Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-17


ruI complexion and her masses of dark
hair. Her hands were of peculiar
| creamy white, such a shade as certain
marbles have. and they we're very slen
der and taperng, with rosy fngers an"
| long, delicate nails.
| The hands of a born musician, |
| thought: so. when l fell into chat with
| her, asked il she played, or sang.
! "Oh. no." she smiled. II have no tai
ents at ALL"
| What do you do to interest yourseli
! them" | asked
The girl turned one hand softly In the
| other in a way that was almost caress
why. / don't believe that / am espe'
| cially interested in any one thing she
| said hesitating. "Of course. | like to
| read but the social season has been SO
| very full this year that IL hasn't given
| me time for anything except my engage
| ments. You know, the labor of dressing
these days is simply stupendous"
"indeed?" | said musingly. Il wonder
how it happens then that so many women
not only dress themselves but attend 10
their homes and children? And some OF
them, in addition to all that earn money
wel--those!" a slight, languid mo.
ton of her hands dismissed the reference
as of no special Importance "Of course,
one expects working women to lead
different life" she smiled.
"They do, indecd"' | retorted. "a life
that should shame such a young woman
as YOU INTO uOlnS SOIDelDlHS W justify
your existence"
She glanced down. At first she did not
really understand. and then tolerant,
amused, l.1-guess-she-is just -jeal-
ous-of-my-hands expression came over
her face. / read it as easily as though
she had spoken the words, for her eyes
Travelled to my own hands, which bear
the marks Of many dinner cooked ana
many a button sewed.
Yes" finished. 81 mean those beauti.
ful hands of yours which are so beautl-
full they have caused your companions
TO nickname you. They would he far
more beautiful, my dear child, If they
We're less so!'
She rose, quite at her ease, and bowed
gracefully and respectfully.
81 am so glad to have met you," she
said. "I have found you very interesting,
although l fear you cannot say the same
of me-!
| knew Beautiful Hands" again the
moment that / saw her face. although it
had been five years since the garden
party. She was in n very luxurious mo-
tor, driven by chauffeur in livery.
was on the sidewalk. The car, halted by |
traffic policeman, was just abreast of ,
me as ] waited on the curb across the |
street, and our eyes met.
you were right, Mrs Sunday. My |
little life lamp is burning low"' she said |
as she ordered her chauffeur to pull to |
the curb.
| found nothing | could say. My glance |
fell to her lap, where two hands, as white |
and lovely as two magnified rose petals, |
lay folded She noticed my glance with a |
grim smile that bore as much resem-
blance to her girlhood smile as a skeleton |
does to a living body.
"They bound me and blinded me lust |
as you said" she went on, In a dead level |
voice. "All my life 1 have worshiped my |
hands. / never did useful piece of work |
with them ] wouldn't even take part In
sports And I wouldn't marry q man un-
less / was sure he could keep my hands |
free from any particle of CRIME. i lost
the man / loved because l would not run
the risk OF having to do my own house
work if ] became his wife. And-and-
then I married to have-thesew Her won
derful hands, with a gesture or strange
fierceness, pointed to the luxurious car
and her fine clothes. Drive on, John!.
she ordered.
| suppose that the people who turneo
to admire that expensive and beautiful
car and it's expensive and beautiful occu.
pant saw-just that. But what 7 saw
was a chariot of death, within which Law
the corpse of something that had once
been alive. And II seemed to me, too,
that over the equipage there hovered two
hands, deadly white.
Poor Beautiful Hands.
Copyright. 1917 by the Bell Syndicate. Inc)
Monday-The Movie Hero"