Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-03

The DdtUning of q Tender
Passion


A coal wagon, naturally choosing the
rush hour for the performance, broke
down In front of an extra-crowded car,
and traffic was promptly knotted for
three blocks, a shining big automobile,
following up the hill, came so close be-
hind that the glare OF the street car
shone with unpleasant brightness on the
occupants, a smiling, red-cheeked girl
nj the wheel: by her side, a gray-Van-
dyked man, with sinister lines running
sharply downward from his down
pointed nose; in the tonneau, a plainly
dressed and modestly pretty black
haired girl, with large and rather timld
eyes. and slender. golden-halred girl,
whose chief mission in life, from her
expression, would have been taken to be
mschievous fun.
Hello, Bert!" called the girl at the
wheel. "Can you uncrush yourself?"
The rather large young man in the
neatly fitting blue suit, who had been
jammed against the rail of the rear plat
form, had already begun to worm his
way outSof the ill-humored throng on
the street car.
''Ill try It," he laughed. although
don't exENce to have n button left"
The crowd, it's clothing still clammy
from the recent rain, made way for him
reluctantly, even though 1t needed tho
space he occupied; for the pompous-
looking Vandyked man In the car was
Frank Marley, by all odds the most un-
popular man in the city. He was the
president of the street car company.
The young man in the neat blue suit,
whose cheeks wero flawlessly pink, and
whose luxuriant black mustache was
curled in two amazingly perfect ringlets,
picked his way through the slush, gain
ed the running board of the touring car
and dotfed his hat ~ the occupants.
Bert, this is the treat I promised
you," said the girl at the wheel, glanc-
ing back with flash of her sparkling
brown eyes and her sparkling white
teeth.
clasping the blond visitors hand, and
at the same time he gave his left hand
condesca- dinghy to little jessie Peters.
welcome to our muddy city"
"'Thank you" smiled the golden-haired
young lady. "Of course, this is Hand
some Bert Glider"
"NTolly's been telling on me-" he lightly
answered, as he took the folding seat just
behind Mr.. Marley, sitting sidewise SO
tonneau and still enjoy the clean-cut pro-
file of Ethelyn Marley, known to her in
Inmates as Molly, for no better reason
than that it was handler name.
The lights in the car ahead suddenly
went out and a groan arose from the mis-
cradle passengers on that suffocating We
hicle A roughly breathed man, who had
been resting his elbow In the wishbone
of gray-whiskered little Henry Peters,
reached the point of heroic defiance.
He cursed the street car company and
"Why don't they put on more
cars?
Little Henry Peters. who was so short
that his hat was always pushed over his
eyes in n crowd. Strengthened his derby
and replied as follows
IF they did everybody'd want to take
the first one. There are probably empty
cars behind this and he glanced back
with secret pride at where his daughter
Jessie rode as a guest in the Marley car.
You talk like a stockholder." he
charged, with deliberate intention of
insult.
'I am" admitted little Henry, with
bright expression. 1T pays me per
cent"
The conductor crowded back through