Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-16


The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Horace Kenneay
hTTboN Wonla'n, Sionc, MARGARET Warner
TIME open window now framed only the
i black emptiness Of the lawn. Yet the
shattered vase was evidence that the yelled
figure had not been an apparition
with a grtted oath, Kennedy, freeing
himself from Mary's hold, leaped through
the low French easement. The lawn and
street were deserted. the stiffness unbroken,
save for the purr of n recedlng motor.
Baffled, he turned back into the library,
where the broken vase and wall-embedded
bullet were still proof of the assailants
intention.
ooh. dear, I'm afraid for you" quivered
Mary. you've made some bitter enemies
Couldn't you have a detective guard the
house, at least for few days?'
"a detective?" scoffed Kennedy. You're
inst unstrunE. The woman was crazy,
tell you No woman has any cause to In
jure me-"
In the excitement even Mary had for
gotten her new gown. But at the oelateo
dinner she faced herself in the sideboard
was Kennedy too absorbed to notice?
His Rlance was carelessly unseeing, ana
her pridtl kept her from directing his atten-
ton They were leaving the table when
a fold of the filmy gown caught on her
''a' "Im afraid it's torn" as he stopped to
release It, ,..-, .,..,,o.
are of no consequence. You never notice
what wear" a.
with puzzled contrition ne looked aiter
her. as with a hysterical laugh that sus-
gested tears she rushed from the room and
Tearing off the gown as If its very touch
was hateful, Mary bowed her head on her
silver-strewn toilet table, in dispairihg
hopeless sobbing.
The incentive Of series In Stantord s
| magazine spurred Margaret TO her Breatesl
| industry. She was busily rewriting hrst
rough copy, when there came an ih'errup'-
| ing ring OF the doorbel. ,.,.
| II was n box of long-stemmed roses, with
| Norwood's card. The admiration of the
editor Of Stanford's magazine was not uh-
| pleasing, but her consuming love TOT Ken
nedy made her shrink from other atten-
tions. -.-,.,
| inc vaInlv again to concentrate on her
| work when Kennedy himself was an
| nounced. a..
instantly his keen glance appraised the
| flowers.
rs it necessary for an editor to send send
his contributors SlO-a-dozen roses' VIII
scathing sarcasm
Flamingly resentful, Margaret ore"
| back.
| I'm sorry, Margaret But It's hard &c
| see other men pay you attention, men whc
are free and have everything to give while
II am bound. Whatever our friendship
may mean we must always think OF her
| ~ know" admitted Margaret gently
| "And l want to help you shield her Above
| everything else, our happiness must never
mean her unhappiness." Then startled
What was that?"
'I heard nothing" he reassured her
| 'TYou're nervous. dear"
| Unconvinced, Margaret ran TO the door
but the hall was empty. Had she looked
beyond the turn, where the stairway wounC
around the elevator, she would have seer
the cause Of her disquietude.
There shrinking back against the wall
stood Mary Kennedy, her lips colorless anC
her gloved hands clenched.
To call on Miss Warner after her heroisn
of the houseboat fire had seemed to Mar!
a necessary courtesy. Expecting a cheal
boarding house, she had been surprised a
the pretentlousness of the building. A new
elevator boy, unused to his duties, hat
taken her UP unannounced
At Margaret's door, as in the semidark
ness of the hall she fumbled for the bell
she had heard the murmur Of voices, Fo
an age-long second she stood petrihed. Tha
low, deep note 1t was Horace!
Dizzily she groped her way back TO tn
elevator. Everything was clear now. Proc
after proof swept ptilessly through he
brain. How blind, how credulousiy blind
she had been
She reached home with but one though
beating clearly through the chaos The,
must not know that she knew II ther
was still a chance of regaining her husband
it would not be through recriminations.
Not until the next day did Mary's tor