Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-16
CHAPTER XV-Cortinued

CHAPTER NN-COntinued
At THE sight of the unpretentious hos
"A telry which rejoiced in the distinction
OF possessing such resounding name, Shir-
ley was conscious of variety of emotions.
For a time. in the old days, 1t had been the
fashion to patronize the Bellerophon. and
Murgatroyd had been the first to take her
there. On more than one occasion she
had lunched with him and he had always
been most enthusiastic over the respectful
service, the wonderful cuisine and the quiet
of the place. It was infinitely nicer he
had said, to have their luncheon there than
to go to any of the huge, noisy caraVansa-
ries like the skyscraping. fve-acre' con-
crete Monolith on the avenue. And she
agreed with him. Another time he had
explained to her that he was one-ciub
man: a man with few friends; and that,
when tired out after long, nara DAY
work, he greatly preferred corner, All 10
himself, in the Bellerophon to dining with
half-formed acquaintanCes at the club. In
this likewise she had sympathized thor
oughly with his point of view. Ana so'
not unnaturally, II came about that Shirley
had had little difficulty on her long Journey
east in convincing herself that IL was
merely her liking for the Bellerophon, ana
not at all anything more subtle, that had
hotel for her lonely stay In the metropolis.
Resides. Miriam and she had often been
there together, and for that matter mad
grown to regard 1t as their own especial
discovery. But now, when she had crossed
the portal, when the boy had dropped her
bag at the feet of the Bellerophon porter
charging her quite double as the price or
her unpardonable -mindedness -
food of memories swept over her aud hcr
face flushed and she laughed in an irri-
tated sort of way on realizing that an the
time she had been thinking solely OF MUIR
gatroyd.
Nurgatroyd, Would the mans name
never he out of her thoughts! For time
ont west, It Is true, she had been so en-
crossed in the cares and griets or htr almost
hermit Like existence that she had been
nhle 70 look back upon the old scenes as
cbanters I'm some pathetic story book but
now. the odd, little prints on the walls all
about her. the slender old gentlemen--aris-
tocrats--who strolled to and fro, everything
about the place recalled vividly the man
who, not so very long ago, had been part
and parcel Of her existence.
They showed her to her room-a won
derfuliy old-faghiOned room without par
ticle of brass or glitter in II. Even the
hedstead was Of wood---a good, solid invita-
tion to homelike rest and slumber'
"Get me an evening paper please" she
said to the bcllboy'
"All of them" she replied with beam
ing smile; after that the boy was not long
in bringing them. H.,
In Arizona shirley had been reading
news which was generally three four days
frequently a week old. Out there her
home papers had strasgieu III, o 9,"'e datn. %c
unprofitable But these-of even date ;
,yhy they were damp from the press
indeed, it was good to have them
"IIome home" she whispered to herself
as she sank into chair she DECIDED tiat
she would not dine until much later Tor
she wanted to think, wanted TO Classify the
emotions which had rushed in upon her so
suddenly. The easy chair responded to her
mood: and with sigh, and placing her
hands behind her head, she leaned back
contentedly, little knowing that she looked
wonderfully pretty In that ola room-a
goddess in travelling gown All the care
ond<sorrow that she had passed through In
these last months had made woman OF
the girl had deepened her beauty. Time
nod rounded her gently. Travel-stalned
and feversh with the glow or new eN-
perience upon her. she was more inviting,
| more human, more beautiful than she could
| nossibly be in the latest Paris creation.
knd vet one of the fittest mates in a great
| ,,,atronolis was alone. East and West,
everywhere she had wandered, men, great
| nnen wonderful men had held out their
| hands TO her beseechng y-drawn by a
certain undefinable magnetism and attrac-
tiyeness which she possessed--a charm OF
manner which few could resist. And Shlr-
ia,, had nassed on, and had given no sign.
| nut now In the silence of her room, her
loneliness appalled, her. The insistent men,
cries closed in around her. And suddenly
oha tnew that she wanted to live as other
| women lived--with man OF her own
choosing. But where could she find the
man in whom she eouid put ner ia''n .,
| n x.,bila Shirley picked up one Ol
,ha naners living on the table. At the first
sIsnee she started and laughed gulltily
There at the head of the third column, q
word a name had caught her eye: Murga'
trovd paper after paper she now scanned
and All mentioned his name: some on Iess sns
arst page. others ee ~ ~ 49, 'ss-ss