Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-03

her 50 madly, he was adamant She hag
the feeling OF having hurled herself NJ
/ against armor-pleting. 10 was she whs
/ had suffered in the interview. not Gilbert
/ And somehow he had managed to shift
/ the ground OF her attack She had re
| garded him as wholly despicable and
! about 70 do something Incredibly base
/ and vile But the strength and intensity
OF his passion had invested him with q
certain dignity the meanness he contem.
| plated appeared IN almost an heroic light
She still felt him to be base and vile
But she no LONGER despised him, Instead
she feared MIN.
For a time she told herself that come
what might she would not give Up Arrol.
What right had her mother to demand
such a preposterous sacrifice from her?
For the first 20 years of her life Mrs.
Plessoy had as far as possible ignored
her. Now she calmly prepared to use her
TO cover up her own folly and guilt.
Surely her mother had done enough mis-
chief In the world and made enough vic
tlns-her husband Arrol, and now her
own daughter. It was time she bore the
consequences of her own actions, Maud
reflected bitterly. No, she would not give
Martin up.
But all the, same she knew that she
would
Blood was thicker than water. And
mingled with the contempt and fierce re-
sentiment she felt for her mother was a
strain Of that pity which the strong and
chivnlrous feel toward the weak, however
contemplate they may be- And there was
honor. Gilbert had thrown honor to the
winds. II she did the same, how would
she Oe better than he7 She knew that
however she might suffer she would do
the straight thing as Martin had done
years before. You're a woman of
4, A.fH
smile. you must play the game" So
she had written to Martin the letter he
had received on his return from Dereve's.
When she felt that she had herself we'll
enough in hand she went down to Brigh-
ton to see her mother. Mrs. Plessey was
in, they told her at the hotel and would
be pleased to see her II she would go
right up.
When Maud's mother Travelled II was
always with a litter of cushions and
photographs (mostly of herselO and odds
and ends that enabled her to turn a bare
hotel room into a colorado imitation OF
her own boudoir So Maud was not sur
prised to find that the sitting room into
which she was shown had acquired some
thing of the fluffy personality that just
now she hated so intensely. She noticed
with curl of her lip that In her mothers
hand as she lay propped up with cushions
oi lhS SOld WAS lHe latest ITOIny novel;
This woman could interest herself in
things like that after the confession she
had so recently made!
Mrs. Plessey greeted her daughter
eftusively, and wept and grew sentimental
when Maud announced her intention of
giving up Arrol.
MY dear, dear grill" she had exclaimed,
"how like your noble and generous self
know that your love for your mother
would conquer in the end"
Maud laughed bitterly. I'm neither
noble nor generous" she said, I'm
simply playing the game-you don't un-
derstand that, do you, mother7 And
think we can leave love out of It, The
only creature in the world whom I love
Is the. man whom you have wronged for
IL years aad whom you are now forcing
me to wrong as we'll I love Martin Arrol
and always shall"
'Ah, you are young, Maud You haven't
my experience. You will soon forget Mar
TIN Mrs Plessey giggled at the memory
of past love affairs
''Of course You belIttle NV Iovo for
Martin so that you can pretend I'm not
really making any sacrifice for you. What
do your know about lover" she continued
saVagely. You've never loved in all your
simply haven't got IL in YOU.
You've only t1irted with the wretched
boys who think you're the real thing,
you're only sham. And you can
smile over your conquests now" Maud |
looked at her mother in wonder After
what you told me the other night-r She
paused, then continued, II think I had |
better go now, or l shall say things
may regret"
Mrs Plessey dabbed at her eyes with a
small square OF lace. You are SO cruel.
Maud she protested. 80 brutal-almost
ll-bred at times. You forget what I'm
going through and what I've gone through |
for you"
Maud made a gesture of impatlence.
Don't talk humbug, mother" she said.
sharply, you're unhappy because all this |
mas upset your plans for the season and |
brought you to Brighton when you want |
10 be in Kensington. You can go back TO |
your tango and bridge and theatre par
lies. I shan't interfere with you or ask |
you 70 bring me out or chaperon me, |
II you can forget. can't, In future you
won't see much of me. Good-by I'm go ]
ng now. want to catch the next train |
back to town" And ignoring Mrs. Pies |
sey's hand and half-offered embrace, |
Maud strode out of the room.
But at the railway station she had |
changed her mind. She couldn't bear the |
mothers house - the whole atmosphere
seemed tainted now-to face her mothers |
to meet Gilbert Huron. She felt |
she must get away from them all some
where where she could be quite alone and !
think things out. She remembered with |
a sudden longing a little Surrey village |
she had loved as a child. No one ever /
went to Cranlelgh She would go there |
for a few days instead OF going back to
town She could send for a few clothes |
and things. There was so much to think |
out still.
How good II was to be back in the !
again-to see the apple orchards |
with their crown OF pale pink blossoms, |
and the gardens ablaze with flowers, to 1
walk under green trees, TO wander over |
the hills treading underfoot the pushing i
heather and the unfolding fronds OF the |
bracken. And yet-had she been wise TO |
Gomez For spring was the time for |
lovers with its riot OF color and blossom |
and all the birds singing their maddest
Martin, oh, Martin" she said aloud, Il |
want you, dear; can't live without
YOU"
She walked for miles in the leafy lanes
and over the hills 10 tire herself out
physically and clear her brain. Martin
was gone. That episode was over. She
had sent him away, and he had never
tried to communicate with her since. She |
had half expected him to answer that /
etter. Somehow she had hardly thought /
he would have accepted his dismissal so
.amely Vaguely she had expected him
10 demand some more definite explana-
rion She tortured herself for a long
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