Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-21
The Red Mouse
A Story of Love, Jealousy and Politics
BY WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE

"Free-free as you are now said thu
other man In n low. strained tone.
| Yes" assented Challoner, "out of prison
but"
Mrs. Challoner quickly rose and put Al
end to the conversation going on betweer
the men.
Come. Laurie" she said abrupty and
holding out her hand, "Good-by Mr.. Murga'
troyd I'm afraid we have taken up al
together too much of your time"
Murgatroyd shook hands with the Chal-
loners but on Shirley making her adieus
he said:
MAY I have moment with you. Miss
| Bloodgood? Wont you walt. please?"
| Mrs. Chaloner answered for the girl:
shirley, don't be In any hurry. Laurie
and | will walt for you In the anteroorn,
| And as they passed out Challoner called.
wait until you see that concrete hospital,
! Murgatroyd"
| For moments that seemed hours Shirley
and Murgatroyd stood facing each other.
! neither having the courage to speak. the girl
| filled with shame Mt the great wrong she
| had done to the man she loved while he.
feeling as If the burden that had rested
| upon his soH had at last rolled away, was
drawing deep Notwithstanding like a man
who has suddenly come out Of darkness into
the daylight Shrley was the first to break
the silence; and now looking up at Murga.
| tioyd with little shake of the head, s!e
asked
Billy, do you care to know what think
of you?"
Perhaps. IL had cared less, ="
But not for moment would Shirley
listen now to his censuring himself further,
ana quickly she cut him off.
Il think II was a far finer thing 20 take
the money and not touch IT," she declared
with true feminine logic than never to
nave taken it az all"
"Eut what IL this habit should grow upon
me- he retorted smilnsly. Evidently
Miss Bloodgood doesn't know what graft
awaits me in Washington
Shirley laughed softly.
TO think that you accomplished all this
without money" she said happily.
But the worst is yet to come" he OBJ
served quickly. 1T means that one has TO
keep up the social game, the club game,
the political game, and the Lord knows
what other games on five thousand-or is
1t now seventy-five hundred a year? Ii
means that an unmarried man must starve
and Heaven help the married Senator, For
he and his family must live on a back
street in the capital and freeze. That's
what 1t means to Senator who lives on
his salary"
But doesn't poverty always travel hand
in hand with greatness" she remarked en-
Enthusiastically. and with superb disdain for
to the contrary
Murgatroyd looked at her with admira-
ton. Never before had her eyes seemed
to him so blue and so lovely.
There's one thing one thing that I
didn't tell Challoner and his wife" he said
lowering his voice almost to a whisper
can you guess what that something was
that always made me keep my hands off
those iron boXes?"
Shirley lifted her eyes to his in quick
1T was my love for the woman who
wanted me to be great" he went on in n |
voice so shaken with emotion that she |
scarcely recognized it as belonging to him |
That was the motive that beat down all |
others"
And will you forgive the foolish lips that
told you to go wrong?"
For answer he held out his arms to her
and she came to them Then he stooped
down, and catching her face between his
hands raised it slowly, and kissed the lips
fenderly, murmurng lovingly:
Her soul would not let me go wrong"
After moment Shirley slowly drew her
self out of his arms and placing a hand on
each of his shoulders, asked laughinRly.
looking deep into his eyes:
And well go to Washington"
Yes, dear" he smiled back. We're lgo-
ng to Westinghouse freeze and starye
ogether on that back street-yes, my re-
'enge is now complete"
Before he could kiss her a second time
Shirley darted to the door. opened it and
,alled:
Miriam, Laurie, come here-come back"
One look at the face of the girl that she
lad left in the Office was sufficient to tell
Miriam that she had great news to COM
nunicate. Nevertheless, she asked inno-
,ently:
What for, my dear? Are you going to
ynch him?"
Bushng furiously, Shirley waved her
land at the boxes on the table and said:
Billy says that you've gone off and for
gotten all your money!"
(THE END)