Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-02

Mary had not yet stopped to questioning her
servants
1t was late when Kennedy came home 10
dinner, His surprise at her having come
back 10 town was evident but his greeting
held the punctilious politeuess that she had
come to dread.
The dinner and evening that she had so
longed for were painfully constrained With
a sick despair, Mary realized that all their
old intimacy and companionship was gone.
Pleading fatigue from the long drive,
she went up to her room early. How un-
avaling had been her trip--how futile her
efforts to get near him.
The next morning, after a restless sleep
less night she came down to breakfast to
find he had already left with stabbng
heartache, she realized that he had pre-
ferred to breakfast alone.
Going back upstairs she turned into his
room. Her longing to he near him found
a pitifu expression in handling his clothes
The suit he had worn yesterday lay on "A
chair, Starting TO hang it up her glance
fell on a faint, white blur on the coat
Holding it closer she caught an elusive
perfume. The tea service in the library,
the sidecomb, and now this added proof
Sinking to the floor, Mary dropped her
head against chair. The wretchedness Of
this last discovery left her dazed and hope
less
who was she? Where was she? The
first stupefying shock now leaped to pas
sionate jealousy, fierce determination, to
know
At any other time she would have scorned
the impulse to which she now yielded.
Feverishly she searched the pockets, finding
a plain white card on which was penciled !:
IT. De Water street.
3rd door 2nd floor short rings"
4 l.. .F.s-s. So
ing at the card, That this was the woman's
address she felt convinced
Swept on by an impulse she could not
combat, she dressed swiftly in dark suit
and heavy veil. Hurrying down 10 the sun
bathed street, she signaled a passing taxi
and gave the address. "42 Water street
A rapid drive across town, and they en-
tered a sdualid waterfront district. The
cab drew up before an old-fashioned dilapi-
dated brick house with broken shutters and
an unkept doorway.
As she went up the steps, Mary saw
with surprise that the front door was ajar.
Pushing il open, she entered the dim shad-
owy hallway.
Conquerng a throbbing sense Of fear,
she started up the dark stairs. Twice she
paused with alarming desire to turn
back but her heart beating fast she forced
herself on.
The second floor was gruesomely black.
Timid,y Mary approached the third door.
She was summoning her courage to touch
the button when she was startled by grun
voices within.
They've put Mike away for two years,
and IL he hasn't talked yet---he will What's
the name Of that lawyer who got him to
plead guilty?"
Kennedy" growled another voice
| We'll. he promised him a job after he'd
| done his piece, If he'd run straight. Oh,
| Mikes squealed, all right We'd better beat
| il or Wen have the cops here any minute. ~
Mary had heard enough. Her absurd
| mistake was clear, Terrified, with held
| breath, she ran down the fearsomely creak-
| ing stairs and out into the security Of the
| sun-lit street
! She had stumbled on a band Of Grim
| inals whom her husband intended TO pros
! ecute. Could she let him know what she
| had overheard? Could she tell him without
| confessing her jealous suspicious? What
excuse could she give for being in such a
neighborhood?
Her mind in a whirI. she hurried on with
| no thought Of direction. soon finding her
| self in a crowded tenement district with
Uttered fre-escapes, push carts and swarm
| ing children