakfast and have a shave. ] will be
back here in about twenty minutes. You
had better take this"
He offered her a shilling and she ac-
cepted II without hesitation. As soon as
he had gone, however. she looked at the
coin In her hand In blank wonder. She
had accepted II from him with perfect
naturalness and without even saying
THANK your with n queer little laugh,
she pushed open the swinging doors and
made her way into the waltlng-room.
In hardly more than a quarter of an
hour she emerged, to find Tavernake
waiting for her. He had retied his tie,
bought a freeh collar. had been shaved.
She. too, had improved her appearance.
breakfast is waiting this way" he an
nounced.
She followed him obedlently and they
sat down at a small table In the station
refreshment-room.
Mr.. Tavernake," she asked, suddenly
'T must ask you something. Has any
thing like this ever happened to you be-
fore7''
Nothing" he assured her, with some
emphasis.
"You seem to take everything so much
as a matter of course" sho protested.
why not7"
''oh. don't know" she replied, a little
feebly "only--" ....
She found relief in a sudden and per-
fectly natural laugh
''As a matter of fact" she declared, "I
feel much more like crying. Don't you
know that you were very foolish last
nlght7 You ought to have left me alone.
Why didn't your You would have saved
yourself a great deal of trouble"
He nodded, as though that point OF view
did. In some degree, commend itself to
him.
Yes" he admitted. II suppose should.
1 do not, even now. understand why 1
interfered. 1 can only remember that 1t
didn't seem impossible not to at the time,
/ suppose one must have impulses" he
added. with little frown.
THE reflection" she remarked, helping
herself to another roll seems to annoy
you"
"It does" he confessed. 1T do not like
to feel impelled to do anything the rea-
son for which is not apparent. like to
work out best for myself
How you must hate mel" she MUIR
INJURED.
NO, I do not hate you" he replied,
but, on the other hand, you have GER
tainly been trouble to me. First OF all,
1 told falschood at the boarding house,
and prefer always to tell the truth when
I can. Then 1 followed you out OF the
house, which disliked doing very much.
and i seem to have spent a considerable
portion of the time since. In your COM
pany. under somewhat extraordinary cir
cumstances. do not understand why
l have done this"
II suppose 1t is because you are a very
good-hearted person." she remarked.
But am not" he assured her, calmly.
81 am nothing OF the sort. 1 have very
little sympathy with good-hearted people.
l think the world goes very much better
when every one looks after himself, and
the people who are not competent to do
SO go to the wall"
"It sounds trifie SELFISH" she muir
INJURED.
perhaps It is. I have an idea that If
1 could phrase 1t differently 1t would be-
come philosophy"
Perhaps" she suggested, smiling
across the table at him. you have really
done all this because you like me-
II am quite sure that II Is not that"
he declared. "I feel an interest in you
for which I cannot account. but 1t does
not seem to me to be a personal one.
Last night" he continued, when 1 was
sitting there waiting, 1 tried to puzzle
II all out. 1 came to the conclusion that
1t was because you represent something
which I do not understand. I am very
curious and 1t always interests me 20
learn. I believe that must be the secret
of my interest In you"
''You are very complimentary" she told
him, mockingly. IT wonder what there
is in the world which could teach SO
superior a person as Mr.. Tavernake?"
He took her question quite seriously.
"I wonder what there is myself" he
answered. "And yet in a way. 1 think
/ know"
rescue" she remarked
'I have no imagination" he declared,
Bloomily.
They were silent for several minutes;
she was still studying him.
"I wonder you don't ask mo any ques-
tIons about myself" she said, abruptly.
There is only one thing" he answered.
concerning which I am in the least curl
out Last night in the chemists shop"
"Don'tr she begged him. with suddenly
whitening face. Don't speak OF that!'
Every WELL" he replied. indifferently. at
thought that you were rather inviting my
questions. You need not be afraid of
any more. / really am not curious about