Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-08
A NEW SUIT

with his tongue. So far his wife had not
even looked up at him, but now she did
SO. There was a hard look in her eyes.
II was only boy he said hoarsely.
"And wild young chap. with no very
fixed ideas of right or wrong. 1 got into
my head that, at any cost, my sister 8
name must be kept out of the affair. 1t
was not until Talbot had been tried and
sentenced that I realized the horrible
thing 1 had done. Somehow I thought
that he would get off very lightly. But
Rochford's people had influence. and they
used 1t for all it was worth"
Again there was silence. Then Lady
Wimberley said slowly:
And when Mr.. Vertigan came hereto
ask for the post of science MASTER
and then she stopped.
'I recognized him. of course though his
name was Barrett when he was at Oxford.
I did not wish to engage him, but he
pointed out to me that he was as fit a
person to take charge of boys as was.
That was true"
"And you were afraid of him." she con-
tinued, "and although you knew that you
had to be more than ordinarily careful
about the masters you engaged. as 1t was
possible an attempt might be pade-to
carry of my son--you let him into the
school," She paused and rose to her feet
rs 1t that" she continued slowly.
(which I can never forgive-that which
must stand between us-always."
John Erlelgh bowed his head and stood
there motionless. He was afraid to look
his wife in the face.
when you engaged this man." she
continued, you had just come from me-
We had just told each other of our love
You knew that my boy was very, very
dear to me-you must have been thinking
OF me so soon after you left me. Yet you
admitted this scoundrel into the school,
knowing nothing of him except that he
was a scoundrel. Any man might have
struck the man who had dlshonored his
sister-and struck him so hard that he
died. could have forgiven you that.
might even have forgiven you what fol-
lOwed-your cowardice In allowing an in
noeent man to be punished In your place.
You had gone so far that you could not
turn back and even then you were think
Ing OF your sisters good name. But I
cannot forgive you-the loss of my SON."
''Anne." he cried bitterly, "you must
be reasonable. 1t is not even known that
Vertigan had anything to do-with that
He was here for that purpose. You
did not know that but you knew that
Vertisan was scoundrel, and that an
attempt had already been made toto
take away my boy Guy was placed in
your charge and you should not have run
the slightest risk"
II did not dream--for a moment-that
there was any risk" He spoke more
firmly now, and looked his wife In the
face He felt more condence now that the
Issue had been narrowed down to this one
point He had been afraid that his wife
would feel most deeply about his allowing
an innocent man 10 suffer for his crime.
But, womanlike, she had seized, quite ir-
nationally, on something for which he
could not reasonably be held responsible.
OF course 1t was natural that the death
Of her son should cast a shadow over all
her thoughts. But IA time she could be
made to understand that he had not IA
any way contributed TO the tragedy BY
engaging Vertigan as a science master.
IT Nertigan had never come here" she
went on in a trembling voice. my dear
SON"
"Anne!" he broke in dercsly. .sYou
know that Doctor Anderson took the boy
from here"
Il do not believe H. They do not know.
All that We do know Is that Vertgan
came here TO harm my son. But why
should We argue. Jack2 You knew later
on for certain that Vertigan was here as
an accomplish OF Dick Aleriet's. And you
Kept him here-not as you told me, be-
cause there vas no legal evidence against
hiHl' but because you were afraid to dis
miss him Jack. my dead son. must al-
Waya stand between us-alHays"
ehe placed her hands nn TIE maut1zs