Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-20

won't you. and let me have my chance?"
I'm afraid I'd sooner be unhappy with
| chris than happy with any one else in the
world"
still. promise me-"
''if do you mustn't count on II. Percy.
w'1 you? Because it's quite, quite i'm.
possible; II cant ever happen"
"All right then" he said more gayly,
wel leave II at that II the impossible
happens. as II often has before now, you'll
tell me about IT. honest 1njun?"
Honest Injun.' promised Molly. "Now
| must go home"
But Percy stl kept hold Of her hand. "P
say, Molly" he begged Wont YOU? lust
one--you never have"
But in Molly's eyes kiss was still a
supremely important thing "Oh. Percy
how can you? II wouldn't be right. No
body ever has except Chris"
TT wouldn't hurt him. and 1t wouldn't
hurt you. and II would do me no end Of
good. 1t would. really. liver such "A little
one. Moly?"
Molly hesitated She had always been
proud of the fact that until the coming of
Chris she had never allowed any one to
Kiss her Yes she was oddly conscious now
OF the fact that her refusal. instead of
sounding noble. seemed rather selfish She
looked apprasingly at Percy at his eager
anxious face and his nice blue eyes. and it
was not entirely unsefshness which
prompted the sudden uplifting of her cheek
toward him.
All the way home she felt rather wicked
but pleasurably aware of the fact that even
" chris were flirting with Mrs Lee, she
herself had not been entirely faithful either
She wondered whether Chris would mind II
he knew, and hoped he would, but truer
instincts told her that he was much more
likely to call her blessed infant and say
ne was glad she had been able to do that
much for poor old Pennicuik II was
probably this instinct rather than any new
found wisdom which made Molly eventually
decide to keep the affair to herself
As may be seen. Mr.. Brent counted as
something Of mystery in a household
where everything seemed ordinary and open
as 1t did at West Crest. Yet his history
II he could he said to have one. was nothing
out OF the way except that II reflected far
more credit on him than he would have
admitted even to his intmates No one
at Wave Crest was an intimate of Chris
topher Brent with the rather notable ex-
ception Of Mrs. Leland this although he
was supposed only now to have made her
acquaintance
Deception such this especially when
rracticed before young and hitherto trust
ing hancee. sounds as though there may be
something reprehensible to conceal Moth
Ing could have been further from the truth
In the case Of CHRISTOPHER and Miriam. They
were both of that rare race which holds
work. and the idea behind II, to be of more
value than anything personal They had
first met when Brent was taking we'll
earned holiday big game hunting in Rhode
sia. having just brought to a successful con-
clusion the delicate mission with which he
had ben intrusted Up til then he had been
a not particularly shining ornament of the
diplomatic service. He came of n reason
ably old though untitled Irish family, which
perhaps was why. although a younger son.
he was not In the proverbally penniless
condition of his kind.
His real genius seemed to be for private
theatricals, and this II was which gave a
certain great man--who was really extra
ordinarily intelligent for a member of the
intelligence department-the idea that Mr.
Brent could be some use to him. That idea
had been fully justified and though no
/ longer popular figure in embassy drawing
! rooms, yet this apparently useless and
futile young man was now considered one
of the most brilliant members of the secret
service. Older men at the game were wont
TO say Of him that he trusted too much to
instinct and not enough to reason but even
they admitted that he had wonderful
| flair which up to now had never failed him.
AS to Miriam. his connection with her
was Of the simplest. letter Of introduce
tion from a friend had landed him at her
husbands farm in Rhodesia. Roderick Lee
was remittance man of the worst type.